From Press Release:
KYIV, UKRAINE — October 19, 2026 – GSC Game World is happy to announce that Update 2.1 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now live on PC and consoles, bringing two major fan-requested features.
Here are the key changes:
Look Further
You can now manually adjust the A-Life NPC visualisation distance to suit your preferences and hardware. Whether you’re playing on PC or console, you can choose how far away A-Life NPCs appear within the Zone.
To find the new options, head to Settings — Game — Visualisation and select one of the available presets.
The recommendation is sticking with the default preset for the best balance of performance, stability, and immersion. Increasing the visualisation range may affect performance and stability, while the Dynamic preset automatically adjusts the range to match your PC or console’s capabilities.
Behind-the-scenes improvements and balance adjustments were made to make long-distance firefights feel more natural. Depending on your selected preset, you’ll now hear gunfights breaking out much farther away, with weapon ballistics adjusted accordingly.
Note that A-Life NPCs and quest/scripted NPCs are separate entities in the Zone. To maintain game stability, the increased visualisation range primarily applies to A-Life NPCs. The available presets may also vary depending on your platform.
Fast Travel with Squad Leaders
As you explore the Zone, keep an eye out for friendly or neutral stalkers. With Update 2.1, you can now spot squad leaders marked on your compass and ask them to guide you to nearby destinations along their route. Talk to them to see where they can take you.
Keep in mind that this service won’t come cheap, and your guide won’t carry your backpack for you, so make sure you’re not overloaded. Only nearby, previously explored locations are available, so don’t expect a stalker from Zalissya to take you all the way to Prypiat.
On top of that, you can expect a variety of bug fixes and visual tweaks.
This update is a special one. While GSC always listens to the feedback, this time, it’s fair to say that the update is almost entirely community-driven. Player feedback is gathered across social media, forums, and reviews, so the community is encouraged to continue sharing their thoughts.
Сonsider following S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s official social media channels to stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates:
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DiscordThe war in Ukraine continues. GSC Game World continues to support our country in every possible way. If you’d like to help, consider donating via the official fund of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
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About GSC Game World
Founded in 1995, GSC Game World is a Ukrainian video game developer known for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Cossacks series. The studio is dedicated to delivering exceptional gaming experiences with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl being the most well-known now. The studio has just released S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope — the first story expansion for the base game.###
