GSC Game World has released update 1.7.1 for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl on December 8, addressing various bugs and performance issues. Console players will see this as version 1.006. The patch includes fixes for mod compatibility, visual glitches, and mission-specific problems.
Overview
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl received its latest patch, version 1.7.1, on December 8, bringing stability improvements to the game's post-apocalyptic Zone. This update is available on all platforms, including PlayStation 5, where it appears as version 1.006. Developers at GSC Game World focused on resolving bugs that affected gameplay, visuals, and performance, ensuring a smoother experience for players exploring the irradiated world.
Key Fixes and Improvements
The patch introduces a fail-safe mechanism to handle cases where mod incompatibility prevents the game from launching, helping players avoid corrupted saves or installation issues. Visual bugs were addressed, such as power lines disappearing when approached and artifacts spawning underground, which previously made collectibles inaccessible.
Performance enhancements include fixing a massive frame rate drop when opening the PDA with shadows set to Epic. Mission-specific issues were tackled, like the Ward NPC teleporting during the 'Wishful Thinking' quest and soldiers failing to assist Skif in 'Assault On The Duga.' Other corrections cover texture flickering on staircases after cutscenes in 'Back To The Slag Heap,' visual artifacts on Richter in 'The Price Goes Up,' and improper shadows on Skif's hands during cinematics.
Quality-of-life changes prevent exploits like sprinting while overweighted or using weapon attachments directly from trade windows. Settings now display correctly after auto-detect or reset, and several DualSense controller dead zone issues were resolved. General crash fixes round out the update, though specifics on the crashes weren't detailed.
While GSC Game World hasn't announced further patches for the year, this update demonstrates ongoing support for the title. Players are encouraged to download it for an improved playthrough.