GSC Game World released S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl update 1.025 on October 26, 2026. Known as the Zone Lookout Update 2.1, this patch restores several essential quest NPCs to the PlayStation 5 version and introduces a technical toggle to increase the visualization distance of the A-Life system across all platforms.
A-Life and Exploration Enhancements
The A-Life system, which governs the behavior of NPCs and mutants throughout the Zone, receives a technical adjustment in version 1.025. Players now have a new option to increase the visualization distance for A-Life NPCs, allowing characters to remain visible and active at further ranges. Additionally, the identification range for binoculars has been extended, making it easier to scout distant squads before engaging.
Movement across the Zone is updated with a new fast travel system specifically designed for squad leaders. This change aims to streamline navigation for players managing multiple objectives across the irradiated terrain.
PlayStation 5 NPC Restoration
Players on PlayStation 5 who experienced missing quest characters following the previous 2.0 update will find those NPCs restored in version 1.025. These characters are necessary for progression in several main and side storylines. Verified restored NPCs include:
- Varan
- Squint
- Sava
Combat and Technical Fixes
The update addresses several gameplay bugs and performance issues affecting PC, Xbox, and PS5:
- AI Collision: NPCs can no longer shoot through solid mesh fences or barred walls during the “To the Origins of Freedom” mission.
- FSR Frame Generation: Fixed a graphical bug where the scope marks on the Margach D-12MT were distorted when using FSR Frame Generation.
- Map Performance: Resolved memory leaks and map unresponsiveness that occurred when a large number of map markers were active.
According to the official patch details on AccountShark, this 1.025 release serves as the second iteration of the Zone Lookout series of updates, following the broad changes introduced in version 2.0.
