Enthusiasts of the open-world survival game STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl can look forward to updates as developer GSC Game World has shared their plans for the rest of the year.
2025 continues to reveal exciting details for STALKER 2, featuring technical upgrades, expanded modding capabilities, and a wealth of innovative additions such as novel features, in-game instruments, and quests. Here’s a rundown of the upcoming enhancements:
[List of what’s coming below]
- Engine update to Unreal Engine 5.5.4 (for optimization)
- Various Night Vision Devices
- Binoculars
- A-Life Updates
- More A-Life Zone: various technical improvements and updates
- NPCs can’t see as good in the dark as before
- NPC Combat Updates
- Mutants Combat and Balance Updates
- New Anomalies
- New missions, from old and new friends
- New weather scenario
- Master difficulty preset
- Extended day/night cycle
- Stashes loot rework
- Stamina and energy drink rework
- Immersive display mode
- Player equipment UI update
- More UI updates and improvements
- Local save backup restoration
- Further optimized and “anomalies” fixing
- Zone Kit — Phase 1 to Phase 2
- Audio modding (Wwise)
- Narrative tools
- Improved compatibility of various mods that interact with common game systems
- Enhanced Blueprints Modification Support
- Technical Improvements and Optimation
- Discord Holiday Event
- More STALKER: Legends of the Zone Enhanced Edition Improvements
- Release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 and PS5 Pro
It would be great if we don’t have to wait too long for specific dates regarding the arrival of these new features, but this roadmap provides a clear outline for the remainder of the year.
In a light-hearted manner, the updates hint that certain milestones could potentially shift from 2025 to 2026 due to “Zone instability,” a metaphor referring to the unpredictable nature of game development.
Given the significant emphasis on transitioning to Unreal Engine 5, developers have highlighted this upgrade as their primary concern. If additional work is needed, it could impact other updates as well.
This update is crucial because it significantly enhances the game’s performance, making gameplay more enjoyable.
Besides numerous enhancements planned for the current Xbox Series X|S and PC versions of STALKER 2, it’s essential to mention that a PlayStation 5 version of the game is under development, although an exact release date isn’t available yet.
STALKER 2 has already changed radically since it launched
Initially, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl garnered a lot of praise when it released in 2024. However, it also received a considerable amount of criticism for several aspects that seemed inadequately developed.
Particularly, the A-Life system, designed to create a more immersive and responsive environment, often felt like it was merely generating enemies as soon as players turned their backs.
Fortunately, the developers have been consistently active, releasing numerous updates with countless bug fixes and adjustments. Among these updates, there have been significant enhancements made to the A-Life system.
If you initially found STALKER 2 less appealing and moved on, now might be the perfect time to revisit it. The developers have made numerous changes and improvements based on player feedback, and there are two significant expansions and a multiplayer mode coming soon as well. Since my colleague Brendan Lowry mentioned in our review that despite some flaws related to certain mutant encounters, bugs, and performance issues, the game’s unique atmosphere is captivating and unlike anything else out there, it’s worth giving another chance. However, I might need to wait until September since October seems quite busy for me now.
The game “STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl” can be played on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud, and Windows PC (both Epic Games Store and Steam). Plus, it’s included in the Xbox Game Pass. At present, a PlayStation 5 version is being worked on.
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2025-08-14 00:25