The developers from the GSC Game World studio kept their promise and released the first post-release patch for the post-apocalyptic open-world shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl until the end of this week.
Image source: GSC GAME WORLD
The 13.7 GB update 1.0.1 (Steam version) is already available on PC and is expected on Xbox consoles in the coming hours. According to the developers, the patch fixes more than 650 different bugs and problems.
In particular, GSC has fixed about a hundred different crashes (including the EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION error) and possible memory leaks, 120 bugs (including critical ones) in main and side quests, as well as more than 20 problems with AI.
Other notable changes:
- Invisible NPCs or mutants will no longer appear in the player’s field of view while aiming;
- Battle music will no longer continue to play when the battle has already ended;
- Fixed eyes and teeth of NPC models;
- Added missing frames on TV screens in the final scene;
- Moving destructible objects will no longer hover in the air;
- The elevator in the X-11 laboratory will have missing internal doors;
- Missing limbs were returned to human corpses, and stretched limbs were shortened;
- Merchants can no longer sell goods at inflated prices.
A significant portion of the changes in the new patch are balance adjustments: the developers have reduced the cost of repairing armor and weapons, significantly increased the price of artifacts and rewards for completing most missions (by two to three times).
Other balance changes:
- On Beginner difficulty, we increased armor and weapon strength, and also reduced damage from mutants;
- Increased armor strength by 12.5%;
- Reduced the weight of some plot items (like scanners);
- Bloodsucker now takes more damage from guns and recovers less health outside of combat;
- Moderately reduced the health of the Controller, Burer, Flesh and boars;
- Significantly increased the attack range with the butt of a weapon and slightly – with a knife.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was released on November 20 on PC (Steam, GOG, Microsoft Store, EGS), Xbox Series X and S, and Game Pass. In the coming patches, the developers are going to start fixing the A-Life system, but for now modders are doing this.