GSC Game World has officially released Patch 1.4 for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, marking a significant update that addresses more than 700 individual bugs and system-level refinements. This comprehensive patch primarily focuses on improving the in-game artificial intelligence, particularly in combat scenarios, while also bringing notable enhancements to NPC behavior, environmental interaction, weapon balancing, quest functionality, and overall performance.
One of the most transformative changes introduced in Patch 1.4 is the upgrade to the Persistent A-Life system. Stalkers and mutants now operate independently in the world, continuing their routines even when not directly observed by the player. Combat AI has been notably improved, allowing NPCs to better utilize cover, perform coordinated tactical actions, and engage in more realistic behaviors such as flanking or retreating. Mutants have also received behavioral upgrades, including an alert state and the ability to perform context-sensitive animations like feeding on corpses. Weapon systems have been rebalanced, and the display of stats in the inventory has been refined with the introduction of a new “handling” attribute.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the patch:
Patch 1.4 Full Notes for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Key Additions and Highlights:
- Persistent A-Life system: NPCs now live independently off-screen, with actions taking place beyond the player’s immediate perception.
- Mutants can perform corpse-eating animations.
- Mutants now enter an “alert” state when disturbed.
- NPCs now properly use natural cover like trees and hide before engaging.
- Combat and cover animations are now more fluent and responsive.
- Tactical coordination improved; NPCs communicate actions clearly during firefights.
- NPCs throw grenades based on necessity rather than cooldown.
- Squads now have grenade limitations based on rank and faction.
- NPCs perform melee attacks on mutants and crouched players.
- Enhanced NPC post-combat behavior including looting and healing.
- Shotgun sniper exploits removed; ballistic realism improved.
- Increased variety in NPC appearance with more random heads.
- New telekinetic ability for Burer mutant to throw grenades.
- Weapon stat display in the inventory has been overhauled, with a new “handling” stat.
Combat and AI Improvements:
- Fixed erratic NPC behavior when attacking enemy lairs.
- Improved mutant combat responses and pathfinding.
- Resolved issues with mutant animations and improper positioning after death.
- Blind Dogs now exhibit peaceful behaviors when not hostile.
- Adjusted NPC aiming and cover-shooting logic.
- NPCs now react appropriately after receiving damage or transitioning from combat.
Gameplay and Balance Adjustments:
- RPM-74 now has higher armor-piercing capability.
- Explosion damage has been increased for higher-tier enemies.
- RPGs deal more damage; grenade lethality and RPG concussion radius adjusted.
- Added silencers in loot stashes.
- Zircon Suit can now be upgraded via Khors.
- Duplicate armor upgrade bug fixed for PSZ-9I Falcon.
- Regional stash loot has been rebalanced, especially in Zaton.
- Anomalies now regenerate more efficiently after emissions.
Performance, Crashes, and Technical Fixes:
- Light and shadow rendering optimized in several regions.
- Grass rendering performance improved.
- Reduced performance hit from decorative lighting at 100 Rads Bar.
- Fixed issues related to bullet impacts, visual glitches, and stuck NPCs.
- Corrected multiple problems involving object clipping, sound misplacements, and visual effects.
- Adjusted HUD opacity, flashlight shadows, and stat bar inconsistencies.
- Addressed several pathing bugs and eliminated invisible obstacles.
Missions and Open World Fixes:
- Numerous quest logic fixes including progression blockers, missing NPCs, and locked areas.
- Resolved bugs where NPCs were unresponsive or despawned prematurely.
- Fixed environmental bugs that led to player entrapment or missing pathways.
- Adjusted timing, triggers, and conditional flags to ensure quests such as “The Boundary,” “Just Like The Good Old Days,” and “Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death” progress smoothly.
- Improved emissions shelter functioning after save/load events.
- Fixed errors in repeatable missions and certain end-stage triggers.
Miscellaneous and Technical Updates:
- Pathing and scripting polish for various NPCs.
- Enhanced flashlight illumination for better player visibility during nighttime.
- Sound improvements for explosions across different locations.
- Added new emission shelters in key areas like Zaton.
- Refined facial animations and impact feedback sounds.
- Trade menu now shows the player’s vitals panel.
- Added specific death animations and sound effects for various damage types.
Humorous Fixes with a Nod to Detail:
- Corrected an issue where sausages would emit blood effects when shot.
- Fixed a bug where ducks flew into water in an unnatural manner after being shot.
Stalker 2 is out now for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
