S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is back in the spotlight with its 1.5 Patch, offering a mix of tweaks and bug fixes. But it’s the first phase of the Zone Kit – the modding tool for the game – that’s grabbing most of the attention. This is the tool that promises to let you shape the Zone to your will, allowing for custom animations, weapons, mechanics, and even whole new experiences. 
Sounds like a modder’s dream come true, right?
There’s just one major catch: to get started, you’re going to need a whole lot of space. We’re talking about a whopping 700GB to store the modding tool itself, on top of the 160GB required just to run the base game. If you’re all in on mods, you’d better clear some room on your hard drive first.
So why does it take up so much space? According to GSC Game World, the reason is their collaboration with the modding community. The devs are providing uncompressed game assets for modders to use. These original assets, while awesome for modding, also make the kit massive in size. GSC has acknowledged this, but they’re hoping to optimize things in the future. ‘The size of the mod kit is a result of the in-game assets being uncompressed for the mod makers,’ the company explained. ‘It’s a big game, and the assets are many, which contributes to the considerable size of the download.’
This first phase of the Zone Kit is already packed with features, but there’s more to come. GSC’s community representative recently mentioned that Phase 2 will bring even more functionality, allowing modders to do even more with the Zone. While it’s a lot to take in right now, the team seems committed to developing the tool alongside the modding community, so it’ll be exciting to see how things evolve.
Even with all the technical hurdles and the hefty file size, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 remains a unique and immersive experience. The game itself has received praise for its atmosphere and brutal gameplay, even if the modding community is left to contend with some serious space issues. It’s not perfect, but the future looks bright for fans and modders alike.