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Many of us STALKER veterans were on the fence about Stalker 2 in the early days, but I’m thrilled to report that I’m now fully on board. Following a rapid-fire onset of patches and updates, GSC Game World has turned me into a believer, and the future is bright.
My biggest qualm with STALKER 2 by far was its questionable handling of the revered A-Life AI system. Since then, not only have modders managed to shape it into something formidable, but GSC itself has also managed to deliver massive improvements in this regard. The humongous 110-gig update 1.1.0 revamped almost every aspect of the game, featuring over 1,800 fixes and improvements in total. Since then, three more hotfixes have been deployed, and STALKER 2 is finishing 2024 at version number 1.1.3. That’s only the beginning, though, as per GSC’s latest announcement over on Twitter.
STALKER 2 version 1.1.3 is the final update for 2024, but lots more is coming in 2025
Now, GSC Game World still has a long way to go when it comes to STALKER 2‘s general stability and whatnot, but there’s no denying the fact that the game is now in a great spot. We have an A-Life that actually works as it should, with NPCs acting in both online and offline modes, a less punishing economy, and a (slightly) more sensible combat balance. Many of the most egregious bugs and crashes have been resolved, and almost all of the awful progression blockers are no longer an issue. That’s quite the feat to accomplish in under a month!
In 2025, expect more patches for STALKER 2, but also a content roadmap that’s probably going to include expansions (both free and paid). There have been murmurs of at least two story-based DLCs for STALKER 2, but let’s not forget about the multiplayer mode, either.
For those who prefer to stick with classic STALKER, though, there’s good news. The Legends of the Zone trilogy (featuring Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat titles) is going to receive a “next-gen” patch on consoles. Furthermore, since the original PC versions of the games didn’t receive any updates to acknowledge the release of the Legends of the Zone, GSC is finally going to fix this. Great news all around, then.
On a related note, I am also thrilled to report that STALKER 2 is now firmly in the green! The development of the game has been nothing if not turbulent, and GSC Game World’s team must be incredibly validated in the success and critical acclaim that STALKER 2 has achieved. Despite all the bugs and broken features, the experience on offer is virtually unparalleled. All in all, then, it’s been a stellar year for Stalkers and a very promising demo of what’s to come in 2025.
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