STALKER 2 Heart of Chernobyl new feature
Patches

STALKER 2 Patch 1.3 released, packing over 1200 fixes & tweaks

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GSC GameWorld has released Patch 1.3 for STALKER 2, packing over 1200 fixes, tweaks, improvements and changes. So, let’s take a closer look at it, shall we?

Title Update 1.3 brings numerous tweaks to the enemy AI and the combat system. Mutants will now move smoother during the firefights and all NPCs will react better to the sound of footsteps. The devs have also polished ambush behavior for mutants, when Player is hiding behind or on top of props. Plus, they have fixed an issue where mutants didn’t attack other NPCs once Player was in the safe zone.

Patch 1.3 fixes almost 100 crashes and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors. As such, the game should be more stable now on your PC. Not only that but it fixes memory leaks issues when navigating inventory/looting menus. It also fixes the crash caused by zombification of NPCs.

It’s also worth noting that this latest update adds multiple new death screens that vary based on the cause of the death. Moreover, it improves the shadows cast by the player’s flashlight. I know a lot of players complained about this. So, there you have it. Better flashlight shadows for everyone. Plus, this patch updates and fixes of NPC movement and shooting animations.

Before closing, I should note that this patch comes with numerous fixes for all main quests. To avoid spoilers, I have not included those changes below. Still, if you are interested in them, you can find them here.

Like always, Steam will download this update the next time you launch its client. Below you can also find its non-spoiler changes.

STALKER 2 Patch 1.3 Release Notes

AI and Combat

  • Made mutants movements during combat smoother.
  • Improved the reaction of NPCs to the sound of footsteps.
  • Polished ambush behavior for mutants, when Player is hiding behind or on top of props.
  • Fixed an issue where mutants didn’t attack other NPCs once Player was in the safe zone.

Balance

  • Archiartifacts rebalance:
    • Weird Water: decreased radiation protection.
    • Weird Nut: increased bleeding degeneration speed, further slowed down healing with equipped artifact.
    • Weird Flower: Increased smell masking effect.
    • Weird Ball: increased stamina gain, increased maximum weight of the artifact, but slowed down weight gain when being shot.
    • Weird Kettle: Debuff received from consuming food is now not random, and corresponds to specific type of food.
    • Non-Stop Limited Edition energy drinks now have an additional special effect when used with Weird Kettle.
  • Made A-life encounters a bit more rare on average.
  • Nerfed base anomaly damage protections for “combat” armors
  • Buffed anomaly damage protection for “science” suites
  • Slightly reworked anomaly damage for different anomalies
  • Increased damage from destructible explosive props.
  • Fixed an issue where the Weird Flower artifact was initially in a dried state instead of an active one after being picked up.
  • Increased overall durability for unique weapons found during missions.

Bug Fixes, Crashes, and Performance

  • Fixed a bug that could let players permanently stack the effect of unequipped artifacts.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent players from being able to use sprint after chaotic movement.
  • Fixed an issue that caused some psy-phantoms of blind dogs to have misleading trails.
  • Fixed the crash caused by zombification of NPCs.
  • Fixed an issue when looting some story NPCs could block the mission.
  • Fixed an issue when players could be locked inside the Ranger Station.
  • Fixed an issue that could permanently keep visual effects of sleepiness if the save was made during a Main Quest line.
  • Fixed issue with light from the flashlights in cutscenes.
  • Fixed an issue where high ranked NPCs were able to spawn at Rookie Village location.
  • Phantom stalkers that appear under the influence of Psy-effect no longer can damage other NPCs by throwing grenades.
  • Fixed an issue where the HUD would sometimes appear transparent after closing the inventory or finishing a cutscene.
  • Fixed visual bugs on character costumes (texture stretching caused by awkward animation poses).
  • Fixed memory leaks issues when navigating inventory/looting menus (e.g. opening Player stash at Rostok).
  • Resolved issues where NPCs got stuck in one place and obstructed player movement.
  • Fixed the issue when the output device was resetted after restart of the title.
  • Fixed an issue where a guide NPC was missing at Yaniv hub after unlocking Prypiat region.
  • UI Update: Fixed localization issues, improved stability, resolved visual bugs in widgets, corrected text corruption, and SFX for a smoother experience.

Also, almost 100 crashes and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors were fixed.

Technical Updates

  • Added multiple new death screens that vary based on the cause of the death.
  • Improved facial animations in the mainline.
  • Improved audio obstruction for mutants’ sounds.
  • Improved the positioning of various sounds.
  • Added a new night music theme for Slag Heap.
  • Added music for the elevator in SIRCAA.
  • Added missing localizations for tutorials.
  • Added descriptions that explain what is the difference between armor-piercing and expansive ammo.
  • Improved some bullet-caused decals.
  • Improved the visibility of enemies at nighttime by increasing the intensity of the NPC flashlights.
  • Improved the shadows cast by the player’s flashlight.
  • Several attachments and upgrades have been moved from “point of no returns” end game sequence to Prypiat stashes.
  • Updates and fixes of NPC movement and shooting animations.
  • Added option to change Melee weapon attack button in control settings.
  • Added additional idle animations for NPCs with weapons drawn.
  • Added new VFX animals and a new type of a visual anomaly.