STALCRAFT: X adds Inside Out Percolation, proximity chat, and a pile of Wild North tweaks

STALCRAFT: X got a packed patch on April 8, 2026, and the headline feature is a time-limited Inside Out Percolation event that pulls the Zone into a stranger state. The update also adds proximity voice chat, merges several home and middle locations, expands the hideout and cosmetic lineup, and folds in a fresh round of Wild North economy and combat changes.

The event stays live until May 6, and it brings a new PvPvE loop centered on distortion, Onyx, Centrifuges, and Inside Out safes. Players can also chase event shop rewards, seasonal tasks, and blueprints for the Inverter pistol while the event is active.

Patch Notes

The biggest changes in this update center on Inside Out Percolation, a limited event that spreads new zones and enemies through the northern locations, plus a set of systems updates that affect movement, communication, and loot flow. The patch also refreshes the Wild North economy, adds a new shader precompilation option, and makes a number of smaller fixes across the game.

Content:

• Inside Out Percolation;
• Inside Out Percolation Packs;
• Melted cosmetics;
• Melted aesthete case;
• Hideout decorations;
• Proximity voice chat;
• Merging Home and Middle Locations;
• 1000 level style;
• Economic Balance Adjustments for Wild North Locations;
• Other changes and fixes.

Inside Out Percolation

The Zone is turning itself Inside Out once again. Old paths become inaccessible, but entirely new paths come into view…

Inside Out has once again entered the CEZ, releasing the Inside Out zones into the outside world, and with them — Phantom fighters and mutants. Distortion shatters reality into pieces, and it becomes completely unclear who is shooting you: your friend, who you saw earlier, or his phantom silhouette?

Inside Out Percolation is a medium-scale time limited PvPvE event. Possible rewards include: Inside Out artefacts, Inside Out Gift case containing themed items for your hideout, consumables, season cases, and blueprints for the Inverter pistol.

The event is open until May 6.

Areas of Inside Out

In the northern locations: Forge-11, Serpentine, Mines, Institute, Barrier, Inflow and Temple Swamps — Inside Out areas have formed. There you can encounter phantom mutants, Phantoms Camps and Bases, unique artefacts, and the Transmuter event.

Defeating mutants rewards you with Onyx and items required to reduce distortion. Clearing camps grants Onyx, Glass, and a chance to obtain a Phantom Key.

Onyx — a resource used to activate the Centrifuge;

Glass (Tempered / Clear / Dim) — a resource that you can sell to the Fence;

Phantom Key — an item used to open safes in the Inside Out.

Distortion

Distortion is a unique infection of Inside Out that accumulates:

• By being in areas of the Inside Out;
• When taking damage from NPCs and mutants.

The higher the distortion level, the greater the damage caused by the infection. If the distortion is not reduced in time, it will result in death.

To reduce accumulated distortion, use Memoria Fruits or special consumables.

Memoria grows in Inside Out areas.

Special consumables can be obtained by defeating mutants and opening Inside Out safes.

However, distortion also has its benefits. The more distortion you accumulate, the more Onyx you receive.

At North safe zones, you can purchase an Alteration Concentrator from the Merchant, which increases your distortion level.

Inside Out safes

By clearing the Phantoms Bases and Phantoms Camps, you have a chance to obtain a Phantom Key. It lasts for 20 minutes and is used to open Inside Out safes.

The safes may contain Onyx, Memoria Fruits, and special consumables.

The contents of a safe disappear 5 minutes after it is opened.

Transmuter

Transmuter is an event that appears across all Inside Out areas.

At the event location, three Centrifuges can be found. They are activated using Onyx. After activation, a Centrifuge begins spinning for a certain period of time.

The spinning process has multiple levels: the higher the level, the better the rewards. However, higher levels require more Onyx and take longer to complete a full cycle.

In total, the full cycle requires 16 000 Onyx and 120 seconds.

All three Centrifuges can be activated at the same time.

As with regular installations, once the cycle is complete, the Centrifuge can be opened by any player in your squad, or by a random player if you have strayed too far.

The main currency of the event is Burnt Onyx. You can obtain it by processing regular Onyx in a Centrifuge. However, the output will be 10 times smaller.

The first cycles of the Centrifuge’s operation allow Glass to be extracted.

From the third spin cycle, you can get Inside Out artefacts from the Centrifuge.

• The highest rarity of artefacts that can be obtained from Transmuter events is Special for home locations and Rare for middle locations. At Forge-11, there is a chance to obtain Exceptional and Legendary artefacts.

From the fifth spin cycle of the Centrifuge at Forge-11, there is a chance of obtaining the blueprints for the Inverter pistol.

You need 100 blueprints to build an Inverter pistol. You can exchange them for a pistol at the season Exchanger.

You can sell extra parts to the Fence.

Inside Out artefacts

Inside Out artefacts can be found not only using Centrifuges, but also in the open world — in the Inside Out areas after eruption.

Maximum rarity of artefacts in the open world matches the maximum possible rarity at that location.

Inside Out artefacts are:

• Tiny key:
• Bubblegum;
• Egg;
• Bismuth;
• Dark Viburnum;
• Retina;
• Inside Out Rose;
• Raisin;
• Crystal of Inside Out;
• Tallow;
• Wicked Hedgehog.

A new Inside Out artefact has been discovered in the Zone — Wicked Hedgehog.

We will provide further details later regarding the fate of Rubik, another artefact from Inside Out, and how to obtain it.

Initial quest

The scientist Tae Minjoon has set up base at the factions’ headquarters, where he is engaged in studying the physical phenomena of the Zone. He will help you delve into the world of Inside Out, explain what Inside Out is, and assist you in studying this anomalous phenomenon.

You can complete the quest until the event ends.

Season Pass themed challenges

A new Inside Out Percolation tab has appeared in the open-world tasks section, containing the following tasks:

• Clearing out Phantom Camps;
• Clearing out Phantom Bases;
• Successful activation of the Centrifuge to maximum level.

Tasks in this category are always available, so there is no need to replace them.

Inside Out Percolation event shop

When you use Onyx to activate the Centrifuge, you receive Burnt Onyx — the currency used to purchase items from the event shop.

You can find it in the Events Hub, under the Inside Out Percolation tab.

Inside Out Percolation challenges

You can earn even more rewards by completing the event challenges.

You can find them in the Events Hub, under the Inside Out Percolation tab.

Inside Out Gift case

If, however, you prefer safer paths and risk isn’t your thing — you can obtain artefacts from Inside Out another way… In the twists! The Black hideout Baron on his leather sofa, surrounded by flasks containing various rare artefacts? Hold my whisky!

Aside from prestige and boosts, the particularly lucky may come across parts of the Inverter. Go for it!

Inside Out Percolation packs

For the most reckless adventurers, ready to face the other side, a pack has been prepared that might come in handy on the journey. Pack includes:

• 20 000 Burnt Onyx;
• 5 Season levels;
• 3 days Premium;
• 15 Overdrives.

The pack is available for purchase 15 times. Please note that the discount applies only to the first and second purchases.

Melted pack

For opportunists, we’ve prepared a starter pack to supply you with essential gear for the early days.

The set includes:

• 50 Overdrives;
• 3 days of Premium;
• 10 Strategic Reserve crates;
• Ducky paint set;
• ArcTech Bot charm.

The pack can be purchased twice.

Melted cosmetics

Melted cosmetics is now available in shop. Strong and resistant to the cold, Jotun shows you its deadly arsenal. Watch your hands until they’re frozen to the gun.

Melted Aesthete case

Bad weather is no excuse for not keeping up with the latest trends! Battle duck is leading a bunch of real thugs. Lead the raid by equipping your feisty duck — with its distinctive colour, available in a whole host of variations — with a stylish weapon! And a collection of new paints will help make it just that.

Hideout decorations

New decorations have been added for the most cautious recluses, which you can place in your punk lair. For those with a particularly vivid imagination, there’s a chance to stage unreal battles between combat ducks and a souped-up ArcTech Bot!

Profile designs

And for those who love to stand out and dazzle enemies with a last-flash spectacle, we’ve prepared sets for customizing your death card. Fierce Battle features an animated green flash sticker, while Tracks shows off a brightly highlighted gradient of a heavy tank tread!

Proximity voice chat

A new Location voice chat option called has appeared in the game settings.

Proximity chat allows you to communicate with nearby players who are not in your squad. Welcome travelers! Demoralise your enemies or show off your eloquence to the full!

Merging Home and Middle Locations

Faction home locations are merged with middle locations — Institute and Serpentine are merged with Mines, whilst Barrier and Temple Swamp are merged with Inflow. Although the areas around the faction bases are no longer separate locations, they have kept their names on the map. Part of the area near the passages from Mines and Inflow to Forge-11 has been updated. The corner passages to Forge-11 have been removed — it can now only be accessed from Mines and Inflow.

This change lays the groundwork for the development of fractional content.

Other changes

An influence radius has been added to outposts, which is displayed on the map when an outpost is captured. During firefights in this area, you earn points for participating in the capture. The area of direct influence on the capture remained unchanged. The angle strongholds at Forge-11 now belong to the nearest factions by default. The reward for clearing the outpost furthest from the faction has been increased by 50% (for example, the bottom-right one for the Mercenaries or the top-right one for Rise). The reward for clearing the northern, southern, western and eastern strongholds has been increased by 25% for the factions furthest away from them (for example, the northern stronghold for Rise and Covenant).

Burrows to the Arsenal workshop have been stabilised and are now located in the corners of Forge-11. It is now impossible to find them using the signal search function. Barkas reflex sight has been added to Arsenal’s assortment.

1000 level style

Rambo — M60E4 style

A unique style featuring special effects upon eliminating an enemy:

• Each player kill leaves a tally mark on the weapon;
• New kill sound effect;
• The camouflage netting smolders.

Wild North locations economy adjustments

Item stats changes

Wild North activities

Redistributed the ratio of rewards between items for sale and mutant parts for activities:

• Boars Rookery;
• Pigs Rookery.

The reward for clearing the Murmur Control Point now increases for each squad member participating in the event.

Changed the drop rates for the following items from mutants:

• Fiend Skin;
• Strong Fiend’s Head;
• Strong Fiend’s Claw;
• Strong Behemoth’s Eye;

However, the overall average revenue from the sale of items from mutants remained unchanged.

NPCs can now drop armour-piercing rounds, as well as medical items with a certain chance.

Other Wild North adjustments

Adjusted the spawn time and maximum number of active Anomalous Rift events in Stillwaters.

• All NPCs now use armour-piercing rounds instead of standard rounds.
• Vitality of all NPCs has been reduced by 8%.

Murmur anomalous structures event changes:

• Maximum number of NPCs in the activity: 5;
• Reduced durability of Anomalous energy structures.

Other

• Shader Precompilation setting has been added to the Performance section. It is disabled by default, but when enabled, it helps stabilise the FPS at the cost of increased loading times. It takes effect only after restarting the game. The effect is particularly noticeable after game updates or graphics card driver updates: the game may take 2–5 minutes longer to load, but this eliminates some of the freezes.
• Added display of the Arsenal Workshop icon at the top of the North Zone.
• Added a list of items accepted by Arsenal.
• Arsen’s item list is now updated at 5 AM server time.
• Added option to disable object dimming when marking an item as trash.
• Fixed the issue of sound overlapping when purchasing large quantities of goods from merchants.
• Added sound of doors opening. This sound is a temporary version, and work on it will continue.
• Fixed a bug where weapons without a shell ejection feature were playing the sound of a shell falling.
• Fixed endless duel challenge notifications.
• Fixed an issue where it was not possible to accept a Squad vs Squad match via a notification.
• Fixed incorrect processing of failure actions in certain notifications.
• Updated smoke grenade effect: the smoke grenade effect no longer disappears when you rejoin the game.
• The track on the Sea of Exclusion disc now matches the track in the mode.
• Azimut optical sight is now painted to match the colour of the weapon, just like other attachments.

Added reinforced NPC patrols:

• Groups of zombies wandering around for some time after the eruption at Mines, Forge-11, Inflow and home territories.
• In the home territories of factions, pursuing enemy players.
• Background patrols at Mines, Forge-11 and Inflow.

All told, this patch gives STALCRAFT: X a busier world, more ways to earn rewards, and a few quality-of-life fixes that should make the grind a little less messy. Tell us what you think in the comments, and if you want to keep up with more game updates, follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.