STALKER 2 Gets New Update for January 2025
GSC Game World Rolls Out Patch 1.1.4 Following a Successful, Yet Buggy, Launch
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has recently been updated with Patch 1.1.4, bringing vital improvements to the game’s stability and performance. This comes as part of GSC Game World’s ongoing efforts to refine the title after its highly anticipated release in November 2024. Although the sequel to the beloved STALKER series was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, it launched with a number of bugs that affected the gameplay experience.
Despite facing a delayed release, partly due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, STALKER 2 hit the ground running, selling over a million copies within just 48 hours. The game quickly turned a profit, but the bumpy launch did result in several issues that GSC Game World has been diligently working to fix.
Patch 1.1.4, which addresses key problems such as game-breaking bugs and performance hiccups, includes fixes for several notable issues. One of the major improvements resolves a memory leak that was prevalent in the Rostok location, which had been causing significant performance drops. Additionally, the update also tackles performance degradation issues that occurred when shooting or aiming in save files with longer playtimes. Crashes and freezes tied to shader compilation have also been fixed, providing a smoother experience for players.
Another significant aspect of the update is the fix for save loss on Xbox, which had been a frustrating problem for some players. Random crashes related to UI animations have also been addressed, further enhancing overall stability.
In the announcement of the update, GSC Game World teased that another major patch is already in the works, though they have not disclosed specific details about what the next update will include.
The 1.1.4 patch follows a similar update released in December 2024, which focused on resolving issues that caused crashes and affected saved game data. It’s clear that GSC Game World is committed to refining STALKER 2 to offer players a more stable and polished experience, even after the initial wave of issues.
While STALKER 2 has received a mix of reviews, with some praising its atmosphere and gameplay, it garnered a somewhat average score of 74 on OpenCritic. This score reflects the technical challenges that marred the launch, particularly with the game's AI system, A-Life, which was not functioning as expected.
Unfortunately, PlayStation 5 fans will have to wait a little longer for a potential release. GSC Game World’s director, Ievgen Grygorovych, confirmed that the game is currently only being developed for PC and Xbox, and there are no plans for a PS5 port in the near future.
STALKER 2 Patch 1.1.4 – Full Patch Notes:
Fixed crashes and freezes during shader compilation
Resolved memory leak at the Rostok location
Addressed performance degradation when shooting or aiming in long playtime saves
Fixed Xbox save loss issues
Improved stability by fixing random crashes tied to UI animations
With the new update, STALKER 2 continues to improve, and players can expect even more fixes and enhancements in the upcoming patches.