The highly anticipated first-person action game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 from GSC Game World will launch on November 20. It will be available on Xbox Game Pass, and console users can already download it.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Pre-Loading on Xbox

Development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 recently wrapped up for Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PC, and Steam Deck, despite GSC’s delays due to the war in Ukraine and Russia and a fire incident. Now, the preload is available—and it’s massive.

The new game from GSC Game World has been eagerly awaited by fans, but it seems that this first-person shooter sequel to Stalker isn’t coming alone on November 20.

It’s likely that new releases from Xbox Game Studios will make a statement, with this post-apocalyptic adventure in Chernobyl taking the lead. Just days after announcing that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl had gone Gold, the developers enabled the game’s preload on Microsoft consoles…with a few surprises.

Those planning to have the open-world, survival horror adventure ready to play should make sure they have PLENTY of free storage space.

As reported by Pure Xbox, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 requires at least 147.6 GB of free space on Xbox Series X|S—a substantial part of the storage on the white digital console. The good news for those who haven’t purchased S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 or don’t have Game Pass is that the game can still be downloaded through the Xbox mobile app.

It’s simple: just search for it and select “Download to Console,” though many users will likely take advantage of its Xbox Game Pass debut.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Preload Now Active on Xbox Series X|S

We’ve mentioned that the game arrives on the current-gen consoles by Microsoft, running at around 35 FPS on Xbox Series S, with “room for optimization.”

Shortly after, the developers hinted that they believe it’s possible to reach 60 FPS on Xbox Series S with extensive optimization, though it’s unclear if this has been achieved.

It seems the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 preload is already active on Xbox Series X|S, but it’s recommended to clear some internal storage space on the console before downloading.

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For more Fextralife news, be sure to check out S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl – The Best Sequel This Year? and also Arcane Becomes The Most Expensive Animated Series in History