Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is heating up today with the arrival of the 1.6 update—out now—which introduces a new anomaly, the fireball, and some nighttime fun in the form of night vision goggles.

“Whether you’re a rookie navigating the shadows or a seasoned veteran hunting in the night, these NVGs offer a critical edge in the treacherous wilderness,” GSC Game World says. The Zone can get pretty dark when the sun sets, especially when you’re far from civilisation—which is the bulk of the Zone—so these toys should come in pretty damn handy.

If you want a pair for yourself, GSC suggests hitting up an “Old Friend” in Zaton, who will be able to point you in the right direction.

Naturally, you’re not the only one who’ll be sporting this new bit of kit. Other stalkers will be able to get their hands on NVGs, making nighttime excursions a bit more… exciting.

The new NVG offset aiming feature should also make close-quarters gunfights a bit easier, allowing you to tilt your gun for improved handling. “This tactical advantage redefines combat dynamics in the Zone’s unforgiving terrain,” says GSC. A new high-powered laser pointer has also been thrown into the mix, making it easier to hit your targets in the dark.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the new fireball anomaly. It should light things up quite nicely, though not to your advantage, as it burns with “intense heat, posing a significant hazard to all stalkers,” GSC warns. Yep, the Zone’s getting even more dangerous. Lovely.

Then you’ve got other enhancements and tweaks: customisable stick input curves, local save backup restoration, revisited loot when you’re rooting around in stashes, and “general technical improvements”.

Magpie that I am, I got distracted by shiny things and didn’t quite reach the end of my misadventure through the Zone, but every update tempts me back more and more. That said, I might hold off until the big engine update, when Stalker moves to Unreal Engine 5.5.4.

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