STALKER 2 PS5 Update Coming December 16: Free Story, New Quests, and More

On December 16, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is getting a big free update for PS5 players. This update introduces a new story with new missions, several locations to explore, and a few new characters that we will encounter in the game.

Furthermore, it will greatly enhance your gameplay experience and increase the amount of fun and danger found within the Zone. Moreover, this update will be completely free to all existing game owners.

What is New in the STALKER 2 PS5 Update?

The STALKER 2 December update packs will give you a lot of new content to keep you hooked while surviving in the Zone. Here's what's coming:
8 new story quests
7 new and improved locations
6 new characters
A new weapon, the GP37V2 tactical rifle
A new hub area

New Storyline: A Dangerous Signal from the Zone

In this STALKER 2 PS5 December update, you will get a new story that will start near Malachite in the western part of the map. You will hear a strange radio signal that disrupts PDAs and affects stalkers in dangerous ways.
The story will follow Professor Medulin and Banzai, who is a radio expert, and their investigation goes wrong. You will hear emergency radio messages across the Zone that lead you toward the Red Forest. From there, your choices decide how the story moves forward.

New Quests and Characters

With the STALKER 2 December Update, we will also see 8 new quests that will focus mainly on investigation, survival, and tough choices for you. These missions will not be shorter; you can take several hours to finish this, especially if you like exploring and taking your time.

The update also adds 6 new characters to the Zone. Each one has their own past and goals. Some characters will help you, some may lie to you, and others can change the Zone in strange and unexpected ways based on how you deal with them.

Expanded Map and New Locations

Exploring the Zones is still a big part of STALKER 2, and with this STALKER 2 PS5 update, we will get more places to search and invest our time. You will find 7 new and updated locations across the map. Some areas are completely new, while others are familiar places for you that have undergone some changes.

You can explore new locations like the Fairy Tale Pioneer Camp and the Old Mine in the Red Forest. At the same time, you will return to known areas such as Car Dump, Army Warehouses, City Boiler Room, Rail Depot near Malachite, and Volkhov SAM.

STALKER 2 Engine Update

Along with the various new content in the STALKER 2 PS5 update, we are also getting a STALKER 2 Engine Update that helps the game run better and feel much smoother. This update is going to improve performance and make the Zone more engaging for us. On PlayStation 5, you can feel the game with DualSense vibrations, aim with gyro controls, and hear the Zone using 3D Tempest Audio. This makes exploring and surviving in the Zone more realistic and fun, like other open-world PS5 Games.

New Weapon: GP37V2 Rifle

If you want to survive in this Zone of the STALKER 2 PS5 update, you need the right equipment, and to help you, this update introduces the GP37V2, a modified version of the GP37 rifle. It comes with:

• A built-in suppressor
• A low-magnification scope
• Single-shot and burst-fire modes only

The weapon is designed for precise and tactical use, which makes it good for skilled players. Even so, you still have access to more than 30 other weapons and attachments already in the game.