STALCRAFT: X is inviting players to tell their own stories from the Zone in a new video contest. Submissions are open now and will remain available until August 31, 2026, with separate categories for short clips and longer cinematic creations.
According to the official Steam announcement, participants can submit either a vertical video made for TikTok or YouTube Shorts, or a cinematic running between one and five minutes. Players can enter both categories if they have more than one idea to share.
Photo Mode is the star of the show
The contest is built around Photo Mode (F4). Creators can use its camera controls, try out 12 built-in filters, and enable Light Sources to frame scenes across the Zone.
The event leaves the creative direction wide open. Entries can focus on action, horror, Lo-Fi visuals, memes, drama, or the quieter atmosphere hiding between firefights and anomalies. That gives players plenty of room to make the Zone look cinematic, strange, funny, or all three at once.
Longer cinematics will be judged by a jury, with the best entries receiving exclusive rewards. Short clips will instead earn prizes by reaching view milestones. The announcement does not list the specific rewards in the Steam post, but the full contest rules and reward details are available on Reddit.
Players planning to participate should capture their footage before the August 31 deadline and submit it according to the rules. The event is also using the #szfragments hashtag for entries.
Will you make a tense cinematic, a chaotic short, or something much stranger? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Stalcraft: X
Developed by EXBO
