bitComposer Entertainment AG, the German-based publisher known for the recent Jagged Alliance titles has acquired the license to develop new games in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise, securing the exclusive rights from the estate of deceased author Boris Natanovich Strugatsky.

The logistics on this are a bit confusing however, as RPS points out, it was understood that Sergiy Grygorovich, owner of the defunct Ukraine studio GSC Gameworld held the rights to the STALKER games, from whom the dev-team exodus that founded Vostok games had unsuccessfully attempted to obtain them. Vostok would then go on to reveal Survarium, they own new post-apocalyptic shooter IP.

Whether this means that the rights held by the original author, and those held by GSC are somehow different is unclear, but it does at least suggest that some more European-developed STALKER action might be in the works. You can read the full press release over on the bitComposer site.