STALKER 2 Update Guide: Protect Your Saves & Mods (2025 Edition)

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STALKER 2 is an incredible but volatile experience, especially when it comes to title updates like Patch 1.4.2. If you've spent hours surviving the Zone, the last thing you want is to lose your progress or break your carefully installed mods. This guide will walk you through the safest way to update STALKER 2 while keeping your save files and mod configurations intact.

🔐 Why You Need to Back Up STALKER 2 Before Updating

Title updates often include mission bug fixes, balance changes, and even animation tweaks, but they can also reset settings or wipe out modded content. In some cases, players have lost progress due to corrupted saves or Steam Cloud conflicts.

Avoid the heartache with this step-by-step safety plan.

🗂️ Step 1: Locate Your Save Files

For Steam Users:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Stalker2\Saved\Steam\SaveGames

For Game Pass Users:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Packages\GSCGameWorld.S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2HeartofChernobyl_6fr1t1rwfarwt\SystemAppData\wgs\<random_string>\SaveGames

Note: You may need to enable "Hidden items" in File Explorer to see the AppData folder.

STALKER 2 Update Guide
📁 Step 2: Back Up Your Save Files

  • Copy the entire SaveGames folder to a secure location.

  • Make sure to include CampaignsSave.sav, which links your save slots. Without it, your saves might not appear correctly.

  • Store your backup on an external drive or cloud service like OneDrive or Google Drive for extra safety.

📚 Step 3: Back Up Your Mods

Mods are typically installed in the following directory:

<Your STALKER 2 Install Folder>\Stalker2\Content\Paks\~mods

  • Copy the entire ~mods folder to a safe backup location.

  • If you modified any .ini files, back up this config folder too:

%localappdata%\Stalker2\Saved\Config\Windows

Some game updates or file integrity checks can wipe these configurations. Don’t skip this step!

❌ Step 4: Disable Steam Cloud Temporarily

To avoid syncing corrupted or overwritten save data:

  1. Right-click on STALKER 2 in your Steam Library.

  2. Select Properties > General.

  3. Uncheck "Keep games saves in the Steam Cloud for STALKER 2."

This prevents potential overwriting of your local saves post-update.

📆 Step 5: Install the Update

With all your files backed up:

  • Proceed to update the game via Steam, Game Pass, or Epic.

  • Let the patch install completely before launching the game.

  • Avoid verifying game files if you're using mods unless necessary.

⚡ What to Do If Things Break

If your saves or mods stop working after updating:

Restore Saves

  • Copy your backed-up saves and CampaignsSave.sav back into the original folder.

  • Relaunch the game to see if your progress is restored.

Restore Mods

  • Replace the ~mods folder with your backup copy.

  • Reapply any .ini tweaks you saved.

Bonus Tip:

If saves still won’t load, create a new game, then overwrite the new save with your backup (keeping the filename intact).

🚀 Keep Exploring the Zone

Regular backups are the best way to protect your STALKER 2 experience. With patches like 1.4.2 fixing major quest bugs and tweaking game balance, it’s worth updating—just do it the safe way. Now that you know how to protect your files, dive back in and survive the Zone without setbacks.

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