STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a pretty spectacular game that has proven to be a hit not just among preexisting fans but also with newcomers. Its blend of open-world survival horror, a surreal narrative, and a world that feels genuinely alive has helped it climb the charts and sell extremely well within just a few days of launching. However, while many are enjoying it, there has been a wave of criticism surrounding its shaky launch.

For many, STALKER 2's launch woes proved to be too much, while others were able to look beyond them. Regardless, it was up to the game's developer, GSC Game World, to fix these issues and get its game in the state it was always supposed to be in. Luckily, GSC Game World's approach to bug fixes and updates has not only managed to impress fans and those who were struggling to enjoy the game, but also has pushed the games industry in a more positive direction.

STALKER 2 Released In A Bad State

It Was Buggy And Missing Key Features

It's no secret that STALKER 2 was released in a bad state. On launch day, players reported a plethora of bugs and broken content as well as a feeling that one of STALKER 2's coolest features, the A-Life 2.0 system, didn't feel impactful enough, despite all the incredible features it is meant to offer. STALKER fans chalked this up to the series' inherently buggy state, with the previous entries all suffering from similarly unpolished release days.

However, for the many newcomers who were jumping into the STALKER universe for the very first time - in large part thanks to its inclusion on Xbox Game - this was unacceptable. It caused many to wonder if Xbox's reputation is slipping, especially amid a slew of other unpolished releases like Starfield and Redfall. Reviews didn't paint STALKER 2 in the most positive light either, as, while celebrating its many wonderful features, they struggled to give it a particularly high score due to the unfortunate buggy state rendering it unplayable for some.

For clarification, Xbox did not publish STALKER 2 but obtained the exclusive console rights to it. However, the game's bad state at launch doesn't reflect well on Xbox, which was clearly hoping that STALKER 2 would serve as a strong exclusive for it and a big draw for its Game service.

STALKER 2 isn't the first game to have an unpolished release. Star Wars Outlaws had endless issues at launch, from unpolished gameplay systems to bizarre animations, making it feel like an incomplete Star Wars experience for many. There were the aforementioned Starfield and Redfall, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and then the more obvious examples, such as Cyberpunk 2077, No Man's Sky, and Assassin's Creed: Unity. Of course, many - but not all - of these have managed to bounce back, but it took years to get to a state where buying them didn't feel like a risky move.

STALKER 2's Devs Are Working Tirelessly To Fix It

It Has Released Several Patches In Just A Few Weeks

Fortunately, STALKER 2 isn't following the current industry trend of releasing a broken game and keeping it broken for a long time. GSC Game World has been working tirelessly to fix the majority of STALKER 2's minor issues while promising patches for its biggest problems. It has been vocal about the state of the game and is eager to fix it as soon as possible, having already released several patches within just a few weeks. Whether it's addressing the buggy state of the game, fixing broken quests, or implementing quality-of-life improvements, these patches have done wonders for the game.

It's great to see the developers at GSC Game World understand the importance of giving players the experience they were promised from the start.

This isn't the only gaming trend STALKER 2 ignores, but it's great to see the developers at GSC Game World understand the importance of giving players the experience they were promised from the start. STALKER 2 deserves to be the very best that it can be as it is a clear ion project by the developers and has been made under such extreme and challenging conditions. The fact that the developers went through all of that and still have the motivation to produce fixes so quickly is astonishing.

It also has distinguished itself as the model from which future games should learn. Naturally, while hard to stomach, nowadays, games will, at best, release in a near-perfect state, with patches and updates needed to polish out any missed or unforeseen issues. Games are getting bigger and bigger, so these problems are only going to become more and more frequent. All too often, the patches needed to fix one issue create another, so developers would end up spending an eternity getting a game to launch in a polished state if they attempted to quash every bug before release day.

STALKER 2's Quick Redemption Arc Should Be The Norm

Developers Need To Communicate With Fans Better

GSC Game World's approach to not only the speedy delivery of game-changing updates, but also its frank communication with fans and press outlets should absolutely become the norm for developers that can afford to do so. It ensures that everyone is kept in the loop, that fans know what to expect and when to expect it, and prospective buyers know that their purchase won't be a wasted endeavor. Had CD Projekt Red or even Hello Games reacted in the same way GSC Game World has, those launches may not have felt as rocky.

The situation around day-one patches and the months of redemption that are needed for certain triple-A games like Star Wars Outlaws is incredibly nuanced.

Of course, the situation around day-one patches and the months of redemption that are needed for certain triple-A games like Star Wars Outlaws is incredibly nuanced. Not every developer has the resources to produce fixes as quickly as GSC Game World. Additionally, some developers may feel like promising fixes before being able to implement them is a risky move, especially if the game doesn't earn enough money to warrant producing them in the first place. Developers are also often required to move on to the next project, with smaller teams that shrink over time left to focus on patches.

GSC Game World is all focused on STALKER 2, but not every developer has that luxury. Additionally, STALKER 2's issues are not as fundamental as Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man's Sky, and so it doesn't require a complete overhaul. Those fixes obviously take a lot longer, so it's harder to expect even enormous teams like CD Projekt Red to rush them out. In an ideal world, games wouldn't launch in the state that Cyberpunk 2077 did, but unfortunately, it'll almost certainly happen again.

While it would be ridiculous to expect that every developer rushes out fixes for its game the second it's launched - as the last thing developers need is more crunch - better communication and an assurance that patches are on the way should absolutely be normalized. It definitely feels like this shift is already happening, with Ubisoft being fairly open about the changes that are coming to Star Wars Outlaws, for example. STALKER 2 is continuing that trend and showing a reality that will hopefully become the norm for all developers and games going forward.

Source: GSC Game World/YouTube