Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World has released the game’s first major update, patch 1.1.
The update includes more than 1,800 fixes and adjustments, GSC said, including the first iteration of A-Life fixes.
Stalker 2 launched late last month A positive reception on Steam And A million sales. This is a success for the Ukrainian studio, truly a miracle, considering the dire situation following a full-scale invasion of the country by Russia in 2022. Chief among them is A-Life 2.0.
A-Life was a key feature of the first Stalker game that controlled AI behavior throughout the game world. At a high level, it’s a system for simulating the life of a zone that works its magic seemingly independently of the player’s actions or location. It helps to create believable AI and is famous for stalker emerging gameplay.
GSC said that A-Life 2.0 will make the Zone feel alive like never before, that it will encourage emerging gameplay on a scale previously thought impossible. In fact for some fans, A-Life 2.0 was Stalker 2’s biggest selling point. But when Stalker 2 actually came out, players discovered that A-Life 2.0 didn’t work properly, leading some to question whether it was even in the game.
In an interview with IGN, GSC explained what went wrong with Stalker 2’s A-Life 2.0, and promised to fix the system. Patch 1.1, then, is the first step on that road.
A-Life fixes added with patch 1.1 include issues with NPCs spawning behind the player. Players can now encounter NPCs roaming throughout the zone, and the distance at which A-Life NPCs are visible to the player is greatly expanded.
Elsewhere, there’s a long list of AI improvements, balance changes and loads of other fixes Stalker 2 fans will benefit from. This patch fixes mainline missions, story progression and side missions, crashes and many, many bugs. It improves performance and optimization. The patch notes, posted on Steam, are worth checking out if you’re playing.
GSC warns that patch 1.1 is a massive download, so players should brace themselves for it. “We understand that the size of the patch is huge and the downloading process will take some time,” the developer said. “We would like to thank you for your understanding, and we will work in this direction as well.”
Wesley is IGN’s UK News Editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or privately at wyp100@proton.me.
