The latest Stalker 2 roadmap includes modding improvements, more A-life updates, and letting mutants eat corpses

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In The Zone, a single misstep could result in you being squashed by an unexpected gravitational abnormality, but there’s no denying that things are looking better. Following several extensive updates over the past few months, which helped iron out some of the more troublesome issues encountered in Stalker 2 since its November launch, GSC Game World has unveiled their Q2 2025 update roadmap. This outlines their intentions for post-release support as they transition from fixes to new features.

“The Zone is evolving and will continue to,” GSC Game World said in an accompanying news post on Steam. “Throughout the year, we will be delivering updates and hotfixes dedicated to making the game better in every aspect. With proper planning, double testing (internal and closed beta for big updates) of all features and fixes, and your feedback, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will become the game we imagined—and you deserve.”

Initially, on our Q2 schedule, we’re planning for a preliminary rollout of a Stalker 2 modding toolkit (SDK) in beta form. GSC Game World has announced that they will initially invite selected modders to participate in a closed beta test of this kit. Later, they plan to make the SDK available to the public along with a comprehensive guide for its use. Additionally, the studio aims to integrate Mod.io and Steam Workshop platforms into the toolkit.

Following this, our focus will shift towards refining the “A-Life” system within Stalker 2. At the time of its release, it was noted that the A-Life system in previous versions of Stalker, responsible for creating both enjoyable and distressing experiences by autonomously controlling NPC behavior and events across the game’s Zone, was not functioning optimally.

Initially, the early updates for Stalker 2 significantly boosted the fundamental operations of its living world feature (A-Life). Now, GSC Game World plans to enhance A-Life with ongoing improvements, aiming to provide a richer experience by adding more complexity to these simulated actions. Moreover, they’re working on combat AI upgrades that will make human NPCs more tactical in their use of cover and flanking positions, and they’ll even introduce limited grenade capabilities.

In the Zone, even the more intimidating creatures will receive some upgrades as well. Besides a chilling diagram indicating that mutants respond to dangers, the studio has announced that mutants will soon have the ability to consume dead bodies. However, there is a silver lining: these creatures will also start dropping loot at some point, so it won’t always be grim.

Completing our project roadmap includes:

1. The inclusion of two additional, yet undisclosed weapons.
2. A feature that allows you to bypass shader compilation at startup, which I must admit, I wasn’t aware was an option.
3. An expansion of the stash window’s size for better user experience.
4. The usual improvements in stability and optimization.

It seems some aspects of development remain consistent.

Following a reminder about the ongoing work on the “next-gen upgrade” for the initial Stalker trilogy, GSC Game World included one final note on their timeline that “goals for missions might be shifted from Q2 to later periods if there’s instability in the Zone.” After all, game development involves grappling with its own unique challenges akin to reality-bending anomalies.

It’s good to know that if the studio decides to alter its plans, we’ll be informed in a timely manner. To ensure clarity and progress, GSC Game World has committed to providing supplementary quarterly updates on their roadmap every three months.

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2025-04-15 00:02