## Xbox Reportedly Paid More Than STALKER 2’s Entire Budget For Xbox Exclusivity

Authored by thephrasemaker.com

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is one of those games that managed to recover its development budget even before it reached players.

Well, thanks to Xbox and the exclusive deal it made with the development studio.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl had already recovered its development costs before it reached players, according to GSC Game World’s founder, offering a rare glimpse into the economics behind modern platform exclusivity deals.

Speaking in a recent interview with YouTuber OLDboi, GSC Game World founder Sergiy Grygorovych revealed Microsoft came with a deal they simply couldn’t refuse.

The Redmond giant paid more than Stalker 2’s entire budget in exchange for Xbox console exclusivity.

Microsoft announced STALKER 2 as a timed Xbox console exclusive and a day-one Xbox Game Pass release in 2021.

Stalker 2 eventually released in 2024 but the investments and decision making from Microsoft has come under scrutiny even since major studio closures started. »

### New York sculptor spent $100,000 to make a Charlie Kirk statue no one wants to buy

Authored by theguardian.com

A New York sculptor has been left furious after spending $100,000 of his own money to build a lifesize statue of Charlie Kirk, only to find that no one wants to buy it.

In New York City, one of the most diverse, and Democratic, cities in the US, Kirk is far less popular.

Until then, Furnari is left with a 6ft 4in statue of a renowned racist, which he has spent $100,000 making, and which no one wants to buy. »

### Mom forced 11-year-old daughter to give birth to husband’s baby without medical care

Authored by the-independent.com

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and banned from contact with the victims, as reported by Law & Crime.

Authorities launched an investigation in 2025 after discovering that the couple’s 11-year-old daughter had delivered a full-term infant inside their Muskogee County home without any prenatal or medical assistance.

“And that she had no medical care, and she had no one to be with her.”. »

### Israeli exports hit all-time high of $169B despite boycotts

Authored by jpost.com

The total exceeded both the ministry's conservative forecast of $165 billion and the previous record of just over $166 billion set in 2022.

The increase came despite ongoing geopolitical challenges, boycotts by several countries, disruptions to global shipping routes, and sharp currency fluctuations.

Commenting on the figures, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat said: "These numbers are unequivocal proof of the strength of the Israeli economy and Israeli entrepreneurship. »

### Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Additional Tariffs on Canada

Authored by whitehouse.gov

Fact Sheets Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Additional Tariffs on Canada.

DEFENDING AMERICAN WORKERS AND ENSURING FAIR TRADE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed three Proclamations pursuant to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose additional 50% tariffs on certain goods of Canada in response to Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American products.

Canada imposes certain tariffs and quotas on cars imported to Canada from the U.S., but not on imports from other countries. »

## In pictures

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