Stalcraft: X continues to evolve with its recent patch notes, dated 26.02.2025, bringing tons of changes to the game. The developers have focused on improving the matchmaking system and network stability, making it an excellent time for players to hop back into the game.
The first significant change is in the matchmaking system. Previously, players had to calibrate their ranks gradually, but that’s no longer the case. Now, when you equip more powerful gear in the open world, you will immediately be matched directly with servers that reflect your strength. This means less waiting around for calibration and more action!
Removed Calibration
This update eliminates the need for calibration:
- No longer will inexperienced players sport Master rank gear while lingering at lower difficulty levels—this should help level the playing field.
- The matchmaking still follows a progression; players can only move up in power as they play.
- The difficulty spikes occur only when entering open world environments, so don’t fret about your Session Battles or Hideout gear affecting your matchmaking.
Changes in the Boundaries of the Matchmaking Levels
The limits on player power across different difficulties have been refined. With these adjustments:
- You’ll find opponents who match your power even more closely than before.
- For example, previously if you were in a Voshod/Thug suit armed with an AKM, your highest challenge would be someone with a worn Mule/Ace suit equipped with an AK-203 (stock and no artefacts).
- Now, you’re looking at facing off against those wielding a Samson/Trump +4 along with an AK-103 +4 (without any artefacts).
Change in Impact of Success in PVP on Matchmaking
The influence of PvP success has also shifted:
- This adjustment aims to protect newbies from being overwhelmed by experienced players early on—an important consideration for maintaining fair competition.
- As players progress into middle stages like Stalkers at Pervomaisky Factory location and beyond, this PvP impact diminishes.
An additional noteworthy enhancement is related to the network protocol. The game has transitioned from TCP to a new protocol based on UDP:
This new approach offers opportunities for net code improvement and enhances game stability amid latency fluctuations and packet loss issues.
This transition is currently in test mode but can be toggled within your game settings under Performance options. Just make sure you check it out!
The recent open testing conducted from February 13th to 16th in the RU region helped identify essential factors needed for ensuring smooth operation of this new protocol. It’s interesting times ahead!
If you’d like to read more details about these changes directly from the source, visit this link.
There’s something gratifying about seeing developers actively improve mechanics based on community feedback—changes like these make diving back into Starcraft: X a delightful prospect! What are your thoughts on these updates? Have you noticed improvements during gameplay?
