Stalker 2’s much-anticipated 1.2 patch is here, and it continues where the last few 1.1 updates left off–and then some. According to its announcement on Steam, Stalker’s 1.2 patch has more than 1,700 individual fixes and improvements, including a large number of bug fixes, NPC behavioral changes, revamped visuals, and more.
There are truly too many changes to go over here in detail, but some of the major ones include an overhaul to NPC shooting accuracy, with reduced wall penetration and better shot randomization. The update also revamps how the game’s stealth works, gives some enemies (like the Controller) new abilities, and improves NPC behavior overall. It improves performance during certain sequences, and fixes dozens of major and minor issues that could affect main story and side quests. More than 450 improvements were made to the game’s map and level design, including several sections where the player could get stuck, such as X-17 Lab.
Stalker 2 was generally praised for its atmosphere and unique presentation when it first released last year. However, many players and critics noted its many bugs. In GameSpot’s Stalker 2 review, critic Richard Wakeling listed its “torrent of technical problems,” but said that it’s “difficult to not to fall under its enticing spell.” With the introduction of this most recent patch and its predecessors, hopefully most of those bugs are a thing of the past. Stalker 2 is also available on Xbox Series X|S.