New July 2025 Update Released for Stalker 2

Sure thing! Here’s a reworked version of that article:

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So, GSC Game World just dropped some new patch notes for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, version 1.5.1 if we’re keeping track. And yeah, it’s apparently a small update, but it signals the end of—I kid you not—the “chaos hour.” Who even thought of that name? Anyway, if you’re into first-person shooters, this one hit the scene in November 2024, after being delayed more times than I can remember. Fans were itching for this since “Call of Pripyat” in 2009, and guess what? It sold a million copies in just two days. Boom.

This month’s update was a baby compared to the monster one in June, which brought guns and mutant loot mechanics into play. If you missed that, well, where have you been? There were new weapons, better A-Life, and some stability tweaks. So, since its kinda rocky launch, STALKER 2 has been throwing patches at us left and right to smooth things out. Good on them, I guess.

Oh, and the devs posted on Steam about 1.5.1—kind of cheeky, saying bloodsuckers stopped causing havoc and, weirdly, ensuring NPCs wouldn’t fly away after… headshots? I can’t make this stuff up. But fixing NPCs getting their circuits crossed while patrolling and ignoring shelter during Emissions was a win for sure. A-Life 2.0 was deemed broken by some, and honestly, not surprised. But hey, they managed to fix those pesky spawning issues in no-go zones.

And get this: they tossed in a “Zone Kit” for modders as promised. Modding community, rejoice, right? It’s like a MOD SDK update thing, letting players fine-tune without crashing the game every two seconds. Fans seem to be vibing with the patch. Some dude even called it the best in the genre, though he threw in a wishlist like fixing hardcoded rebinds. Can’t blame him.

The Q2 roadmap was loaded. New controller tricks, squirrels (yeah, actual squirrels), A-Life fixes, and recently, a couple of new weapons—an early-game rifle and a pistol. GSC’s clearly been busy. Plus, they rolled out a spiffed-up “Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition.” Collectors’ dream, right there.

Okay, patch note time. They tackled a ton, but some stood out more for me. NPCs loitering mid-stride, bandits jumping you without cause, and weird elevator hiccups in Visions Of Truth—gone. And what was up with NPC corpses flying after headshots? That’s fixed too. Now, Faust having a meltdown in his boss fight after an emitter’s toast—fixed, apparently. Wild times.

So, update’s live. Mod away or just enjoy a smoother playthrough. GSC’s stepping it up, piece by piece. What’s next? God only knows—but I can’t wait.

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