Z.O.N.A: Origin News

[h2]New Features:[/h2]

• Weather conditions have been improved on the locations "Pripyat," "Abandoned Village," and "Freedom Stalkers Base": the sky and effects have been reworked. These locations now look even more captivating and mysterious, especially "Pripyat."
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• Monster AI has been refined. I know many of you have complained about their behavior, and I hear you. I am working on improvements as much as possible alone. Their movement across surfaces now looks more natural, positively affecting the game experience. In the animation below, you can see one of the changes: on the left is AI version 0.30, and on the right is AI version 0.40. And this is just the beginning.
  

• When starting a new game, you now receive an AKS-74U instead of an AK-74.
  
• Performance has been improved on the location "Freedom Stalkers Base." Lighting has also been slightly reworked, making the level less dark.
  
• Performance on the nighttime location "Abandoned Village" has been improved.
  
• Random encounters have been added to the locations "Pripyat," "Underground Collector," and "Landfill." The likelihood of encounters depends on your story progress.
  
• New atmospheric objects have been added to some locations.
  
• Minor improvements to the save system have been made.
  
• Optimization and refinement of certain scripts have been carried out.
  

[h2]Message to Players:[/h2]

• Stalkers, remember: I read all your suggestions and comments. I try to respond quickly if your feedback is constructive and detailed. The Zone is constantly changing, and every journey into it is a new challenge. Stay vigilant and cautious. Good luck in your adventures! There is much more to come!
  

[h2]New Features:[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

• A new location, "Bunker 88", has been added. It can be unlocked by receiving a quest at the "Dawn Base".
  
• A new raid location, "Forgotten Tunnels", has been added. You can access it from the "Dawn Base". Unlike the raid location "Metro Tunnels", here you will face hostile factions instead of monsters. This feature was implemented based on a player's request for a raid location with NPCs instead of monsters.
  
• A new quest to clear "Bunker 88" of a bandit faction has been added. The quest can be obtained at the "Dawn Base". It is recommended to prepare thoroughly for this mission.
  
• New types of fighters have been added to the "Strike" and "Bandits" factions. These fighters have increased protection for their arms, legs, torso, and head. However, they can still be killed with one or two headshots if you aim at their face instead of their protected helmet.
  
• On automatic weapons such as AK-74M, AKS-74, АКС-74У, АС "Val", VSK-94, CQ16, OTs-14 "Groza", M4, 17 "Ghost", 17M "Ghost", 27 "Ghost", and Saiga-9, you can now check if there is a round in the chamber by slightly pulling the bolt back. This feature was added based on player feedback.
  
• The same functionality has been added to pistols: PL14, Glock 19zo, Night Hawk, Desert Eagle, and Makarov Pistol. You can now check if there is a round in the chamber by slightly pulling the bolt back. This was also added based on player feedback.
  

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• A new button, "Continue", has been added to the main menu. It will load your most recent save by date and time. This was added based on a player's comment :)
  
• The old "Continue" button has been renamed to "Load". Clicking it will allow you to select any save file as before.
  
• The screen now darkens when loading from the main menu, indicating that the loading process has started.
  
• Protection against double-clicking during save file loading has been implemented. Previously, if you accidentally double-clicked, the game would attempt to load two levels simultaneously, resulting in the player appearing without inventory.
  
• Fixed an issue where Mikhailych's dialog for obtaining artifact quests appeared repeatedly. The quests themselves were not reactivated due to protection, but the dialog still showed up. Players who already received these quests may see the dialog one more time, but after that, the issue will no longer occur. This does not affect game progression.
  
• The starting scene of the game has been slightly redesigned — the dragon has "retired" :)
  
• Now, every time you enter the main menu, the surroundings will slightly change.
  
• The ammo type in magazines for M16 and M4 has been changed.
  
• The shader for bullets in PL14, Glock 19zo, Night Hawk, and Makarov Pistol has been updated. Bullets now look more realistic.
  
• A hammer has been added near the workbench at the "Dawn Base".
  
• The animations for one of the monsters have been updated.
  
• Minor tweaks and fixes have been made to several levels.
  

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• The physics of weapon behavior in two-handed mode has been improved and partially redesigned. Now, on headsets like Quest and Pico, the weapon will behave the same as on headsets with base stations.
  
• New decorative items have been added to some locations.
  
• The "Snowflake" artifact has been improved. Previously, it could roll away or "escape" from its position in the quest (depending on your perspective :)). This should no longer happen.
  
• Random encounters have been added to the locations "Pripyat," "Industrial Zone," and "Outpost." The likelihood of an encounter depends directly on how far you have progressed in the game's storyline.
  
• Script improvements and some optimizations have been implemented.
  

[h2]Plans:[/h2]

• In the next update, I plan to add another raid location, which can be accessed from the "Dawn" base, as well as two storyline locations: "Dead City" and "Bunker 88," which serves as the base for the bandit faction. Once again, I would like to thank all the players for supporting the project! I truly appreciate it.
  

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• Fixed an issue with the repeated spawning of items in "Bunker 345," which could eventually lead to save system failures.
  
• Minor optimization of the "Bunker 345" level.
  
• Optimized some textures.
  

[h2]New Features:[/h2]

• A new quest has been added: destroy the "Dark Obelisk" in "Bunker 345." This quest is available only to players who previously took the task from Alex to find the secret detector "SOVA" in "Bunker 746." You can receive the quest at the "Dawn" base.
  
• A new location has been introduced: "Bunker 345."
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• A lamp has been added to the tunnel at the "Dawn" base — it's now brighter there, just as you requested. Your feedback and suggestions are always taken into account!
  
• New environmental objects have been added to several levels to enhance the atmosphere.
  
• Minor tweaks and improvements have been made across various levels.
  

Dear players, I wish you a Happy New Year in advance! Thank you for staying with me, helping to improve and develop the game. Since its early access release on August 25, 2024, we have come a long way together: adding new quests, weapons, factions, and much more. The game now features 18 playable locations — all thanks to you!

Your ideas, support, and enthusiasm continue to inspire me to move forward. May 2025 bring even more bright moments and surpass the achievements of 2024.

Happy holidays! 🎉