STALKER 2's Patch 1.0.3 update is here and fixes a bug that's been driving people crazy — here are the patch notes

What you need to know

GSC Game World’s new open-world survival shooter STALKER 2 finally launched a few weeks ago and has been met with a positive reception, but it came out with lots of bugs and performance issues.
The developers have been hard at work addressing these, with their first two post-launch patches to the game implementing over 600 fixes. Now, a third update, Patch 1.0.3, has gone live as well.
Aside from taking care of multiple crashes, mission glitches, and other problems, Patch 1.0.3 also squashed a rare, but severe bug that was causing saves to get erased after players restarted their Xbox or PC.
On PC, the update also disables mouse smoothing and acceleration by default, which should generally make aiming smoother and more intuitive for most players.

As a long-time fan of the STALKER series, I must admit that my excitement for STALKER 2 was dampened by the initial bugs and performance issues upon release. However, GSC Game World has been diligently working to fix these problems, and the latest Patch 1.0.3 update brings significant improvements.

In a recent release, GSC Game World’s highly anticipated open-world survival shooter STALKER 2 became available to gamers following numerous postponements caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although the game received generally favorable reviews from both critics and enthusiasts, it has been marred by several technical glitches and performance problems. For instance, the dynamic AI simulation system A-Life 2.0 is currently not functioning properly, and there have been widespread issues with Xbox gameplay because of missing controller deadzones. Furthermore, some players have encountered significant stuttering that makes the game difficult to play, hindering their ability to appreciate what could be one of the finest open-world first-person shooter games ever developed.

Fortunately, the developers have been diligently tackling issues such as these and more with STALKER 2’s first post-release patch deploying 650 fixes last week, followed by a smaller 1.0.2 update addressing additional bugs over the Black Friday weekend. On Tuesday morning, GSC released Patch 1.0.3, which is now available for download on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG; it will be arriving soon on Xbox and the Microsoft Store as well.

The 23.13GB update isn’t as big as the initial 1.0.1 update, but it addresses significant problems. One of the main issues it resolves is a seldom occurring, yet highly destructive bug that had the potential to delete one or more of your game saves if you restarted your Xbox or PC. This bug has been causing quite a stir among players since its launch. Another substantial change involves disabling mouse smoothing and acceleration by default, which should improve aiming on PC for most users; previously, users had to manually input code into one of STALKER 2’s .INI configuration files to disable these settings.

The remainder of this update primarily focuses on resolving issues leading to “ACCESS_VIOLATION_ERROR” and “LowLevelFatalError” crashes, as well as several bugs and malfunctions impacting various main and side quests. Additionally, it addresses a few other smaller problems. To get the complete details, be sure to review the following section.

Players are encouraged by GSC Game World to submit any unusual occurrences or issues, known as “anomalies,” through their Technical Support Hub on the official STALKER 2 website. This method allows the studio to quickly pinpoint and address these problems more efficiently.

In essence, it’s fantastic to witness significant advancements such as these in STALKER 2 so soon following its release. I eagerly anticipate subsequent updates to rectify any remaining problems. Meanwhile, remember that the initial mods for STALKER 2 are already emerging, and many of them offer unofficial yet efficient solutions to soften the game’s rough spots.

STALKER 2 Patch 1.0.3 update: Patch notes

Below you’ll find the details about the recent update, Patch 1.0.3, as they were originally published in the associated news article on Steam.

Crashes and memory leaks:

Multiple ACCESS_VIOLATION_ERROR fixes.
Multiple LowLevelFatalError crash fixes.

Controls adjustments:

Based on the feedback received, we made changes to these specific settings/numbers in order to minimize keyboard and mouse input delay:

Mouse Smoothing is disabled by default.
Mouse Acceleration is disabled by default.

As a researcher, I’ve made an update to the default settings of mouse sensitivity. This adjustment is designed to provide a consistent and predictable gaming experience for our players by implementing new values for two specific parameters.

Camera sensitivity: 25%.
Aim sensitivity: 15%.

Main and Side missions:

Fixed issue with Monolithians that were able to chase player outside the X-5 lab during the In Search of Past Glory mission.
Fixed an issue where the NPCs Hamster and Ricochet would die after trying to enter a building during the mission On the Edge.
Fixed issue with Bayun cat which could despawn before player loots a collar from it during In the Name of Science mission.
Fixed issue with player potentially locking oneself during Dangerous Liaisons mission.
Fixed issue with Roosevelt becoming hostile upon noticing a player goign stealthily through the Commissary during King of the Hill mission.
Fixed an issue when Sava despawns in front of the player after the dialog in the bunker during A Heavy Burden mission.
Fixed issue with NPC’s despawning when player successfully finishes Legends of the Zone mission.

AI:

Fixed an issue with mutant bodies stretching after a shot from an automatic weapon.
Fixed an issue that caused NPCs to block the doors during the Back to the Slag Heap mission.

Balance:

Fixed issue with Sidorovich not selling certain ammo types.

Saves:

Fixed issues with missing player saves after a hard reboot of the PC/Xbox.

The highly-anticipated game, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, is now available on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. It’s been hailed as one of the top Xbox games and top PC games of this year. With a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $59.99, you can currently find it at a discounted price on CDKeys. Additionally, you can play it through Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

2024-12-03 22:39

STALKER 2’s Patch 1.0.3 update is here and fixes a bug that’s been driving people crazy — here are the patch notes