Has Bethesda acquired the STALKER rights?

This is one of the more exciting rumours that I’ve heard for a while.

According to a Russian blogger, Sergey Galyonkin, Bethesda has bought up the rights to develop and publish further titles in the STALKER franchise. It also owns the rights to develop and further explore new elements of STALKER’s universe.

Galyonkin claims that GSC Game World has not sold the STALKER IP wholesale, rather it has given Bethesda the exclusive rights to create future titles.

“There is no truth to the allegations that the STALKER rights have been sold to Bethesda,” GSC head honcho Sergei Grigorovich said back in May this year.  ”The rights belong to Sergiy Grygorovych, the founder of GSC Game World.”

Work on STALKER 2 had begun at GSC Game World, but was stopped following GSC’s financial troubles and eventual closure in December 2011.