GSC Game World has updated S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 with two small patches at once — 2.0.3 and 2.0.4. This time, the developers have tackled technical glitches, mission errors, graphical bugs, and game crashes.
Patch 2.0.3 was released first for PC. The update was supposed to be available to Microsoft Store, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 users a little later. Among other things, it fixed a problem that caused some players to crash S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 during launch.
What changed in patch 2.0.4
Patch 2.0.4 turned out to be much more extensive than the previous update. GSC Game World focused on problems that could arise during story missions. For example, after loading a save made immediately after the C4 explosion, the character should no longer lose the ability to move.
The fixes also affected the missions “In the Heart of the Iron Forest”, “In Memory of the Fallen”, “The Destructive Power of the Mind” and “Gunpowder, Sweat and Blood”. In particular, after completing the task, Mavka will no longer remain in Kuren, and Zulus will not switch to standard lines during scripted dialogue.
The developers also addressed problems with graphics and lighting. The lighting in the Chornobyl NPP hub has been improved, as well as global illumination on quality settings for Xbox Series S. In addition, bugs were fixed due to which NPCs and weapons could shine unnaturally during rain or fog. Also, sharp transitions from rain to ejection and cases when fog penetrated into certain rooms have been eliminated.
Other changes include fixes for Xbox sound issues, auto-saving during DLC, system notifications, and the heavy breathing effect after a caffeine overdose. In total, the patch fixed 26 different causes of game crashes.
As a reminder, on August 20, the Ukrainian studio released the story DLC “Cost of Hope” for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Along with the expansion, the game received a major 2.0 update, which significantly changed its appearance. Since then, GSC Game World has already released four small patches, continuing to work on the game after the DLC release.