GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl launches this Fall for PS5, but in the meantime, PC and Xbox Series X/S players can try out the latest update, “Night of the Hunter.” It adds a staple to any S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s arsenal – Night Vision Goggles. Watch them in action below.
The update also rebalances night vision for NPCs, adds offset aiming and laser pointers, and improves the combat (especially at long range). An “old friend” returns while a new Anomaly, Fireball, awaits. Female characters get new options for customizing their faces and hair, and there’s even a new Unique weapon, Honta’s “Drahunka.” Oh, and NPCs can now loot Mutants, so make sure not to leave anything behind.
Check out some of the patch notes below and full details here. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl launches on November 20th for PS5 with PS5 Pro support. The survival sandbox FPS has crossed six million players since its release last year. You can read our thoughts on the base game here.
AI and Combat
- Fixed an issue where NPCs would take low cover behind trees incorrectly.
- Fixed an issue where squad leaders nearby would all shout the same phrase simultaneously after a fight.
- Fixed an issue where zombie NPCs could freeze midair after being headshotted.
- Improved Chimera combat behavior.
- Fixed an issue where Chimera could get stuck after performing a jump attack.
- Fixed an issue where Chimera and Snork could jump through objects if the player was standing on top of them.
- Fixed an animation issue with Bloodsucker arms during melee attacks.
- Fixed an issue where Bloodsuckers could remain permanently invisible when not attacking.
- Fixed an issue where Pseudodog clones would get stuck if spawned during a Retreat action.
- Fixed an issue where Burers and Poltergeists were unable to use their throw ability.
- Fixed an issue where Pseudogiant stomp could damage player in the air.
Balance
- Fixed an issue where the Mercenary’s Light Suit could weigh 0.0 kg after upgrades.
- Adjusted the weight of the Veteran rifle.
- Increased the damage of the Predator shotgun to match its description.
- Fixed an issue where the Flytrap artifact effect did not provide weight reduction.
- Increased HP for boar mutants.
- Reduced HP for pseudogiant mutants.
- Adjusted the upgrade tree for Kora.
- Fixed an issue where Kora’s extended magazine was missing from the Zone and unavailable for the player to find.
Bug Fixes, Crashes, and Performance
- Fixed an issue where Players could have incorrect rotation after teleporting via the Spatial Bubble anomaly.
- Polished headgear on multiple NPC presets.
- Fixed an issue where Zombies were unable to stand up during Scar’s boss fight.
- Fixed an issue where Burers could constantly turn back and forth during combat.
- Added missing combat barks for Bandits, Free Stalkers, and Military factions.
- Fixed an issue where hostile NPCs did not react when the Player fired a PM nearby.
- Fixed an issue where a hostile Mercenary Sniper could follow the Player across the entire map after the Underpass Exit encounter in the Rostok region.
- Fixed an issue where A-Life NPC actions were interrupted and inconsistent after saving/loading.
- Applied CPU optimization tweaks.
- Optimized projectile performance.
- Fixed a freeze that occurred when exiting the 100 Rads Bar.
- Fixed a freeze at SIRCAA during the Wishful Thinking mission.
- Fixed an issue where NPCs that changed faction could revert after saving/loading.
- Fixed an issue where the game became unresponsive due to a missing update wrapper message.
- Fixed an issue where ammo icons appeared duplicated after quickly switching weapons and ammo types.
- Fixed an issue where the equipped Detector tooltip appeared on the wrong side during comparison.
- Fixed an issue where a main quest marker could become hidden at certain zoom levels if placed near a location marker.
- Fixed an issue where medkit count in quick slots did not update after reviving an NPC.
- Fixed an issue where the laser on the Zubr weapon was hidden under its magazine in the upgrades menu.
- Fixed multiple crashes.
- Fixed a freeze during Light Rainy or Thundery weather.
- Improved Player shadow rendering during reloads.
It’s exciting to see the new features being added to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2! The night vision goggles and new anomalies sound like they’ll really enhance the gameplay experience. Looking forward to the launch this Fall!
Absolutely! The night vision goggles will definitely enhance the gameplay experience, especially during those intense nighttime missions. Plus, the addition of the new anomaly could introduce some fresh challenges and surprises for players. It’s shaping up to be an exciting release!
I agree! The night vision goggles will certainly add a new layer of strategy, especially when navigating darker areas. It’ll be interesting to see how the new anomaly affects player tactics as well—those environmental challenges can really change the flow of a game!
Absolutely! The night vision goggles will not only enhance gameplay mechanics but also deepen the immersive atmosphere of the game. It’ll be interesting to see how the new anomaly interacts with the environment, adding even more challenges to navigate through.
I completely agree! The night vision goggles will definitely add a new layer of strategy to exploring dark environments. It’ll be interesting to see how the new anomaly interacts with these mechanics, potentially creating unique challenges and experiences for players.