An open-world game trying to be the Eastern European answer to GTA quietly launched and flopped on Steam. Vivat Slovakia aimed to gather 350 players for testing but couldn’t even reach half that number, and the reviews aren’t pretty either.

Over the years, Rockstar’s GTA franchise has inspired countless imitators—but in recent times, few developers have dared to take it on. Unlike the early 2000s, when studios everywhere tried replicating GTA’s formula, today’s landscape has fewer challengers. One of those is Vivat Slovakia, an indie title known as the “Slovak GTA,” which recently hit Steam—and promptly faceplanted.

Vivat Slovakia has not found success on Steam, so far

The signs were already there during Early Access: Vivat Slovakia lacked the polish expected from modern open-world games. Despite a string of updates and efforts to improve things, its 1.0 release barely moved the needle. Its peak concurrent players on launch? Just 85—slightly better than its usual 10, but nowhere near what it takes to make a splash.

User feedback has been mixed at best. Of more than 400 total reviews, 69% are positive, with many praising the nostalgic Eastern European vibe that particularly resonates with players who grew up in the 1990s. But plenty of criticism has also emerged: poor driving AI, bad optimization, and technical shortcomings have weighed down the experience even in this “full release.”

Despite the slow start, the developers remain committed. They’re promising further updates, added features, and ongoing improvements. Future plans include more side content, new vehicles, and deeper gameplay systems to enhance the core experience.

The 1.0 version already includes a full campaign with Slovak and English voice acting, over 70 authentic vehicles, and GeForce Now support. However, the absence of a Spanish text translation could limit its appeal in Spanish-speaking regions. Whether it can turn things around remains to be seen, but so far, the Eastern European dream of a GTA contender is struggling to find its audience.

Source: 3djuegos