Stalker 2 launched over a week ago – the performance and stability of the game were worth criticizing. Even still, plenty of fans were happy to stick by it thanks to the amount of potential it has (and already demonstrates). On the day of release, the game’s devs, GSC Game World, published a statement to say they are “absolutely committed” to rolling out hotfixes.

The first patch for the game felt like a long time coming, with a couple of ‘coming soon’ announcements along the way. Now that it is finally here – patch 1.0.1 – we’ve done a bit of digging to figure out the major changes for the PC version. We’re particularly interested in performance improvements and bug fixes, so let’s see what has changed.

Stalker 2 v1.0.1 is now available on Steam

You can read the full patch notes on Steam, but let’s go through some of the performance highlights just below.

• Fixed approximately 100 different crashes, including potential memory leaks and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION issues
• Fixed flickering textures in various locations, including the Sphere, Military Base, and Chemical Plant
• Fixed “approximately 50 more bugs” related to the world & environment
• Fixed issue with the ‘Nvidia Reflex Low Latency’ option not being saved on subsequent boots of the game
• Fixed issue with invisible NPC/Mutants appearing in FOV while the Player is scoping
• Fixed fire visual effects that were not rendering at certain camera angles

Resolving issues such as potential memory leaks and crashes is incredibly important for stability and performance. Other improvements include a long list of fixes to main and side missions and plenty of balancing changes. We noticed many people complaining about ‘Bullet Sponge’ enemies, even turning to mods to resolve the issue. On that note, the game already has a ton of fan-made mods, and it’s likely that many of them will need to be updated to be compatible with the patch.

So, now with this massive first patch out of the way (we’d say it’s above and beyond your average ‘hotfix’), anyone previously dealing with Stalker 2 crashing or stuttering on PC should give the game another go. Balance adjustments such as decreased weapon and armor repair costs, increased armor durability, and higher money rewards for “most missions” should make the game a little easier to play as well.

About the Author

Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.