Tech Desk 
Mar 19, 2025
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the open-world survival horror game by GSC Game World, has received a major update. The 1.3 patch, released in March 2025, introduces over 1,200 fixes and improvements, making the game smoother and more stable for players.
One of the biggest highlights of this update is the improvement in AI and combat. Mutants move more smoothly, NPCs react better to footsteps, and ambush tactics have been refined.
STALKER 2 update 1.3
Here are some of the major improvements in this update:
AI and combat tweaks
- Mutants now move more smoothly during combat.
- NPCs react better to player footsteps.
- Ambush behaviour for mutants has been polished.
Balance adjustments
- A-Life encounters are now slightly rarer.
- Changes to anomaly damage protections for combat and science suits.
- Unique weapons found during missions now have improved durability.
Bug fixes and performance improvements
- Nearly 100 crashes have been fixed, improving game stability.
- Memory leaks in inventory and looting menus have been addressed.
- Flashlight lighting issues in cutscenes are resolved.
Mission and quest fixes
- Several side and main quest glitches have been fixed to prevent players from getting stuck.
- NPC interactions have been improved.
- Issues with missing quest markers have been resolved.
Technical upgrades
- New death screens were added, changing based on the cause of death.
- Enhanced facial animations for better realism.
- NPC movement and shooting animations improved.
- Better flashlight shadows and visibility in nighttime gameplay.
STALKER 2 has been a huge success since its late 2024 release, quickly selling over six million copies. GSC Game World is committed to improving the game further, with plans for mod support and a multiplayer mode in future updates.
