Stalker 2’s First Major Patch Fixes Over 650 Bugs

GSC Game World has rolled out the first significant update for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl on both PC and Xbox. This patch addresses over 650 issues, some of which were causing players to become stuck and others geared towards fixing the unsettlingly stretched limbs of corpses.

The studio shared the Patch 1.0.1 notes last Friday, revealing a myriad of improvements that are nearly too numerous to summarize. The update tackles problems related to memory leaks, crashes, NPC actions, movement difficulties, unfinished objectives, and physics glitches that caused items to defy gravity. Additionally, adjustments were made to character models, specifically their facial features that had rendered eyes and teeth in strange ways.

Upon its release, Stalker 2 faced serious performance challenges, particularly on PC. Much of this was attributed to its difficult production, compounded by delays stemming from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The game’s vast size and demanding nature, alongside the series’ long-standing reputation for quirks, added to the hurdles faced. Despite these issues, GSC Game World managed to improve the game’s usability significantly during the review period with a timely patch.

A message from the GSC Game World Team.

Before you enter the Zone, we’d like to share something heartfelt. pic.twitter.com/wuLRAkq7Ba

— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) November 20, 2024

GSC has also been actively working on hotfixes since the game’s launch. They intend to focus on these immediate fixes before moving on to larger updates that will feature continuous improvements. Plans for free in-game content will follow, with a detailed roadmap expected to be announced next month.

Despite the hurdles, Stalker 2 achieved a remarkable launch week, selling over 1 million copies within the first two days, according to reports from GSC. This figure doesn’t account for players who accessed the game through Xbox Game Pass.