STALKER 2 gets an ambitious roadmap update, with large improvements to A-Life coming before the summer

STALKER 2 is a fantastic game, but there's plenty of room for improvement.

Launching last year, STALKER 2 is an immersive FPS set in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Taking place in an alternative timeline, subsequent Chornobyl meltdowns blanketed the area with anomalous physics, mutated creatures, and other-worldly forces. The local authorities quarantined the area, but that hasn't stopped black market traders, scientists, and various other nefarious organizations finding their way inside for a variety of reasons.

STALKER 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass. The game has tight combat, a huge explorable world, and next-level atmospherics, but a range of flaws hurt the overall simulation.

Some of the biggest complaints pertain to the game's "A-Life" system, which is supposed to simulate NPC behavior and interactions. Many feel its a step down from the previous games, but yesterday, GSC Game World revealed that major improvements are slated before the summer, alongside a large and ambitious roadmap.

"Since launch, we’ve been digging into your feedback and aligning it with our own plans and vision for improving and enhancing the gameplay experience. Q1 was all about tackling the big issues — two major updates and multiple hotfixes rolled out, building on last year’s patches. The Zone is evolving and will continue to."

"Throughout the year, we will be delivering updates and hotfixes dedicated to making the game better in every aspect. With proper planning, double testing (internal and closed beta for big updates) of all features and fixes, and your feedback, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will become the game we imagined — and you deserve.

To keep things clear and on track, we’re breaking the roadmap down into quarterly updates. Every three months, you’ll get the full scoop on what’s coming. Patch notes will confirm when it’s live in-game."

Some of the other updates listed include loot for mutants to make them more rewarding to sink ammo into, as well as new weapons, an increased stash size, and general polish.

I've personally been holding off on playing STALKER 2 to completion knowing how much the developers plan to improve things ahead of future expansions. It's more than worth playing right now, but further improvements will put the cherry firmly on top.