Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone News

[h2]This Megapatch responds to a lot of your requests![/h2]

Also, it doesn't only bring numerous improvements but adds new features that will significantly enhance your gameplay experience.

A lot of these were exclusively a result of you sharing your thoughts, opinions and even technical reports. And this is just the beginning - many more patches, updates, and hotfixes are coming in the future. As they should in an Early Access!

We have replaced, updated or changed hundreds of voiceovers across the entire game. The overall feel of the game and immersion during dialogs should improve significantly.

We also significantly improved the stability of the game, by addressing tons of crashes that were sent by players and discovered internally.

Along with bugfixes (we dealt with hundreds of bugs!) come changes to the technologies - like DLSS or XeSS, optimalization of processes that will either speed the game up or lower the resources usage.

Please remember that the features and other things listed below can still change during the upcoming weeks and months, as we will still count on your feedback - maybe some of them will need more polishing or reworking.

If you don’t like to read too much and you’re interested only in seeing what we changed, you can scroll to the end of this devlog. You can find the summary of the changes there.

Now, let’s dive into what the Megapatch brought us.

One of the screenshots from the completely new, revamped version of Chernobylite 2 intro

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[h2]Major changes and improvements[/h2]

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[h3]Final voiceovers replaced the placeholder ones[/h3]
High-quality voice acting is essential for storytelling, and we are committed to ensuring every character sounds as they should.

As we already said before many times, the missing or machine-generated voices were never meant to be there for long - we just used them as placeholders to speed up the production process.

So, having that in mind, we’re happy to tell you that most of the temporary voiceovers have been replaced with real recordings.

Despite the huge overhaul, it’ll still need polishing, adjusting and optimizing (that’s also in progress), like how fast the voices are or if they’re connected to the text properly, et cetera. So, if you notice any missing lines, please let us know in the Steam forum or via the in-game report tool.

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[h3]Translations[/h3]
With the help of our community, we have proofread and refined the Russian, Italian, and Spanish translations. We also worked on Polish translations more by our own.

Same as with the voiceovers, the translations are not final - they’re still a subject of polishing and bughunting. Also, the rest of the languages not mentioned here are being done as we speak.

Another good news is that we’ve got a lot of help from you, our players, and more of you reached out to us about helping with new or existing translations. Despite that, we’ll be happy for additional “hands on deck”, so if you’d like to contribute to improving translations or adding new languages, please reach out to @Pablo on our Discord channel (CLICK)!

One of the screenshots from the completely new, revamped version of Chernobylite 2 intro

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[h3]Tablet now usable in TPP (Community Request)[/h3]
One of the most requested features has been added! The tablet can now be used in Third-Person Perspective (TPP) while retaining most of its functionality. This means you can now experience the entire game in TPP without limitations.

This change gives you more flexibility in how you interact with the game world. Whether you prefer the immersive nature of First-Person Perspective (FPP) or the broader situational awareness of TPP, you can now choose freely without missing out on critical mechanics.



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[h3]Seamless camera switching between FPP and TPP (Community Request)[/h3]
Another huge quality-of-life improvement: you can now dynamically switch between FPP and TPP at any moment. Whether you're in combat, exploring, or interacting with objects, switching perspectives is now completely fluid and unrestricted.



Previously, you could also change the perspective easily by accessing the settings menu - it was by default the first option shown there. Now, you can change it on the go. We understand that different situations may call for different perspectives, and this change ensures that you always have control over how you experience the game.

This improvement not only enhances gameplay fluidity but also makes the game more accessible for players who prefer one perspective over the other. Or the ones that want to smoothly check out either of two options (FPP / TPP) at any given moment.



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[h3]Weapon slots are now fully customizable (Community Request)[/h3]
Gone are the days of rigid loadout restrictions! You can now assign weapons freely, allowing for a completely personalised combat experience.

Want to pair a traditional firearm with an essence-powered weapon? Or maybe swap out your primary gun for an extra melee weapon? Now you can!

This change offers greater strategic depth, giving players the freedom to experiment with different loadouts. We believe that your choice is crucial, as we want to give you as much freedom as possible - just look at the settings options, where you can choose from multiple options to adjust the game difficulty and mechanics as you like.

This adjustment ensures that your inventory reflects your unique playstyle. Which, in turn, gives you a much more immersive experience, especially if you choose to play as a core ranged / melee character.



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[h3]Option to disable headbobbing (Community Request)[/h3]
Motion sickness from camera movement? We've got you covered! You can now disable headbobbing in the settings, allowing for a smoother, more comfortable FPP experience.

This is a small but impactful change, especially for those sensitive to certain camera motions. It’s another step toward ensuring that all players can enjoy the game without discomfort.

We spoke about it a few times before, we were assessing the work it needed and how to do it. But now - it’s happening.

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[h3]Loot system overhaul (Community Request)[/h3]
Loot drops have been rebalanced to be more logical and rewarding. No more pants requiring high Perception to wear - loot attributes will now make much more sense within the game’s world.

This overhaul ensures a better balance between challenge and reward, making loot discovery feel more meaningful. Expect a much-improved experience when scavenging and equipping new gear.

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[h3]Complete revamp of the first boss fight (Community Request)[/h3]



A lot of you mentioned that the first boss fight was way too easy and didn’t give that “epic battle” feeling. So we decided to make it spicier!

The boss now looks a lot more dangerous and he uses many more attacks (we gave him a few extra). He also is definitely more agile, so he will be a bigger challenge to those who prefer to play ranged-based characters.

Tell us later if we did a good job regarding this boss fight or if we should still improve something!
Early Access Feedback subforum (CLICK)



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[h3]You can now skip the whole intro (Community Request)[/h3]
A lot of you suggested that playing the same, intro part of the game again and again is boring. So… yeah. That’s on us. Now you can just skip the intro if you don’t feel like playing it.

Skipping the intro means you go directly to the Zone, so feel free to just jump into the game, especially if you know the beginning of the whole Cole Gray’s whole story.

This option is available via the new game settings.

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[h3]Blaster with customization options (Kickstarter Feature)[/h3]
Thanks to our Kickstarter backers, the iconic Blaster returns - and also with incredible customization options! Modify it to best suit your playstyle.

Customization is a core aspect of gameplay, and this upgrade makes the Blaster a more versatile and exciting weapon.



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[h3]Stealth Attacks Now Possible with Ranged Weapons[/h3]
Previously, stealth takedowns were only possible with melee weapons. Now, if you prefer a ranged-only playstyle, you can still take advantage of stealth mechanics.

This change provides more tactical options, making stealth-based gameplay viable for all builds. Whether you prefer a silent sniper approach or close-quarters combat, you now have more ways to execute your strategy.



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[h3]Two new essence-based weapons[/h3]
Tired of the Power Glove or your regular melee weapon? You can now rip the arms off defeated Chernohosts and repurpose them into brand-new essence-fueled weapons.

These new additions diversify the arsenal to refresh the combat mechanics and playstyle variations. Also, to add a bit more depth into how you deal with the Zone around you. More details will be revealed soon.



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[h3]First mission revamp[/h3]
We’ve significantly reworked the game’s first mission. Previously, it was too linear and action-heavy, failing to represent the more open-ended gameplay of the later sections.

This revision ensures that you experience the true essence of the game right from the start. Expect an intro that better captures the atmosphere and mechanics of the full game.



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[h3]Dialogue sequences enhanced[/h3]
We know that if we have a story-based game, even though with a lot of action, we still have to pay a lot of attention to how you feel connected to its world. Dialogues are some of the things that aid you in immersing yourself in the Zone.

We have improved numerous dialogue sequences by adding new animations, gestures, and camera angles. This should help to get a better feeling of the story. Also, some of the later quests lacked the same level of polish as earlier ones, and we are addressing that in the upcoming Megapatch.

As we said, dialogue plays a crucial role in immersion, and these refinements bring more life to character interactions, making the story you’re diving into more engaging.

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[h3]FPP Mode Overhaul (Kickstarter Feature)[/h3]
The First-Person Perspective (FPP) mode has also received extensive updates. All weapons - melee and ranged - now function properly with accurate effects, sounds, and animations.

Remember, this mode still requires further updates and it’s still under heavy development, but it is now in a much better state than before. More updates will follow!



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[h3]Stealth + crouching animation completely reworked[/h3]
Many of you pointed out that it was kind of “cheesy” or just not good enough, so we recreated it again from scratch. Tell us if that works better now!



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[h3]Enemy voices system completely reworked[/h3]
Now, the dialogues between the enemies are now much more logical, they add to the overall “Zone vibes”. Also, the enemies respond to the player’s actions better (like commenting on what is happening around them).

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[h3]Hundreds of bug fixes[/h3]
We’re not exaggerating. We’ve fixed hundreds of bugs, literally - both those reported by you and those we discovered internally.

Of course, there are still some, and the Megapatch will introduce new ones, but that’s accounted for in our production process. Ideally, we’d love to be able to find all of them before you get the update, but that’s just not possible. So again, if you encounter any issues or bugs, please let us know in the Steam forum or via the in-game report tool.

While no game is ever completely bug-free, this update brings us much closer to delivering a smoother, more polished experience.

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Community changes - thanks to your feedback!

• Tablet now usable in TPP (Community Request)
  
• Seamless camera switching between FPP and TPP (Community Request)
  
• Weapon slots are now fully customizable (Community Request)
  
• Option to disable headbobbing (Community Request)
  
• Loot system overhaul (Community Request)
  
• Complete revamp of the first boss fight (Community Request)
  
• You can now skip the whole intro (Community Request)
  

Completely new features

• Blaster with customization options (Kickstarter Feature)
  
• Stealth Attacks Now Possible with Ranged Weapons
  
• Two new essence-based weapons
  

Improvements

• First mission revamp
  
• Dialogue sequences enhanced
  
• Stealth + crouching animation completely reworked
  
• Enemy voices system completely reworked
  
• FPP Mode Overhaul (Kickstarter Feature)
  
• Final voiceovers replaced the placeholder ones
  
• Translations: Russian, Polish, Ukrainian and Spanish were mostly proofreaded
  

Technogoly changes / updates

• Reworked the shader compilation process - a bit more time, but no stuttering
  
• We optimized many CPU processes - more FPS on older / weaker GPU
  
• We optimized the way the foliage works - better GPU usage
  
• We optimized many effects - better GPU usage
  
• XeSS updated to version 2
  
• DLSS updated to version 4.0
  

Community Bug Report - major bugfixes
We fixed hundreds of bugs (literally), but here are the major ones worth a special mention:

• Fixed missing texture on the Chornobyl Ferris Wheel
  
• Fixed numerous holes in environment
  
• Fixed Olga's hair during dialogue with her inside the base
  
• Adjusted Hand Grenade damage with the rest of the explosives
  
• Removed placeholder timer from the multiplayer lobby
  
• Fixed issue where player couldn't move into containers with controller
  
• We have removed incorrectly placed weapons from enemies' heads
  
• Fixed bug where collision with the environment was not loaded properly and the player fell through the ground
  
• Some elemental hosts did not display textures during ranged attacks. We've fixed that.
  
• Adjusted position of smoke VFX
  
• Placeholder notes were switched to the finalized versions
  
• Fixed collision with the wall on Crystal Tower where the player could go out of bounds
  
• Fixed door during "Mavka" quest where it does not open after being scanned
  
• We fixed a bug that caused the game to crash when loading saved game states
  
• We have closed the infinite experience bug possible with planewalker change
  
• Fixed holes in concrete slabs near the base
  
• We have fixed a hole in the environment near the bunkers
  

Additional important fixes

• Fixed collisions on self-made workbench weapons. Those should no longer fall through the ground.
  
• Fixed photo mode on scenes in different open-world zones
  
• Fixed permanent block when the player entered photo mode during dialogue
  
• Hardening Tutorial - Fixed instance where the player did not receive information on how many points he scored
  
• Respect your gear training - Fixed T-posed Khulan inside the training
  
• Fixed performance during RPG-7 hits
  
• Fixed repair stations for weapons
  
• Fixed Tower Defence Portal appearing again after completing the introduction mission
  
• Fixed weather and post-process that changed too fast in many areas
  
• Adjusted and fixed collisions and speed of platforms
  
• Replaced placeholder item "Weird Device" with a final one during the "Like a Mage" tutorial
  
• Adjusted camera position during dialogs in several places
  
• Adjusted Alina's position in front of the scientists' base
  
• Fixed blinking Skybox visible from Huge Zone
  
• Fixed Glyeb's head that followed the player during "Two Sides of The Same Coin" quest
  
• Fixed Dual Sword animations and cutscenes before the first boss fight
  
• Several tutorials were adjusted for FPP view
  
• Fixed issue where changing weapons during ADS broke usage of some of them
  
• Fixed desynchronized lipsync during dialogues in several places
  
• Fixed the Magic Astral Barrage skill that had no recoil
  
• Fixed reloading animations that played even if interrupted by the player
  
• Fixed crystals interrupting camera view during skills use like Magic Astral Barrage in FPP
  
• Fixed the possibility to trigger Magic Astral Barrage while standing on the ground
  
• Fixed repair numbers rounding incorrectly on repair workbenches
  
• Fixed icons for the "Self-improved Vityaz" weapon inside the Equipment view
  
• Improved power glove animation to match hand's movement
  
• Player can no longer fall through planewaking world 2 & 3
  

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Since the Early Access launch on March 6, we've been working non-stop to improve the game, fix bugs, and implement new content. This Megapatch and that changelog Is one of the proofs for that.

But how exactly is your feedback getting its way into the game? You may read more about the production process in our previous, huge post:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2075100/view/509575688903197059

As with any large project, issues are inevitable, but we are fully committed to refining every aspect of the game. We don’t want you to get a feeling that we agree with appearing issues. We just know that they will happen even despite doing what we can to avoid it.

That’s why your feedback is so important to us: it helps us make the game better than we could ever do just ourselves. We want to assure you that we take your feedback very seriously, and many of the changes in this upcoming update are a direct result of your suggestions.



We hope that the last post, our commitment to answering your questions and feedback, is temporarily a good proof of that - “temporarily” because we will show you that when this and the next patches are released! Our journey through Early Access is a collaborative effort - you, our players, have been an essential part of shaping the game’s development.

For those of you who played the first part of our game: you know that we delivered on our promises (and much more, to be honest). We not only completed the project as planned, but we also expanded and polished it based on community feedback.

You can check that we published updates regularly, we listened to you, to your feedback, and also we published our devnotes every week for over 200 weeks to keep you posted and in-loop of what was happening with the development process. Take a look here if you want to read one of the examples:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/4204749195322956317

We are taking the same approach here, with Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, ensuring that this game evolves into the best possible version of itself.



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[h3]More to come![/h3]

This Megapatch is just one of many major updates planned for Early Access - we did the same with the previous game, so we know it works great.

As we already said many times, your feedback is invaluable, and we will continue working tirelessly to improve Chernobylite 2. Exactly how you helped us make the first Chernobylite so good. Thank you for being part of this journey!

Of course, we will keep you posted: sharing the production and other important news as well as keeping you informed about the whole Early Access progress. You can expect regular updates on our side posted here, on Steam, as well as on our social media.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned for even more updates.

[h3]See you in the Zone![/h3]

[h2]Hello all,[/h2]

In the upcoming days, we will release the Megapatch - a huge update which will introduce many new things as well as fix tons of issues and bring a lot of optimization. This will mark the first milestone of Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone production.

With this simple news, we want to give you a sneak peek behind the scenes so you will know what this major update will change within the game. We will publish the full, huge devlog later, when the Megapatch will be available for you to download - we will write a lot more about particular features, changes and fixes. So this time, it's only a quick summary for those of you who are interested in how the development is going!

Let's also speak about particular, selected features from the ones that will be in the upcoming Megapatch that are the effect of the Early Access - features that were created or changed due to your invaluable feedback!

So, to highlight some of the changes:

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[h3]Voiceovers and translations [/h3]
Once again, as we explained many times after the Early Access launch: the voiceovers you hear now are not complete or even final. They're placeholders, so literally "holding the place" for the proper ones. Using those, we tested the technical aspects of the dialogues, like pacing, time, and many more. It speeds up the production process.

But now we have replaced, updated and changed hundreds of voiceovers to the proper ones - they're still being worked on, but now the real voices, recorded with real Voice Actors, are finally inside the game.

Given the nature of the game and the meaning the overall narrative has in Chernobylite 2, we reworked the dialogue system to give a better feel of interactions between characters, including your own, Cole Grey and NPCs.

Similarly, we proofread many of the translations, as they were also not final ones.
If you want to help with either translating the game into particular language(s) or with proofreading, please contact us via our Discord channel: CLICK HERE.

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[h3]Tablet now usable in TPP (Community Request)[/h3]
One of the most requested features is underway!



We said before that "translating" the tablet functionalities into the TPP mode was not a matter of technicalities, but rather of how to do it properly, so you could play all the game in TPP.

Long story short, we did it. When the Megapatch is published, you'll be able to go through whole Chernobylite 2 without ever needing to switch from TPP to FPP (or the other way too).



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[h3]Seamless camera switching between FPP and TPP (Community Request)[/h3]
Before the patch, you have to switch the mode in settings - you can do it whenever you like, but you still have to enter a particular menu.





So, to answer your requests to add a smooth, on-the-go switching from one perspective to another... we just did that. Above here you see switching from TPP to FPP.

You can now change TPP to FPP and around as you like. Either on mouse+keyboard setting or with a controller.

And below you see switching from FPP to TPP.





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[h3]Two new essence-based weapons[/h3]
We hear you - you pointed out that there are not enough essence-based weapons, so we added two new ones.



Now you can be as gruesome as the Zone itself and rip apart killed chernobylite enemies to use their own body parts as weapons!

Bloody! Powerful! Just pure awesomeness!



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[h3]First mission revamp[/h3]
We know it wasn't the game's best part, so we reworked it completely.



We and you both felt that it's not representing the experience you'll get later. And despite we can't show too much in the intro (it's intro, after all, so just the first encounter with the game), we all know how important that part is.

Now, it gives you a much better feel of what the game is.



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[h3]How about other changes? Only three selected ones:[/h3]

• Option to skip the intro part (Community Request)
  
• Weapon slots are now fully customizable (Community Request)
  
• Option to disable headbobbing (Community Request)
  

But no, that's not all - we just don't want to spoil the surprise too much. Only the major changes alone are over a dozen. Well, closer to two dozen, actually.

Besides these, there will be hundreds of bug fixes, optimization patches and planned content added. Like the final voiceovers - we said the current ones were just temporary and we're keeping our word. Hope you'll like them a lot more. Especially we also worked much on the dialogue system.

You'll definitely be notified when the Megapatch is live - we'll share this major update's notes here, on our Steam page.

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[h3]When exactly?[/h3]
We promised you complete honesty: it's a matter of days. Will it be one or three or ten days - we can't yet tell, as we're testing everything and we need to make sure we have dealt with everything we could.

In the meantime, if you want to hear more about how your suggestions and feedback help the development process of Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, look here:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2075100/view/509575688903197059

That's it for today, stalkers!
See you in the Zone!

[h3]Hello all,

We’re exactly three weeks into the Early Access - thank you for all the support you’ve given us![/h3]

Why "megadevlog"? Forgive us for using that kind of differentiation between this devlog and a regular one. We call it that way because it's really a huge amount of information. And because we won't post news like that regularly - we'll leave it for moments when we want to address a lot of different subjects in a detailed way.

So this Megadevlog will be focusing on something most important in the Early Access: your feedback.

Every feedback counts, positive and negative equally, as we released an early version of the game exactly to gather your opinions and your invaluable input (meaning: reviews, reports, suggestions, all of these).

Of course, we know the game has issues - we expected some to appear (didn't want to, but nonetheless expected) and we are happy you provided us with so much feedback. It helps us identify and solve problems, so overall: it helps us to make the game better than we ever could without your help.

Screenshot by TheGameTales

That said, we’ve prepared this quite long post about our nearest plans. And, as you might expect, our observations regarding the information you’re giving us every day (either thanks to posting on the forum, posting reviews or purely technical reports).

We know this might sound vague, but we’re working on making everything run smoothly as well as filling the huge open world of the Zone with content we either already prepared or are getting ready now.

This post is to let you know: yes, we hear you.

We try to respond to as many requests, comments, reviews, suggestions and reports as possible. We treat every single feedback or opinion we get seriously and analyse it as well as we can. We also wanted you to know that even if we don’t respond to your post, it’s only a matter of how time-consuming it is, not because we do not care. So if that happens: remember that we see you. Sometimes we just don’t have enough time to write to each one of you separately.

Our plan to stay in the Early Access for 6-10 months is not changing - that’s the goal we set when entering the EA.

So… what’s been going on with the development?

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[h2]The development process[/h2]

The nearest plans include three main paths:

1. planned work
   
2. fixing and optimizing the game
   
3. analyzing your feedback
   

Each of these paths may seem simple, but believe us: none of these is more or less important than the others.

• First, planned work is not something that is changing on the go. This is the part of development that needs to be scheduled and taken care of day by day, as the whole production takes years to complete. So if we say “this or that will be added" - that’s the case. Why? Because we’ve been working on it for a long time.
  
  
• Second, fixing and optimizing the game when the game enters Early Access. That’s quite opposite to the planned work, as it’s purely “spontaneous”. Meaning that your reports and information you share direct us to the things needing our attention.
  
  
• Third, analyzing your feedback is also something that we do every day. And despite it’s also quite spontaneous, it needs more time to think about. We’ll give you an example: imagine there’s trouble with weapon balance. As soon as it’s reported, we have to deeply analyze what is the cause of this, sometimes re-check if that’s a persistent thing or just an error - and what can we do about it. Only then can we shift our priorities to take those matters into our own hands.
  

Screenshot by Kevin Czaski

This seems quite easy, right? Well, in a perfect world - it would be. But the real trouble here is a question of how to give attention to the “unplanned” things when we also have the… well, planned ones to attend to.

Of course, given our previous experience with Early Access when Chernobylite 1 was released in Steam’s programme, we were definitely better prepared. Yet, Chernobylite 2 is much bigger (the map itself about 20x) and much more complex than the first game was. This means one thing: we really need to think about what, how and when we can do to make your experience the best.

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[h2]The plans[/h2]

So maybe you already know this, but we want to make it clear: Chernobylite 2 is in development.

It simply means that a lot of content is not yet there and the one that is - needs polishing (or even more). When we started Early Access on March 6th, Chernobylite 2 had about 30-40% of the planned content prepared.

Pay attention to the word “planned” - as we were completely sure that your feedback would give us a lot of important suggestions. So changes or adjustments will take more time. But these were accounted for (as well as we could before entering EA).

The closest important update (let’s stick to Chernobylite 1 names and call it a “megapatch”) will be published in the upcoming weeks and with it, we will most probably prepare the specific roadmap that will show you what steps we’ve planned on taking next.

Besides adding more content, the update will fix a lot of current issues that cannot be addressed by a simple hotfix or a patch.

Screenshot by Nazerbanu

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[h2]AI Voices and translations[/h2]

This is one of the “hottest” subjects here, on our Steam page. You pointed out that you encounter voices that hear like an AI. Well, that’s the case. But the reason behind it is quite simple: it’s production matters and every single line of AI voice will be replaced as soon as the proper voiceovers are ready.

When we entered the Early Access, the English voiceovers were almost ready. Yet, not finished.

There were bugs, the AI voices were still standing out sometimes. We used them only temporarily to make our work easier and quicker: it’s a lot better in the matter of production time to use placeholders which will later be swapped with real assets.

Imagine this process as sculpting: first, you chisel out some crude shapes, and then you gradually make smaller and smaller cuts. Before the sculpture is considered ready, the skilled craftsman has to “review” it piece by piece, making adjustments, corrections, checking every centimetre.

But let’s leave abstract examples and focus on technical reasons: AI-generated voiceovers serve as placeholders that allow us to test animation systems, cutscene lengths, and gameplay pacing.

They were never meant to replace voice actors, and they never will.

Screenshot by 🅕🅤🅝🅚🅦🅔🅛🅣

So yes, “placeholders” are exactly what they sound like: they are just holding the place for when the real asset comes in. A similar thing goes for translations. Yes, this should be done better and we’re working on it, so it’s nowhere near what we consider a finished state.

That’s one of our priorities to have them ready as soon as we can. So don’t worry if they are not yet ready or are buggy. We know it, we’re not leaving them inside the game looking like this, we had the work scheduled long before the EA started.

Perhaps we could’ve waited a bit more time and prepared them before entering the Early Access… but now it is done, the game's Early Access version is already published. We take responsibility for that and we’re sorry if you encountered any unfinished translations or voices.

What can we do now? Work on them as we planned. We’re doing it right now. When will that be? As always, we won’t sugar coat anything: we can't promise any precise date yet, we simply aim to add them as soon as possible. And that's also one of our top priorities.

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[h2]Translations - additional languages[/h2]

Taking your feedback into consideration, we’ve noticed a lot of you asked for examples for Turkish or Portuguese translation.

We’ll be completely honest with you: we can’t make them ourselves. We need your help to make those unplanned translations happen. Why? Simply because of time and costs of preparing outsourced professional translations.

If you want your language to be present in Chernobylite 2, please comment below. Especially if you want to help us make that happen! We will direct you to people from our team that handle translations.

You can join our Discord here (CLICK) if you want to help us translate the game into your language or polish an existing translation.

Screenshot by Jack Hammer

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[h2]Co-op[/h2]

A lot of you also asked about co-op, so we will address that here: yes, you can invite your friends from your Steam list to play together in co-op missions in fractal worlds. You have to unlock these first. Usually, if you don’t rush through the gameplay, it’s achievable after about 2-3 hours of playing, depending on how you play, of course.

As our protagonist, Cole Grey, you play as a planewalker - a person able to travel through many different versions of one world. Later in the game, you learn to create different “personalities” which live in parallel universes and that you can summon on the go. No spoilers, but this also connects to how the co-op works and why, after you play the mission with your friends, everybody returns to their own world.

After the co-op mission finishes, every player returns to "his world" - with all the benefits of a successfully carrying on the task (like loot or experience).

Screenshot by marshmallowwuwu

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[h2]Your feedback and questions[/h2]

We have many discussions going on Steam right now, and that’s great! That’s what we aspired to have: direct contact with you, our players. After all, our goal is to give you an entertaining experience.

There’s a pinned post which points out the current status of community requests. We will keep this updated to show you which proposals will be added to the game and which will be discussed (for example to assess how or if can we make them happen).

You can check this post & it's updates here (CLICK)

For you to better understand how your suggestions can impact the development process, let’s speak about that. What happens when you post your feedback, for example a clear suggestion of a particular change? Usually, when the change is small or cosmetic, we can deal with it on the go (like your suggestions about traders).

But what happens with more complex ones (or really huge ones)?

Screenshot by DragonwithinDivine

Let’s try to break it down step by step.

• First step: we gather more suggestions and discuss them internally as it would be impossible to address each one separately (that’s why we often can’t respond to your feedback immediately). We look into how your idea can impact the existing game infrastructure, what could break down or what processes can it change.
  
  
• Second step: let’s say your idea will fit into the game. Now we discuss how can we make it happen, what will it need to be implemented and how long could it take (just an early estimation).
  
  
• Third step: let’s say we estimated that it’s possible to implement, we know how to deal with it, how long will it take (more or less), what changes we have to make in the existing system. We schedule creating a new feature or tweaking an existing one simply to keep our workflow organised.
  
  
• Fourth step: we prototype the change and test it against the existing mechanics. It actually happens quite often that what sounds good as an idea, is really “not cooperating” as reality. So before we can let you enjoy it, we have to test it and re-check it at least a few times.
  
  
• Fifth step: when we are quite sure it will fit inside the game, we test it, we check for errors or bugs - only then we can release it along with an update.
  

So now we have our new feature!

Nonetheless, it’s impossible to predict and bug-hunt everything that hundreds or thousands of players will encounter (for example, because of so many different PC configurations). That’s why Early Access is so important - it gives us invaluable information on what needs to be polished, perfected… and sometimes simply re-done.

Of course, that whole process was oversimplified just to explain it in an easy way. But we hope now you understand better how we have to work on your suggestions. That said, let’s get back to your feedback.

Screenshot by Jack Hammer

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[h2]Suggestions under consideration[/h2]
These suggestions are already under discussion or consideration, so we’re estimating how much would it take to make them happen and whether it’s possible for us or not.

• Weapon Jamming - we really like the idea! It could introduce a nice change into how the gameplay feels without nerfing the weapons or making enemies near immortal. Though we will discuss it, it could be really difficult to implement as it is not simply a matter of turning on/off, but rather require an entire new animations (which take quite some time to make).
  
  
• Using the Tablet in TPP – okay, that’s on us. We made the FPP mode because a lot of players suggested this. Then again, if you can now play fully in the first-person perspective… it would be great to be able to play full TPP experience, right? Despite we agree with the idea, we’re not yet sure how to make that happen - or rather if / how can we translate the tablet functionalities into the TPP. No promises, but we’re looking into it.
  
  
• Weapon Holstering – it is exactly how it sounds. No further explanation is needed, right?
  
  
• The ability to modify the main character's hairstyle and beard – we didn’t think that you would miss deeper character customization. Not because we don’t like it, but because we didn’t think the Zone would be a place where one could find a barber. Maybe we travelled there so much it just never occurred to us - it’s quite an empty and alienated place without even the simplest conveniences of everyday life. However, you explained how important it is for you to have at least some influence over their character’s appearance. So maybe we’ll give it a try.
  
  
• Possibility of walking - on a gamepad, we can walk simply by tilting the analogue stick more lightly. However, with a mouse and a keyboard, we can only run or sprint. We’ll check if we can change that.
  
  
• Possibility to disable head bobbing - it’s basically this “feel” of the head moving while the character is walking or running. That animation, while moving in FPP, can cause motion sickness in more sensitive individuals, so we’re looking into it.
  

Screenshot by Kevin Czaski

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[h2]What has already changed?[/h2]
Here are a few of your suggestions that have already found their way into the game.

• FOV adjustment - We’ve added a slider, so now you can freely change FOV.
  
  
• Motion Blur Control - that’s also a slider, so you can increase, decrease or disable motion blur completely.
  
  
• Traders - you’ve pointed out that the amount of money is not enough, but also some items you were able to sell were overpriced. We’ve corrected these, but we still want to hear your feedback. Also, please note that the traders’ items and money are replenished every few days.
  
  
• First-Person Combat (FPP) - that was suggested by many players even before the Early Access started. We organized the Kickstarter campaign exactly for this reason: to make FPP mode happen.
  

Now, you can freely choose between FPP or TPP in the settings, even during combat, if you feel like experimenting with the feel of different perspectives. Of course, the FPP mode requires a lot of improvements and polishing, so despite a lot of you saying it’s already nice, it will be the subject of many changes.

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Okay, now let’s see how many of you reached this point - we’re curious mostly because of how big this post is.

Some of us don’t believe anyone could read it all, so if you’re reading this, post a comment saying what you like in our game or what could make Chernobylite 2 better.

As always, we encourage you to share your feedback with us. The particular sub-forums are here:

• General discussions
• Early Access feedback
• Bug reports

We also want to ask you to leave a review if you feel like sharing your experience with everybody!

As soon as we can, we will announce new changes, updates, fixes. Keep in touch with us and our posts / announcements. Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments, we'll try to answer as good and as precisely as possible at the moment.

Cheers!
The Farm 51

Work on Chernobylite 2 is well underway. The game recently launched in Early Access, and we quickly released the first critical hotfix to address the most serious bugs. But that was just the beginning. We're continuously receiving valuable feedback from you, and rest assured, we’re taking all of it into account for future updates. And these updates will be rolling out very soon, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, let’s take a trip into the past.

We receive a lot of questions about Chernobylite 2, especially regarding its development and how it differs from the first game. Many of you are particularly curious about the behind-the-scenes process. Fortunately, we’re the perfect people to answer that!
[hr][/hr]
[h3]The Game World[/h3]
Although both games are set in Chornobyl, the structure of the world has evolved significantly. In Chernobylite, we had to navigate production challenges inherited from Get Even, primarily due to being a relatively small team. As a result, we opted for a hub-based structure: players started from a central base and traveled to various locations on the map. Despite these limitations, we did our best to make the levels as expansive as our technology and team size allowed.

In theory, this worked. In practice—not entirely. While players praised the detailed and immersive environments, many felt there was too much repetition. So, within our team, we asked: What should we change in Chernobylite 2? The most common answer? An open world.



We knew this would be a massive challenge, especially with a team of around 40–50 people. But we wanted to try. Our approach started with merging all the levels from Chernobylite into a seamless world while learning the new tools and features of Unreal Engine 5 (we had previously used UE4). Over time, we filled the empty spaces, added new locations, and modified old ones to reflect the passage of time in the story.

Today, Chernobylite 2 is a fully open world, roughly 20 times larger than the Chornobyl of the first game combined.



[h3]Combat[/h3]
We’ve said it many times: Chernobylite was not designed as a shooter. That’s why combat was one of the most criticized aspects of the game. It confirmed something we had already suspected after Get Even: without a massive development team, competing in the shooter genre at a high level is nearly impossible.
Adding an open world introduced an even bigger challenge: how could we expand the scope of the game without sacrificing combat quality?

We had to rethink gameplay from the ground up. Our goal was to balance artistic freedom in level design with engaging gameplay mechanics.

Prototype 1: Turn-Based Combat
Our first idea took inspiration from classic RPGs—where encounters triggered a transition to a separate isometric battlefield with turn-based combat (think X-COM). The system was simple, flexible, and easy to prototype—one designer was able to create multiple encounters in a single day.



However, two problems quickly became apparent:

1. It felt too drastically different from Chernobylite, almost like an entirely new game.
   
2. We’ve spent years developing action games—suddenly switching to turn-based combat was a massive risk.
   

Prototype 2: Action-RPG Combat
Next, we experimented with a hybrid system inspired by Dragon Age and Fallout, where players controlled a squad in real-time melee combat. While the mechanics were solid, it introduced an unwanted fantasy RPG feel, and having companions lessened the sense of isolation that was so crucial in Chernobylite.

Prototype 3: Finding the Balance
The third prototype aimed to bridge the gap between Chernobylite and the action-RPG elements. We worked to refine the balance between firearms and melee combat, ensuring that gameplay was both engaging and believable within the established world.



Before finalizing the system, we ran multiple focus tests and iterated extensively. The end result is what you experience today—plus a few improvements based on your feedback, such as the ability to switch between first-person and third-person modes in combat.



[h3]Base Building[/h3]
One thing was never in question—the base-building system had to return. Chernobylite players loved customizing their base, and we knew removing this feature would be a huge mistake.

So not only is it back in Chernobylite 2, but we’ve expanded on it. Now, you can add more rooms, connect them with corridors, and customize them even further to make your base feel like home.

[h2]What’s Next?[/h2]
That’s it for today—a behind-the-scenes look at the key design decisions that shaped Chernobylite 2. But don’t worry, we’re just getting started. We have plenty more insights, stories, and surprises to share in the future!



[h3]So stay tuned[/h3]

[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/

The previous hotfix broke the functionality of crystal weapons that drop from monsters. We've fixed this. Sorry about that, we tried to respond as quickly as possible.

Additionally:

• The first boss in the game now drops a special crystal weapon to make the fight more rewarding
  
• Ranged weapons should drop more frequently from chests.
  
• All crystal weapons have been slightly improved visually to look better and fit the player's hands more naturally.