Stalker 2’s first patch has been released with monster nerfs as well as more than 650 fixes to memory leaks, crashes, and bad teeth.

Stalker 2 gets off with a lot, because, as Fraser Brown, online editor, said, "We stan an janky weirdo." It's a huge, ambitious and deeply engrossing video game that's also pretty broken in some pretty major way. It's a testament to how good the game is that it's still regarded as one the best games of 2024. But some of this willingness to forgive comes from the fact Stalker, well, is Stalker. It's just the way it is.

Old-time Stalker enthusiasts would be disappointed if the jank was somehow removed, but there's a fine line between charm and frustration: Weirdness can be fun, but you still want it to work. The first patch for Stalker 2 promises to make a meaningful move in that direction. It contains more than 650 fixes, adjustments, and nerfs, covering a wide range of issues.

Stalker 2’s A-Life System, which governs NPCs’ and monsters’ interactions and behaviors in the game, is still being improved. It was in a pretty bad state at launch. GSC Game World announced last week that they were working on fixes. However, that effort is more long-term. The studio stated today that A Life bugs "will be addressed by future patches."

Not just bug fixes, but more is coming. GSC Game World stated that when Stalker 2, went live, after hotfixes took care of the most pressing bug fixes, it would shift to "larger update" and free in-game contents. A roadmap for post-launch plans is scheduled to be revealed by December. For now, you can read the Stalker 2.01 patch notes.

AI fixes

• Fixed groups of NPCs dying and getting stuck near Shelter when active Emission is active.
• Fixes issue where Burer could drop mission items from the player's hand.
  
• Burer's Telekinesis ability now has missing sound effects.
  
• Fixes issues where NPCs would sometimes get stuck and not reach the mission location. This could have caused the inability to interact or progress to the next stage of mission due to the idle behavior of mission NPC.
  
• Fixed performance drops/potential memory crashes in hubs or locations crowded with NPCs when playing long sessions.
  
• Fixes issue where NPCs would start flying or move into A-pose after death.
  
• Fix for NPCs who could not determine if a target was in cover or not, causing them to fire into cover.
  
• AI is not the only issue. There are more than 20 other issues.

Fixes for optimization

• Fix for invisible NPC/Mutants in the FOV of the player while he is scoping.
  
• Fire visual effects rendered correctly at certain camera angles.
  
• Also, we fixed approximately 100 different crashes, including potential memory leaks and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION issues.
  
  

Audio & Sound Fixes:

• Fixes issue where combat music continues to play after combat is over.
  
• There are 7 minor audio & Sound bugs.

Balance adjustments

• The cost of weapons and armor repairs is reduced.
  
• Cost of artifacts has increased significantly (more revenue from sales).
  
• The money reward for most missions has been increased from 2 to 3.
  
• Armor and weapons buffs for rookie difficulty.
  
• The damage from mutants has been moderately reduced on Rookie difficulty.
  
• On Rookie difficulty, the damage to the player's weapon is reduced by 23 percent.
  
• The durability of armor has increased by 12.5 percent.
  
• Add silencer attachment to PTM specific stash in the Lesser Zone.
  
• Exoskeletons are now more expensive for sale due to the fixed prices.
  
• Fixed price for upgraded weapons
  
• Rebalanced Hercules Consumable: removed player speed debuff; increased effect parameters (now player can carry more weight after consuming).
  
• There are some minor bug fixes.

Combat Balance

• Weight reduction of some mission items (including scanners)
  
• Damage of Bloodsucker has been slightly rebalanced.
  
• Reduce Bloodsucker’s strike protection (more damage from guns).
  
• Reduced Boodsucker HP regeneration outside of combat.
  
• The HP of the controller is reduced.
  
• Burer HP is reduced to a moderate degree.
  
• Boar HP is reduced moderately.
  
• Flesh HP is reduced moderately.
  
• Damage to Boar caused by headshots is now 100% of the body damage.
  
• The damage to Boar is increased by shots to the limbs.
  
• Damage to Flesh is increased when shots are fired at the limbs.
  
• Increased weapon melee range.
  
• Increased knife melee range.

Gamepad Input

• Dead zones on gamepads increased

Characters:

• NPC models with fixed eyes and teeth
  
• Minor fixes to NPC models and animations.

Cutscenes:

• In the final cutscene, TV displays have been updated with missing footage.
  
• The deer animation has been fixed in the opening cutscene.
  
• There are 20 different bugs in the cutscenes.

Game Settings and Menus:

• Shader Compilation Screen: Unreadable text is corrected at the bottom.
  
• Fixes issue where the 'Nvidia Reflex low latency' option was not saved on subsequent boots in the game.
  
• Here are 10 more minor issues.

Interactable Objects:

• Fixes physics issues for destructible and moving objects, including those that float in the air.
  
• Fix interaction prompt for glass doors in SIRCAA’s inner yard. This caused a walkthrough blocking bug.
  
• Fix the missing inner doors on the X-11 laboratory lift.
  
• More minor bugs.

Main and side missions:

• Fixes for numerous mission blockers, bugs and glitches that appeared under certain conditions. Key fixes include:
  
  • Fixes missing interaction with dead Blind dogs in the Nightingale’s Hunt mission.
    
  • Fixing uncompleted objectives in the Seek, And You Shall Find mission.
    
  • There and Back Again: Fixed multiple issues, including an artifact that was not found.
    
  • Resolved the dialog loop with Zotov in the A Needle In A Haystack Mission.
    
  • The mission Answers Come at a Price has been fixed to remove progression blockers, including bandits that appeared after an emission. Also, the Heavy Key item was missing.
    
  • Corrections to the mission markers for NPC locations within the Hot on the Trail Mission.
    
  • The Side Hustle and In Search of a Guide missions now have fixed door-related issues.
    
  • Fix for the issue where the cutscene would not start when the mission Just Like the Good Old Days was launched.
    
  • Fix for Lodochka missing from Quite's Camp in the Just Like the Good Old Days Mission.
    
  • Fixed a bug in Just Like the Good Old Days where Lodochka would act aggressively after you brought him the Emitter.
    
  • During the To the Last Drop of Blood Mission, it is now possible for you to turn off the electricity in the area that has been flooded.
    
  • Fixes for On the Edge mission issues including stuck doors, idle NPCs and the Monolith attack progression.
    
  • Fixes for the A Minor Incident mission including the collar of Bayun and the locked doors.
    
  • In Search of Past Glory, we addressed performance drops and unclear objectives.
    
  • Fixes issues with the Visions of Truth Mission, including NPCs that are stuck and dialogs that block progression.
    
  • Fixes stuck cutscenes in the Dangerous Visitors mission, Gray's Last Hunt and The Eternal Shining.
    
  • Corrections to the spawn behavior of NPCs and enemys in The Boundary, Escape from the Cage and The Boundary missions.
    
  • You can fix issues like misaligned markers and missing dialog options by tweaking missions such as Down Below, Budmo! and A Big Score.
    
• There are also 120 other issues in the mainline, side missions and encounters.

Open World Experience

• Fix missing or stretched limbs in humanoid corpses.
  
• Fixes missing fast travel routes including to the Toadstool Concrete Plant.
  
• Resolved issues related to loudspeakers and fast travel in locations such as the Scientists' Bunker and Chemical Plant.
  
• Increased ammo and bandit tactics for the Tyrant fight.
  
• Corrected the mission progression in The Key to Freedom and The Black Sheep missions.
  
• About 50 other issues have been resolved.
  
  

Player Guidance and Gear:

• Fixed a bug which allowed items to be sold to traders for more than they cost.
  
• Fixes input blocking issues when interacting with artifacts.
  
• After saving/loading, the flashlight behaves differently.
  
• Resolved issues relating to grenade selection, compass markers overlaps and missing mission marker.
  
• Fixes inconsistencies in weapon and armor upgrade effects including pricing and upgrade reversals.
  
• The Down Below mission now has a better HUD and the "Point of No Return' hints will last longer.
  
• Fix for a bug that allowed players to sell mission items with a gamepad.
  
• There are approximately 50 minor "anomalies".

Voiceover and facial animations:

• Restored missing facial animated for Sava and Mugwort from the Hot on the Trail Mission.
  
• Fix missing voice lines in the Let No One Go Unsatisfied mission.
  
• Corrected radio call effects so NPC voices properly reflect distance during communication.
• A couple of other things have been fixed.

World:

• Fixed flickering textures on various locations including the Sphere Military Base and Chemical Plant.
  
• Fixes movement issues such as getting stuck in certain places during missions like Once More Unto the Breach or A Tough Awakening.
  
• Corrections to artifact spawning points in certain areas.
  
• Fixed NPC behavior during encounters.
  
• Adjusting the voice volume during stormy weather to improve audio balance.
  
• There are approximately 50 more bugs.