STALKER 2 Unveils Its Second Update for March 2025

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has rolled out its latest update, version 1.3.1, as of March 27. This patch includes a hefty set of changes—22 to be exact—primarily targeting pesky bugs that have been causing issues in the game.

GSC Game World, the Ukrainian studio behind STALKER 2, has been quite busy since the game launched in November 2024. In just three and a half months, they’ve already issued 11 updates. Their approach typically involves releasing a major update, followed by one or two smaller patches aimed at refining the initial improvements. The release of the 1.3.1 patch on March 27 is a continuation of this process, building upon the more significant changes from the 1.3.0 patch released just a week earlier on March 18.

The focus of this update is largely on resolving bugs that affect the progression of certain missions. For example, players might have encountered a bizarre problem during the Visions of Truth mission where a major character was inexplicably missing from a lab. This latest patch takes care of such mission blockers that could potentially leave players stuck. Similarly, in the Dawn of a New Day mission, the task to retrieve the Control Emitter sometimes wouldn’t trigger if a particular character met an untimely demise. This issue, along with similar bugs in missions like The Boundary and Chasing Ghosts, have been ironed out. All in all, 15 quest-specific fixes are packed into this update.

On the technical side, update 1.3.1 addresses glitches in several areas of the game’s framework. One fix ensures that NPCs will correctly return to their assigned spots after running for cover during an Emission event. Another longstanding annoyance with the Ribs anomaly, where its sound effect would loop persistently, has been fixed. Some recurring memory access errors have been patched as well, though it’s acknowledged that more might linger as the developers continue to tackle these complex issues.

GSC Game World has publicly committed to ongoing support for STALKER 2 post-launch, including plans for at least two paid DLCs. With the 1.3.1 update marking the game’s 12th patch in a relatively short span, the dev team is clearly dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the game experience for its players.

Patch Notes for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Update 1.3.1

Technical Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where NPCs did not return to their positions post-Emission.
• Solved a looping issue with Ribs’ anomaly sound effect.
• Addressed crosshair setting glitches preventing its disablement.
• Resolved drag-and-drop delays in item containers.
• Improved audio positioning for more balanced sound in earbuds.
• Fixed item highlighting issues when looting with a gamepad.
• Corrected several "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" errors and other crashes.

Main Story, Side Quests, and Encounters:

• Scar should no longer be absent in the X-17 lab during the Visions of Truth mission.
• Addressed the issue where obtaining the Control Emitter couldn’t be started in Dawn of a New Day due to Powerplug’s demise.
• Fixed progression-blocking bug in The Boundary mission if the player re-engages Spirit too soon.
• Resolved progression issues in Chasing Ghosts after tower equipment activation.
• Corrected an objective completion issue in The Road to the Foundation regarding Scar if Richter is deceased.
• Prevented players from getting stuck in elevator shafts during Let No One Leave Unsatisfied.
• Ensured mission start proper sequence during Dawn of a New Day with the Emitter.
• Fixed Simon Dubny’s absence in The Faust’s cell during Hot on the Trail.
• Addressed door lock glitches in Once More unto the Breach.
• Solved game block problems in Dark Times related to Jarl’s demise.
• Prevented NPC from blocking watch post entrances in The Assault on the Duga.
• Initiated proper dialogues in Legends of the Zone when interacting with Roosevelt.
• Unlocked door issues in Forestry for Extreme Simplicity.
• Stopped monolith NPC incursions into safe zones during The Road to the Foundation.
• Ensured Richter’s body appears correctly after the boss fight with Korshunov.

Note: The rest of update 1.3.1’s details contain significant story spoilers, including major character events.