Continuing on from its predecessor left off, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl supports mods, giving fans the opportunity to download and install the best community-made content.
It’s early days, but Stalker 2 looks to be a fairly well received game, with many players checking it out on both PC and Xbox Series X/S. However, it isn’t perfect, with performance issues and missing features like multiplayer being key areas where improvements are needed.
Developer GSC Game World will be releasing patches to improve these issues, but one studio’s efforts pale in comparison to an entire community. That’s where mods come in, and these are the best mods to download in Stalker 2, as well as how to install them.
Best gameplay mods in Stalker 2
PhotoMode and Console Enabler
You may have noticed that the vanilla version of Stalker 2 does not have console commands. This means that you can’t use the console to tweak things on the fly, spawn items, or activate god mode. There’s no doubt that console commands are extremely useful in just about any game, and with this mod you can get them in Stalker 2.
The PhotoMode and Console Enabler mod allows you to open up the game’s console by pressing the tilde key (~). From here, you can enter commands to edit the game and its world as you wish. It also includes a PhotoMode for taking screenshots of anything interesting you see during your time in Chornobyl.
bulletTime for Stalker 2
This one is a fun mod that lets you experience what Chornobyl has to offer in a whole different way. Acting as a speed mod that can slow down gameplay by 20% or 50%, bulletTime for Stalker 2 does just what it says – adds a Max Payne-style bullet time mechanic to the game.
To use this mod, all you have to do is press Mouse Side Key 2 to slow down gameplay and Mouse Side Key 1 to return it back to normal. It’s simple yet a lot of fun, letting you unleash your silly side and watch slow-motion action of your best plays and epic gunfights.
Unlimited Carry Weight
Carry weight limits are a popular mechanic in open-world games these days, and Stalker 2 is no exception. Approaching and hitting the game’s 80 kg carry weight limit will impact your sprinting, jumping, and melee, making them all cost more stamina. This can be increased by upgrading your gear, but not everyone want to be limited in the first place.
If this sounds like you, the Unlimited Carry Weight mod is a must. It allows you to have infinite carry weight by making your items weigh practically nothing. The downside is that this is a somewhat clumsy solution that comes in the form of a Cheat Engine table. However, it still works and is a decent option until a more sophisticated mod is released.
Grok’s less tanky Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists
Stalker 2 has some extremely tanky enemies, with Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists being among the hardest to kill. Taking down these powerful enemies requires a lot of rounds and grenades, and even then it is going to be tough.
If you don’t enjoy this challenge and feel as though these enemies aren’t particularly well balanced, Grok’s less tanky Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists fixes this by cutting their HP by 75%. This makes killing them far easier, saving you from wasting ammunition, equipment, and time.
Best performance mod in Stalker 2
Optimized Tweaks S.2
Unfortunately, Stalker 2 launched with some performance issues, which can negatively affect your experience. We’re sure that GSC Game World will release a patch in the future to address this, but in the meantime, you’ll want to lean on the community instead.
The Optimized Tweaks S.2 mod is your best bet right now, as it does a great job of reducing stutter and latency while also boosting FPS. The mod does this by raising both CPU and GPU efficiency, allowing Stalker 2 to make the most of your hardware. For most people, Optimized Tweaks S.2 will make your game run better, so there’s reason not to install it.
Best graphics mod in Stalker 2
Natural Colors Chernobyl
By default, Stalker 2 features a yellowish tint that intends to deliver a gloomy atmosphere fitting of its world. This is great if you like how it looks, but can detract from the game’s beauty for those who don’t appreciate it.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
You can fix this by using the Natural Colors Chernobyl mod, which reduces this filter considerably while also making most of the game’s colors more naturalistic. Effectively, this graphics mod makes Stalker’s version of Ukraine look more like its real-world counterpart, mutants aside.
How to download & install Stalker 2 mods
The process of installing mods in Stalker 2 will vary depending on what mod you want to install. Even so, every mod has a few steps in common that you’ll want to follow to make sure everything works as intended.
Downloading mods
To download mods, all you have to do is navigate to the Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl mod page on Nexus Mods and find whatever mod you want to install, with mods being split up into various categories, including Popular (All Time), New This Week, and Latest.
After finding your desired mod, select it and then click the ‘Download: Manual’ button on the top right of the mod page. This will download the mod files and allow you to install them.
You will need to create a Nexus Mods account to do this. However, it’s well worth doing, as Nexus is the home of PC modding and a place you are sure to return to if you intend to install more Stalker 2 mods.
Installing mods
The process of installing each mod will differ, but most have one thing in common. You will first need to find your Stalker 2 install folder and place the mod’s contents in it. By default, this will be located in the following folders for both Steam and Game Pass:
- Steam: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl\Stalker2\Content\Paks\mods
- Game Pass: C:/XboxGames/S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl\Stalker2\Content\Paks\mods
Unfortunately, there is no standardized method of installing mods, as Stalker 2’s modding community is still in its infancy. While some games offer an in-game mod browser or support third-party tools that streamline the process, neither of those are available yet.
For more specific instructions on how to install each mod, you’ll need to check the mod page on Nexus Mods. Every mod on the platform will have install instructions listed in its description, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out how to install them.
Are mods available on Xbox?
As of launch, Stalker 2 mods are not available on Xbox Series X/S, but they will be coming sometime in the future.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Times Gaming, GSC Game World’s technical producer Yevhenii Kulyk revealed, “We are bringing the mods to console, so they will be available on Xbox as well as PC.”
However, he didn’t provide any further insight on when fans can expect this feature to be added. Also, it is currently unclear what form it will take, but some kind of Mod.io integration seems most likely, with this system being used by other games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Ready or Not, and SnowRunner.
If you’re interested in checking out more games that have great mod support, we’ve also listed the best mods for The Sims 4 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Be sure to check these out to make sure you are getting the best experience possible.