Z.O.N.A: Origin News

[p][/p][h3]New Features:[/h3]

• [p]The game has finally moved to the new Unity 6 engine. This should improve not only stability but also physics, as well as the smoothness of camera and controller tracking.[/p]
• [p]Now, when a bullet from enemy faction fighters hits the player, you will hear not only the hit sound but also blood splashes.[/p]
• [p]Your weapons and some items can now block enemy bullets. For example, the frying pan is useful not only for cooking :) And considering it’s cheaper than a tactical shield, it’s almost OP![/p]
• [p]Weapons can now be used to push some monsters away.[/p]
• [p]New weapon added — Baseball Bat. You can buy it at the “Black Market.” With some skill, it can help you save ammo.[/p]
• [p]New weapon added — Baseball Bat with Nails. Also available at the “Black Market.”[/p]
• [p]The frying pan has gained a second purpose: now it can be used to fight monsters.[/p]
• [p]Some items can now be used in melee combat to deal damage to monsters, not only by throwing them. To know if an item deals damage and how much, check its description.[/p]
• [p]You can now kill a monster with a can of pickles.[/p]
• [p]You can now kill a monster with a can of cocoa.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]Changes and Improvements:[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the Makarov pistol could get stuck in the player’s hand.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the Desert Eagle pistol could get stuck in the player’s hand.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the Night Hawk pistol could get stuck in the player’s hand.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the Glock 19zo pistol could get stuck in the player’s hand.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the PL-14 pistol could get stuck in the player’s hand.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted the bullet impact force on faction objects.[/p]
• [p]Fixed controller vibration when two weapons collided in the player’s hands.[/p]
• [p]Fixed applying the “Render Scale (VR)” settings in the main menu — previously they only applied after reopening the settings.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the maximum value of “Render Scale (VR)” in the main menu. Previously it was limited to 130%, now it matches the in-game value of 150%.[/p]
• [p]Increased HMG durability by 60% (by player request).[/p]
• [p]Increased damage of the Remington 870 — from 18×15 to 24×15 (by player request).[/p]
• [p]Remington 870 ammo is now cheaper: previously 10 coupons per round, now 8.[/p]
• [p]Fixed headshot hitboxes for zombie stalkers and zombie thugs. They previously didn’t match animations, making it seem like automatic weapons had poor accuracy.[/p]
• [p]Fixed and improved several shaders.[/p]
• [p]In the “Outpost” clearing mission, AFU fighters assisting you now have increased health.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]AI Behavior Changes:[/h3]

• [p]Many monsters now react to bullet impacts.[/p]
• [p]Some monsters can now be pushed away with weapons if they get too close. This not only pushes them back but can also briefly stun them.[/p]
• [p]You can now throw heavy objects at certain monsters to knock them back and buy some time. (Of course, throwing a can of pickles at a giant monster is useless!)[/p]
• [p]Changed the behavior of the “Zone Ghost” monster from the Dark faction: now it can not only cloak but also dash — either toward the player or behind them. This makes it a very dangerous opponent.[/p]
• [p]Changed the behavior of the “Phantom”: in camouflage mode, when only its glowing red eyes are visible, it is almost completely immune to attacks. You must either wait for it to leave this state or aim precisely at its eyes.[/p]
• [p]Changed the behavior of the “Ghoul”: it is now faster, can partially absorb bullet damage while cloaked, and can switch modes more quickly.[/p]
• [p]Fixed headshot hitboxes for zombie stalkers, zombie thugs, and zombie scientists.[/p]

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]Adjustments:[/h3][p]Zombies can now be pushed back with enough force using the following weapons:[/p]

• [p]Riot Shield[/p]
• [p]AAC Honey Badger[/p]
• [p]AK-74[/p]
• [p]AK-74M[/p]
• [p]AKS-74[/p]
• [p]AKS-74U[/p]
• [p]AS Val[/p]
• [p]VSK-94[/p]
• [p]Barrett M82[/p]
• [p]CZ Scorpion EVO 3[/p]
• [p]FN SCAR 17[/p]
• [p]OTs-14 Groza[/p]
• [p]HMG[/p]
• [p]Huot LMG[/p]
• [p]Remington 870[/p]
• [p]M4[/p]
• [p]M16[/p]
• [p]17 “Ghost”[/p]
• [p]27 “Ghost”[/p]
• [p]Saiga-9[/p]
• [p]Valmet M78[/p]

[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[h3]Hello, stalkers![/h3][p]Even though the game has left Early Access, I keep supporting it: fixing bugs and adding new content. I’ve carefully read all your complaints and suggestions — and I’m already working on some of them.[/p][p]In the upcoming major update, you can expect not only bug fixes but also new features:[/p]

• [p]Cans of pickles and cocoa? Once cheap junk, now — with some accuracy — they can actually deal damage to a monster![/p]
• [p]The frying pan? No longer just for cooking, but also for self-defense.[/p]
• [p]Added hit impacts — both on enemies and the player.[/p]
• [p]Weapons will feel more physical: a bullet hitting them can ricochet and maybe save your life.[/p]

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]It’s time to end the rest and head back to the Zone.
Thanks to everyone who supported me! See you in the Zone![/p]

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]Fixed detection of Pico controllers.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted performance of Oculus controllers.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted performance of Valve Index controllers.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where it was impossible to load the Groza magazine with 9×39 ammunition.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the correct display of the maximum number of rounds in the magazine for Valmet 76.[/p]

[p][/p][p]P.S. After this hotfix, Pico controller support should work correctly. I’d like to thank the players for reporting this issue. Over the past year, I’ve been working on the game 12–14 hours a day, and now that the most urgent fixes have been made, I decided to take a short break. The last few weeks have been especially tough: the game received a lot of mixed feedback — both positive and negative — and this emotional rollercoaster knocked me off balance a little. That’s why I decided to take a short pause and rest not only from development but also from the game itself. I hope for your understanding, and thank you for being with me all this time.[/p]

[p]Sorry for releasing two updates in just one day![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Changes and Improvements:[/h3]

• [p]New VR texture rendering setting.
  A new option has been added to increase the VR texture render scale. Previously, it couldn’t be properly implemented on OpenVR, so the feature was postponed and eventually forgotten. This evening I remembered about it, improved it, and finally brought it into the game. Now you can adjust this setting both in the main menu and directly through the PDA during gameplay. With the right configuration, the image becomes much sharper, and those annoying “jaggies” on trees and foliage will disappear.[/p]
• [p]Monster rebalance.
  The stats of all monsters (except faction members) are now directly tied to the selected difficulty level.[/p]
  • [p]For players who simply want to enjoy the atmosphere, the Easy mode is recommended — monsters deal less damage and cause fewer problems overall.[/p]
  • [p]For those seeking a real challenge, higher difficulties (“Experienced” or “Stalker”) are available, where enemies become far more dangerous and battles turn into a true hardcore experience.[/p]

[h2]The game has fully switched to OpenXR! 🎉[/h2][p][/p][p]This is what you’ve been asking for — and what I’ve often been criticized for. Now OpenVR is left behind, and the game runs only on OpenXR.[/p][p]What this brings:[/p][p]📈 Improved performance — direct optimizations through OpenXR.[/p][p]🎮 Better image quality on headsets like Quest and Pico.
Previously, the image was sent to the headset through an extra layer — OpenVR, where the video stream was recompressed.
Now this intermediate step is gone, and video is transmitted more efficiently.[/p][p][/p][h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Glock 19zo pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly to make reloading both the pistol and the magazine easier.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the PL-14 pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly for more convenient reloading.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Makarov pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly for easier reloading.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Desert Eagle pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly to make reloading easier.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Night Hawk pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly for more convenient reloading.[/p]
• [p]Slightly reworked the color palette of the “Pripyat” level.[/p]
• [p]Increased the attack power of “Domovoi”: without artifacts that boost health, they now kill the player in two hits at 100% health. But remember: they never attack first. If you don’t touch them and look straight into their eyes when approaching, they remain neutral.[/p]
• [p]Monsters of the “Dark” family now deal additional damage — either radiation or psi attacks. Remember: if your psi protection or radiation protection is zero, incoming damage doubles and harms your health.[/p]
• [p]The monster “Guardian” (a black substance) now also deals increased radiation damage.[/p]
• [p]Rats now deal twice as much damage.[/p]
• [p]All zombies now deal more damage — both with regular attacks and with radiation or psi attacks.[/p]
• [p]Partially improved monster AI.[/p]
• [p]Added small improvements to the tutorial level.[/p]
• [p]Improved sniper scopes SV36-54 and SPO456 — now headshots are much easier! It took quite a few cans to get them properly tuned for VR.[/p]
• [p]Improved game stability.[/p]

[p]In short: the image is clearer, the load is lighter, and the game runs more stably. 🚀[/p]