How to install mods in Stalker 2

For many players, no matter the title, the base game is only half the fun. If there’s modding involved, players love to customize and tinker with their games. Stalker 2 offers mod-friendly options right out of the box. With that, it didn’t take long for modders to seize the opportunity and play around with values, settings, and other ways to change the game. So if you’re on your second, third, or whichever playthrough, you might want to sprinkle in a few mods to change up the game. We’ll explain how to add and install mods in Stalker 2.

How to install Stalker 2 mods

You find and install Stalker 2 mods mainly through two popular mod sites at the moment – ModDB and NexusMods. The Steam Workshop has not yet been enabled for Stalker 2 as of the time of writing. We’ll go through how to download and install mods in both instances.

ModDB

You can find several Stalker 2 mods on ModDB. Most can be found through the site’s various tabs, such as Mods, Addons, and Files. Pick out a mod that you like, and read through the description. If you’re happy with it, click on the Download button on the right side of the screen. Some mods may have special instructions on how to install them, so make sure to read through them. If not, they usually follow the same steps:

• Download the mod file and unpack it. Stalker 2 mods usually have .pak extensions.
• Go to the Stalker 2 installation folder and follow this path: Stalker2\Content\Paks\~mods
• If the ~mods folder doesn’t exist inside Paks, feel free to create one yourself.
• Copy the downloaded .pak files into this folder.

NexusMods

There are a bunch of different mods for Stalker 2 on NexusMods.You can sort them by new, popular, etc, or use the search function if you know what you’re looking for. In any case, after selecting the mod you like, you can download it manually by clicking the mod page, and going to the Files tab. There, select the Manual Download button. Some mods will have specific instructions on how to install, but they usually follow the same steps:

• Download the mod file and unpack it. Stalker 2 mods usually have .pak extensions.
• Go to the Stalker 2 installation folder and follow this path: Stalker2\Content\Paks\~mods
• If the ~mods folder doesn’t exist inside Paks, feel free to create one yourself.
• Copy the downloaded .pak files into this folder.

NexusMods also offers a different way to install the mods. You can download and install mods through their Mod Manager app. You will have to download the Vortex Mod Manager first, in case you don’t have it already. Then, instead of clicking the Manual Download button, click the Mod Manager Download button instead. This will handle the download and installation automatically for you.

With that, you’re ready to browse and download mods for Stalker 2. If you’re just starting on your journey into the Zone, check out our beginner tips and tricks. Also, learn how to fend off those pesky invisible mutants.