Hello, stalkers! Welcome to update 1.00.70


🔸 Optimization has been carried out, and game performance has been improved. Less load — more FPS :)
🔸 The footstep sound system has been redesigned: now it distinguishes between running, walking, and sneaking.
🔸 Footstep sounds have been replaced — now they are more brutal.
🔸 The fire rate of the AK-74 has been reduced.
🔸 The fire rate of the AKS-74 has been reduced.
🔸 The PDA has been refined to prevent accidental presses.
🔸 The backpack system has been improved: you reported that it was sometimes difficult to put it behind your back. Now this has been fixed.
🔸 The backpack grabbing system has been improved: you reported that it was sometimes difficult to grab it. Now this has been fixed.
🔸 Small fixes and improvements have been made on some levels.

Remember, stalkers: The Zone is constantly changing, and every time you venture into it, it’s a new challenge. Stay alert and cautious. Good luck! There’s much more exciting stuff ahead!

Hello, stalkers! I’m excited to announce that Z.O.N.A: Origin has launched in Early Access on Steam and is now available for purchase with a 15% discount for a limited time!

I also want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who decides to support both Project X and Origin in Early Access. Believe me, there’s much more interesting and unexplored ahead!

And for those who own Project X, there’s an additional discount available through the bundle! A huge thank you to everyone who has been with me throughout all this time. I appreciate it more than anything!

https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/bundle/44050/ZONA_WORLDS/

Hello, stalkers! We have a small update 1.00.69 that you may not have expected, but will surely appreciate :)


🔸 The amount of money and the money icon on the wrist PDA are now more visible. It turned out that many people didn’t notice them and didn’t understand where the balance of collected funds was displayed.
🔸 You complained that nothing was visible in the backpack in the dark, and you had to either turn on the flashlight or search blindly. Now your requests have been addressed: the backpack’s inventory is automatically illuminated, even in complete darkness.
🔸 There were complaints that due to the position of the backpack over the left shoulder, you occasionally grabbed weapons or other items instead of the backpack. This has now been fixed.
🔸 In the "Abandoned City" location, there were problems with the player being slightly pulled forward, as if they were sliding across the ground. This has also been fixed. Note: Due to this fix, there may be issues with the player's position on this level in old saves until they are updated and the progress is saved in this version of the game.
🔸 In the raid location "Military Town," the lightning effect on the "Duga" radar has been temporarily disabled, as it caused the game to crash when the Steam controller's pause button was pressed. Once the cause is thoroughly investigated and fixed, the effect will be restored.

Remember, stalkers: The Zone is constantly changing, and every time you venture into it, it's a new challenge. Be vigilant and careful. Good luck! There’s much more exciting stuff ahead!

We are excited to announce that Z.O.N.A Origin, a new game in the Z.O.N.A universe, is scheduled for release on August 26th this year. This unique VR action game combines elements of horror, survival, and RPG in a dark post-apocalyptic world.

Welcome to the post-apocalyptic world of Z.O.N.A Origin. Immerse yourself in the mysterious territory surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where incredible phenomena and deadly threats have emerged since the 2022 disaster.

Explore anomalies that hide priceless artifacts and fight against mutants and bandits trying to seize the Zone's treasures. Various factions and stalkers pursue their own goals, creating a unique atmosphere of survival struggle.

In 2030, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has become the epicenter of mysterious events. Powerful flashes have been seen in the northern Zone, and the secret government organization O.S.Z sent a team of scientists there, but they disappeared without a trace. Many stalkers tried to solve this mystery, but they all vanished.

Anomalous activity in the Zone is increasing: powerful psi-fields and new mutants appear. Experienced stalkers are convinced that mysterious processes are occurring in the northern Zone, creating anomalies and artifacts. It is believed that if this is not stopped, the Zone will destroy all life on Earth. You must head north to uncover this mystery and save humanity.

Add Z.O.N.A Origin to your wishlist so you don’t miss the launch and dive into this thrilling world of adventure.

https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/app/2539520/ZONA_Origin/

Hello, stalkers! We have a small update 1.00.68


🔸 The tutorial mission has been slightly refined. Previously, if you didn't follow the waypoints, you couldn't complete the tutorial. This has now been fixed.
🔸 A funny bug with the left shoulder slot of the backpack has been fixed. Previously, you could put an item in the backpack by leaning towards it with your left shoulder. Of course, it was not a bug but a feature :) but now it's fixed.
🔸 A critical error in the raid location "Abandoned Village" has been fixed, as the loot in the location was generated randomly. Under certain circumstances, this could cause a critical bug and loss of progress.
🔸 Minor tweaks and improvements related to game performance.

Remember, stalkers: the Zone is constantly changing, and every venture into it is a new challenge. Be attentive and careful. Good luck! Many interesting things await you!

Hello, stalkers! We have a small update 1.00.67.


🔸 In the tutorial mission, if you died, the game loaded the death screen, and you had to listen to all the dialogues again at the start. This has been fixed, and you will automatically reappear in the tutorial location.
🔸 The PDA has been slightly reworked: there were complaints that the settings were resetting. This should no longer happen.
🔸 The angle of the headlamp has been slightly adjusted.
🔸 The influence of shadows has been reduced in some locations.

Remember, stalkers: The Zone is constantly changing, and every time you venture into it, it's a new challenge. Stay vigilant and cautious. Good luck! There's a lot more exciting stuff ahead!

Hello, stalkers! Welcome to update 1.00.66


🔸 The backpack has been improved. You complained about problems retrieving items from the edges when a weapon was lying in the adjacent slot. Usually, you ended up pulling out the weapon instead. These issues should now be resolved.
🔸 Starting a new game now gives you an AK-74 instead of an AKS-74.
🔸 The reloading mechanism of the Remington 870 shotgun has been improved - there were complaints about accidental reloading during movement or turning. This should no longer happen.
🔸 Minor tweaks and optimizations on some levels.

Remember, stalkers: The Zone is constantly changing, and every time you venture into it, it's a new challenge. Stay vigilant and cautious. Good luck! There are many more exciting things ahead!

Hello, stalkers! Welcome to update 1.00.65


☢️ The image rendering mode has been improved. Now it is even clearer and more accurate. Imagine you had poor vision, and in the Zone, you were given glasses. And you saw an anomaly with your own eyes for the first time :) The mode is enabled by default. But if you don't like it, you can always disable it in the main menu or in your PDA during the game. You can also compare the difference.


🔸 The sitting mode has been slightly reworked. Also, the default height is now set a bit higher than before.
🔸 The height calibration mode in the PDA has been fixed. It previously did not work for some reason, and I didn't know about it :)
🔸 Reduced sun glare on the second location to avoid blinding players with certain types of lenses on headsets.
🔸 A minor bug with the store in the Zone has been fixed. It almost didn't affect anything, but in rare cases, it could cause a crash.
🔸 Small fixes and improvements on some levels.


Since I finally managed to get a Meta Quest 3 headset for testing and test the game, I found one peculiarity. Previously, people complained about pixelation in the game. After figuring out the problem, I can give some advice. Since Meta headsets transmit the image not via HDMI or DisplayPort, but via USB or Wi-Fi, the standard video bitrate of 200 is insufficient for the game. In the game, fog is used, and at a bitrate of 200, the image becomes blurry due to video stream encoding. However, if you increase the bitrate to 300, ideally to 400, the image becomes clear. This only applies to scenes with fog.

Remember, stalkers: the Zone is constantly changing, and every time you enter it, it is a new challenge. Be vigilant and cautious. Good luck! There is much more interesting to come!

Hello, stalkers! We are undergoing a mandatory technical update 1.00.64.

Changes and improvements:

🔸 Now, when you start a new game after the introductory video, you must go through a short training mission. Previously, you could choose to do it at the shelter. However, as experience has shown, few did this and, not understanding the game mechanics, left negative reviews. I have decided to make it mandatory, as in many other games. You can skip it while you are in the training level, and at the same time, you will immediately receive the "Smart Stalker" achievement: on the wall of an abandoned house, you need to press either “Exit to Main Menu” or “Start Playing”.

I will also try to explain a couple of aspects of the game mechanics that have received negative feedback:

Question: I can’t save my game or exit to the main menu, I have to close the game and start all over again!!! Also, I can't see the current tasks. I'm angry!

Answer: Once you complete the tutorial, you will learn that you can save your progress in the game or exit to the main menu using the PDA on your left thigh. There, you can also see the current tasks and markers on the map. Yes, this is quite unusual. In most games, all this can be done by pressing a button, and voilà — there is the menu in its standard form. But when I created the game, I decided that it disrupts immersion and degrades perception. Maybe I was wrong?

Question: The game is very dark! I can't see anything, even what's in my backpack.

Answer: There is a flashlight in the game, which you will learn about after completing the tutorial. It is always with you, and its batteries will never run out. Simply touch your head with your hand, and it will turn on. It's dark because it is late evening in the first location. Objects cast shadows, just like in real life. When you stand in the shade, for example, from a tree, the shadow from the tree falls on the backpack, and the backpack itself casts shadows on the items inside it. That is why you need the flashlight — to light your way in the darkness!

Question: The player moves like a turtle. It feels like he has a couple of tons on his back.

Answer: The player can move both by walking and running. Walking is controlled by moving the stick forward; the further you push the stick on the joystick forward, the faster the player moves. However, pressing the stick during walking makes the player start running.

If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to ask. I am always ready and open to communication.