Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone News

[h3]Are you ready for our roadmap?[/h3]
Hope you are, cause here it goes!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We have recently released the first of the Megapatches, which not only fixes a multitude of bugs in the game, mostly reported by you, but also adds new content to the game - the kind of content we promised you, but also the kind of content you have been asking for.

Details about this Megapatch can be found in the following post:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2075100/view/641307778258829846

However, as we mentioned, this is only the FIRST Megapatch, so get ready for more content! And very soon. What will they contain? New weapons, new events, new bosses and quests, and much more. See for yourself what the schedule is for the coming months on this roadmap:



In addition, as with the previous project, we will be providing further technical support. With each Megapatch released, there will be fixes for bugs you report and those affecting the optimisation of the game. Also, we will provide regular smaller updates and hotfixes throughout the whole Early Access period.

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[h3]But that's not the end of the surprises for today![/h3]

Those who have not yet played Chernobylite 2 can now have a reason to do it - the game is available at a discounted price of -15%!

So there is no reason to delay! Especially as we will be bringing you lots of cool stuff really soon.



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[h3]Help wanted![/h3]

As always, we want to translate our game into other languages, so we are looking for people who could help us create or proofread the game texts. Contact us on Discord if you are willing to help! Here are some of the languages we're currently needing help with the most:
- Turkish
- Portuguese & Portuguese (Brazil)
- Japanese

We offer monetary remuneration for the work performed - previous translators who have contacted us in recent weeks and have done a proofread will also receive payment. We will talk about payments with each person individually :-)

Please remember: this is about a native translation, not using a translator or AI!

If you are interested in joining our localization support, send a direct message to me on Discord with the following details: Name & Surname, email address.

• [Community Request by @Cast]Automatic Camera Switch – If you liked our original idea for the action camera (Tablet/FPP during exploration, TPP during combat) and prefer it over the current manual view-switching option, you can now restore it in the game settings.
  
• We added a popup that appears after changing graphic settings, informing you that some shaders need to be recompiled.
  

BTW: We’re aware that shader compilation is long and annoying. We will definitely optimize and significantly speed up this process. But for now, we decided that a longer (and optional) compilation is better than continued suffering from the stuttering nightmare caused by PSO.

• Cole will no longer appear bald in the inventory view
  
• On controllers, when using the Tablet in TPP view, LT will no longer trigger both scanning and zoom at the same time
  
• Suppressed weapons should now have correct sound effects
  
• We've fixed the sound effects for the new crystal energy weapons
  
• We've fixed camera angles that were showing the wrong things in certain dialogues
  
• We've fixed a rare bug that caused the game to stop auto-saving
  
• We've fixed an aiming bug when using one of the AK-47 variants
  
• We've fixed a floating road near the Eye of Moscow area
  
• We've fixed a rare crash caused by issues with the game’s physics
  
• The Crystal Laser will no longer fall under the level when dropped from the backpack.
  
• We fixed a bug that could occasionally distort faces during their animation in dialogues. Everything should look correct now.
  

[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!