Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been out for a while, and so far, the experience has not entirely been smooth. While some are not able to save the game, others who were able to do so have found their saves to be corrupted. Since you clicked on this guide, you clearly are facing the latter issue. So, is there a way to get your progress back? Here we are with all the answers.
In Stalker 2, the “Corrupt Save” issue is preventing many like yourself from progressing, as both auto and manual saves fail to work. Without the ability to save and be forced to start all over again, the game can soon feel like a chore, and many might even drop it entirely. But before you do so, check out some of the fixes that we will go over, which just might come in handy.
Stalker 2 Heart of Chornobyl Corrupted Save Issue: How to fix
So far, there has been no official acknowledgment, not at least during the time of writing this guide, regarding this matter. Still, the community has come together to suggest some potential fixes that just might do the trick. Also, we will be skipping over the generic troubleshooting steps like restarting the game, verifying files, etc., as they haven’t been effective so far. Anyway, here are those workarounds that have been effective.
Steam Cloud fix
A potential workaround is to delete the corrupted save files from your local save folder and then redownload them from the Steam Cloud. This could potentially restore your progress, as the Steam Cloud may have a more recent, uncorrupted version of your save. Players who have encountered repeated corruption have found that deleting and redownloading the saves this way can temporarily fix the problem and allow them to continue playing.
Auto saving?
According to reports, for some players, the issue with corrupted saves seems to stem from quick and auto saves. So, the workaround here is to prevent saving again until you have manually deleted the corrupted saved files of the game from the save file location. Once the corrupted files are removed, manual saves can be used again without issue. All in all, you are taking matters into your own hands and saving the game manually.
Hex Editor fix
This one is a bit more complicated and involves a series of steps. To make it easier to follow, we have broken down the steps of this workaround below.
- To prevent Steam from automatically syncing your game files, go into the Steam settings and disable Steam Cloud for Stalker 2.
- Next, navigate to the save file location: C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME\AppData\Local\Stalker2\Saved\STEAM\SaveGames\Data.
- In this folder, you should see your lost saves. Copy all of the saved files and move them to a separate folder to keep them safe while you troubleshoot.
- Now, delete the entire Stalker2 folder in C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME\AppData\Local.
- Launch Stalker 2 and start a new game. Skip any cutscenes to get past the intro quickly.
- Once you’re in the game, make a fresh save by saving manually. Afterward, close the game entirely.
- Again, head back to the save games/data folder mentioned earlier, where your new save is located.
- Find the newly created save and copy its name, as you’ll need it for the next steps.
- To edit your old, corrupted save files, you’ll need a hex editor. You can download one for free or use another online hex editor if you prefer.
- Using the hex editor, open one of your lost or corrupted save files. Check if the save is indeed broken. If the file is unreadable, move to the next available file.
- Once you’ve confirmed which file is corrupted, take the previously working save (from Step 8), and do not make any edits to it. Use the “Save as” option in the hex editor to save it with the same name as the new save you created earlier.
- Move the newly saved file with the corrected name back into the \SaveGames\Data directory.
- Now, launch Stalker 2 and try to load your save. If you’ve followed everything correctly, the game should load the save without any issues.
While doing all of this, do not change the names of the saved files manually. You need to use the hex editor and ensure that the name matches your new save file.
Check for updates
Even after all the generic and effective workarounds, if you are still facing this issue, the only option you have left is to wait for an official fix. Given that the game currently has a number of bugs and issues, the developers may release a patch to address these problems, including saving game issues. Keep an eye out for future updates and keep the game updated at all times.
Start a new save
Well, if none of the workarounds have been of help, then the only thing you can do is start a new save. In the majority of cases, corrupted save files cannot be fixed, so starting from scratch might be the only solution.
Anyway, those are some workarounds that should help you with the corrupted save issue in Stalker 2. But keep in mind, that save issues are present in the game right now. So, it may be worthwhile to check out our guide on the “unable to save” issues and perhaps try and apply some of the workarounds mentioned there. Anyway, we hope you found all of this informative, and do stay in the loop with DigiStatement for more gaming content like this.
