Can you change the difficulty in Stalker 2?

The release of Stalker 2 marks the return of the acclaimed first-person shooter survival horror series and the first since 2009's Stalker: Call of Pripyat. Being the first game in the franchise in over 15 years, the title faced countless delays and interruptions prior to finally releasing globally on PC and Xbox Series X/S on November 20, 2024.

With that said, a key question that may be asked is whether the game allows for difficulty levels to be changed during the course of gameplay. The answer to that is yes, the game's difficulty can be changed at any time. Below are the various difficulty modes, and the steps to change the difficulty.

Also read: Do you need to play Stalker 1 before playing Stalker 2?

Stalker 2 allows for changing the game difficulty at any time

The game features three difficulty levels, namely Rookie, Stalker, and Veteran. As is the norm, Rookie is for players who are new to gaming or are experiencing the Stalker series for the first time. This is for those who simply wish to play through the campaign without too many obstacles in their way.

Stalker is considered the "normal" mode and makes fights more challenging. This is recommended for those familiar with the gameplay mechanics of the series.

Lastly, Veteran will hide HUD elements and on-screen assistive displays, making relatively simple tasks, such as ammunition management, a real challenge.

Change the difficulty at any time by heading to the game's options menu and choosing the preferred difficulty mode (Image via GSC Game World/Steam)

As for changing the difficulty mode, head over to the game's options at any time to switch the difficulty mode to any of your preferred choices.

The title is currently only available for purchase on PCs and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Additionally, the game is also available on Microsoft's Game Pass Ultimate, though there seem to be no plans of bringing it over to Sony's PlayStation 5 or the Nintendo Switch in the near future.