Mods and built-in rules are different
GSC’s support article states that playing a modded version disables achievements. Built-in Custom Rules are a separate category.
The source does not establish whether removing mods repairs an existing save.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — Heart of Chornobyl & Cost of Hope
START HERE
Start walkthroughHazard Pay Not Included
The job description did mention a few unusual conditions.
Guide toolsPlans, chapters, reading help & progress
Difficulty & story preferencesOptional · decide as you play · outcome spoilers stay closed
YOUR RUN, YOUR DECISIONS
Go to playstyles ↓Set your own direction
Build, difficulty and story goals are separate. Optional notes and ending preferences may stay blank.
Game settings
Record the difficulty shown in your game. Note save restrictions separately, along with your playthrough and installed expansions.
These controls record your game and guide preferences. Change actual game settings in the game.
Choose expedition equipment independently from faction outcomes
Choose your equipment and expedition priorities. Story allegiances have their own decisions and prerequisites; reveal those spoilers only when you want to plan ahead.
Combine these priorities freely. They record your priorities. Story decisions remain available at their quests; these notes do not mark achievements earned.
Rules, recommendations and what is still uncertain
Checked 10 October 2026. These notes review selected claims that affect a run; they do not certify every walkthrough step or your save.
Manual saves can be enabled permanently
Stories Untold lets Master and Expedition playthroughs opt into manual and quick saves after starting. The choice is permanent for that playthrough and changes its pause-menu status.
The update does not specify the achievement consequences of that opt-in.
Changes save with this playthrough and travel in its progress backup.
Choose an equipment & survival approachSuggested plan: Field Stalker: Rifle and Shotgun
Find a style that fits your priorities
Choose weapons, ammunition, armor and supplies for the next expedition. There is no RPG class selection; gear can be swapped, but upgrades, repairs and compatible technicians make changing a mature kit expensive.
Reorder the comparison without changing your game settings or story preferences.
Common supplies and complementary weapon roles
Field Stalker: Rifle and Shotgun
Carry a dependable rifle for human encounters and a loaded shotgun for threats that collapse the distance, with enough room and supplies to return safely. The opening starts with ordinary working gear and repair discipline. Later protection improves the margin for error, but condition, ammunition and a retreat route remain more useful than hauling every interesting gun home.
Learning curveApproachable
Two clear weapon roles simplify inventory decisions; supply and weight management remain necessary.
Choose this when you wantFirst campaign reliability · Common ammunition and easy servicing · Learning human and mutant roles
Reconsider if: Collecting every gun in the active kit; Treating armor as a substitute for cover.
What you actually do
A practical rhythm, from preparation to payoff.
1
Fight from cover
Use brief aimed rifle shots against visible humans, reload behind cover and keep the loaded shotgun ready. Change weapons before a charging threat removes the intended distance.
2
Return serviceable
Monitor condition and carrying weight, keep a retreat path and return before the repair/ammunition reserve is exhausted. Store surplus equipment instead of turning every trip into an overload march.
Illustrative play example
Illustrative encounter
Illustrative expedition: you approach a human patrol from cover and use short rifle bursts, then reload out of sight. A mutant closes from another direction, so the already-loaded shotgun takes over while you move toward the retreat path. After the encounter, damaged gear and limited carrying space determine what returns to storage. This example illustrates a coherent kit; it is not a tested no-death route or a promise that ordinary armor defeats every ambush.
Your progression path
Read in order. Each stage explains what makes the next step practical.
1Opening
Working rifle and shotgun
Keep a functional ordinary rifle, shotgun and sensible medical reserve. Use repairs and needed ammunition before marginal upgrades. The threshold is a complete next-mission kit with room for useful loot and enough mobility to return, not three different guns competing for the same job.
2First payoff
Condition and practical protection
Improve useful reliability, aiming or defensive properties on equipment you can maintain. Add appropriate psi protection when the route calls for it. Keep ammunition roles distinct and return to service before wear makes the next encounter unreliable or repairs consume the entire expedition reward.
3Mature
Mobile late outfit
When a compatible protective suit and its mobility upgrades are available, evaluate them against weight and repair cost. Keep both weapon roles supplied. Late equipment is an earned survival improvement, while rare artifacts remain optional additions whose radiation must be managed explicitly.
Guide progression diagram — an authored explanation, not an official skill tree or measured ranking.
Strengths, tradeoffs & requirements
Strengths
- Clear human/close-threat coverage
- Useful with ordinary gear
- Supply discipline scales throughout campaign
Tradeoffs
- Two ammo pools take weight
- Repairs consume expedition income
- Ambushes still punish poor positioning
Plan around these requirements
- Working rifle/shotgun and compatible ammunition
- Repair funds and technician access
- Medical and anti-radiation supplies
- Route-appropriate armor and carrying reserve
Preparation kit
The supporting roles that make this style work.
Rifle
Handles visible medium-range human threats.
Loaded shotgun
Covers close mutants and sudden approaches.
Medicine and repair reserve
Keep the next leg of the expedition practical.
What to prioritize
- Stock common ammunition before new guns
- Surface condition and repair stops
- Choose protection and weight for the next mission
Can you change your mind? Swap equipment at storage and buy compatible upgrades from eligible technicians. There is no class respec. A different caliber, heavier suit or specialized detector changes ammunition, repair and carrying costs, so prepare the whole expedition kit before switching.
Practical synthesis of the linked mechanics and recommendations. Not an in-game tested run; equipment gates and installed tooltips take precedence over fixed shopping lists.
Version context: PC 2.0.6, released 18 September 2026, is the latest numbered official patch found on 10 October. Its notes cover crashes, not a new weapon ranking. Cost of Hope gear is optional; these loadouts have base-game paths. Mod changes are outside this audit.
Research and recommendation basis · 4 references
Distinct, documented approaches selected for useful goals and practical progression. Recommendations are source-based; no comparable current-patch benchmark or universal best claim is available.
- officialGSC official Steam news: 2.0 and 2.0.6Update 2.0/free-content distinction, Cost of Hope availability and latest visible hotfix.Checked 2026-10-10
- specialistPixel Twelve: Weapons by role, current Update 2.0 guideKharod, Ram-2 and SVDM-2 role recommendations; ammunition, attachments, condition and two-role loadout.Checked 2026-10-10
- specialistGame Truth: Anomalies and artifact hunting, October 6Bolts, detector roles, safe paths and artifact expedition preparation.Checked 2026-10-10
- officialGSC: official 2.0.6 announcementSeptember 18 patch fixes AMD GPU and other crashes; does not announce a weapon rebalance.Checked 2026-10-10
Reading help & find my place Full walkthrough
Extra guidance adds smaller actions and local checks where available. Compact reduces spacing and cover size; it keeps the full instructions, warnings and choices. Quiet backgrounds reduce decoration. These options change the guide, not the game’s difficulty.
Dotted item names have quick details. Hover with a mouse, tap, or focus the name and press Enter. Stats stay in a small pop-up.
New to guides? Six useful terms
- Build or play style
- The skills, equipment or management priorities you choose to work together. Use the guide’s selection to get the matching advice.
- Prerequisite
- Something you must already have or finish before an instruction works. Read these before spending resources or travelling.
- Missable
- A reward or event that can become unavailable after a choice or deadline. The local note explains the particular restriction.
- Checkpoint
- A pause to check your result. A guide checkbox records your observation; it does not save the game or award an achievement.
- Optional branch
- A different outcome or side activity. You do not have to complete mutually exclusive paths in one playthrough.
- Guide backup
- An exported copy of your guide progress. Keep any game saves separately using the options available in that game and difficulty.
Returning player: find your section · titles may contain spoilers
Jumping changes your bookmark; it never marks earlier steps complete. Build and outcome choices stay in your current playthrough.
Browse the full guide
Search instructions, selected-build advice, choices and achievements. Outcome details stay collapsed.
Equipment, route records & references
Base story and four endings, Cost of Hope and major optional stories with equipment progression and 76 achievement entries. Flash Royal requires the companion atlas for all 77 drive locations. Outcome comparisons contain spoilers and start closed.
Campaign records, inventory & recovery tools
YOUR PLAYTHROUGH
Download interactive guidesContinue playing
First playthrough · Field Stalker · forgiving rifle and shotgun
YOUR BOOKMARK
New-game plan, survival rules and ending saves
Next small tasks
- Choose New Game and the full base-campaign opening. Read the difficulty description before confirming. There is no character creator or skill-tree selection to complete before Skif’s introduction.
Playthrough profiles and portable progress
Each profile keeps its own build, actual outcomes, equipment and checklists. Up to eight profiles per game.
Use the guide’s progress backup to transfer all profiles between the website and offline copies. The website stores signed-in progress. Downloads keep a separate browser record.
Your actual character, equipment or settlement
Record only information that affects your next decision. Blank fields mean unknown. These entries describe your game and never change it.
Record actual weapon/suit condition, ammunition types, carried load and artifact protection before a long mission. A named weapon that is broken or unsupplied is not a practical upgrade.
Keep current allegiance and ending decisions separate from the planned branch. Preserve the earlier campaign save before the one-way finale.
Treat artifact locations and equipment leads under the source guide’s limits; the journal does not inspect spawned loot or guarantee a rare roll.
Equipment and resources for this plan
An early rifle lead to pair with a working close-range gun.
Alternative and sources
Keep a repairable current rifle with affordable ammunition; do not replace it just for a nominal damage number.
OZK Explorer
An early suit pickup to compare against actual worn protection.
Alternative and sources
Repair and use the current suit while following the next armor lead; compare condition as well as base stats.
/ SEVA-I
Midgame protection options on the guide’s equipment route.
Alternative and sources
Keep the best maintained current suit and delay dangerous psi-heavy detours until appropriate protection is available.
A close-range shotgun upgrade with more than one documented acquisition lead.
Alternative and sources
Use a repaired TOZ-34/M860 or your dependable current shotgun while checking the Yantar/Nimble leads.
A story-reward detector on the research and anomaly route.
Alternative and sources
Use the detector you already own and postpone collections that depend on later tools.
Diamond suit and mobility upgrade
A late defensive option whose movement upgrade is part of the actual fitting plan.
Alternative and sources
Keep the serviced mobile suit until the technician and upgrade are ready; extra weight can negate the practical benefit.
Installed lead-container protection
Artifact radiation must be managed by the actual equipped layout.
Alternative and sources
Remove an unsafe artifact and use ordinary safe endurance/radiation support; rare Thunderberry/Liquid Rock are optional upgrades.
Readiness and recovery checks
Use these checks before moving to harder content or expanding. They are manual observations, separate from platform achievements.
Recover a missed weapon pickup
Use the maintained rifle/shotgun bridge and check the alternative source at this equipment stop. Do not force a story allegiance solely to replace a usable gun.
Recover a resource-starved expedition
Return to the serviced route, reduce redundant ammunition types and protect the repair budget before another long assault.
Recover an incompatible ending path
Compare the actual recorded choices with the local ending requirements. Continue that path or use a matching earlier save; a planned-ending change cannot rewrite faction decisions.
Evidence, coverage and changes in this edition
What was checked
76 achievement entries match the public Steam count. Checked 2026-10-09. View the platform catalog
Steam metadata confirms Cost of Hope released August 20 and the 76-entry roster. Official 2.0.6 notes address crashes; no progression redesign is announced by that hotfix.
Achievement names and counts were compared with public Steam records. Quest outcomes and hardest-difficulty builds were sampled from sources, not validated by a completed playthrough.
Authored coaching synthesized from this guide's existing route, builds and source bibliography. This date records the data/anchor review, not fresh verification of every linked page or hands-on gameplay. Facts are entered manually; recommendations do not read the game save, certify achievement unlocks, or cover every possible state. Existing coverage limits: Flash Royal is mapped with its critical early pickup warning, regional audit and a current companion reference. All 77 individual flash-drive stash micro-routes are not reproduced or independently rechecked here; do not present this package as an exhaustive standalone blueprint atlas. The guide covers main stories, important optional chains, achievements and selected unique equipment. It does not claim every incidental A-Life encounter, every base-game unique weapon/armor or every ordinary stash. Two published Cost of Hope references disagree on SWYD-West's optional safe code (3546 versus 3456); the local stop tells the reader to verify the room/PDA clue. Translated Flare quest-item names also vary; retain quest items and follow the actual PDA request. Some Cost of Hope post-story jobs are covered by start/faction reward and objective sequence rather than every room and enemy placement. Dynamic world fights and named NPC pathing can vary. Deluxe/Ultimate journalist equipment is optional ownership content, not required by these builds. The package does not assume the player owns those packs or enumerate every pack-specific stash. No game screenshots or map panels are fabricated. Verified location references are linked where text cannot uniquely identify an unnamed site. No gameplay run, installation/version inspection, save modification or unlock test was performed. A mapped achievement is a researched acquisition path, not proof it has triggered on the user's current save. The advanced loadouts are researched for the 2.0 era, not personally benchmarked on Master/Expedition. One detailed equipment source explicitly played Veteran; its high-difficulty guarantees are not assumed. Static damage bars, repair prices, rare artifact spawns and early rush routes are not guarantees. [V702]
Coaching review: 2026-10-09 · Limited verification. Guide checks do not claim a personal completion playthrough.
- Actual outcomes are separate from intended outcomes.
- Named profiles preserve separate campaigns.
- Stable task checkpoints preserve existing completion records.
- Online and offline editions share the same interface.
Steam — official 76-achievement roster
GSC Game World — Cost of Hope release
Gamepressure — base achievement conditions (2025, not current roster size)
Game8 — base story and side-quest choices
VGTimes — Cost of Hope safes and codes
STALKER 2: Behind Seven Seals - gamepressure.com
STALKER 2: A Needle in a Haystack - gamepressure.com
STALKER 2: Back on the Slag Heap - gamepressure.com
PC Gamer — unique weapon acquisition
GSC support — Miracle Hoarder trigger issue
Steam community — Flash Royal routes updated for 2.0
Neooenone — current artifact checklist and DLC separation
Community unique-equipment location catalog (cross-checked at relevant quest sources)
Gamepressure — In Search of Past Glory
Gamepressure — Dangerous Liaisons
Gamepressure — Escape from the Cage
Player Atlas — Cost of Hope faction endings
Arch-artifact puzzle locations
Saiga D-12 fixed pickup and Nimble's dropped gun
Exoskeleton sprint upgrades and technicians
Combatant reward depends on prior Ward relations
Community player route revised for 2.0.x — equipment, repair costs and pickup pictures
Game8 — Kharod dam pickup, attachments and Harpy upgrades
Recent community artifact combinations and armour-dependent Compass use
Weapons, suit and artifact plan
Choose a maintained rifle/shotgun kit, precision loadout, anomaly expedition kit or advanced assault setup. Progress comes from recovered equipment, ammunition, technician upgrades and radiation-safe artifact slots; faction and ending decisions remain local story choices.
Progression plan
Field Stalker · forgiving rifle and shotgun
A reliable first campaign: common rifle ammunition for humans, a shotgun for mutants, then psi-capable armor and a sprinting late suit. Requires no paid equipment pack or rare-artifact drop.
Start with this setup
- Start the normal campaign as Skif; there is no class or stat allocation. Keep a working rifle, shotgun and sidearm rather than three guns competing for the same job.
- Prioritize repairs, medical stock and ammunition over early cosmetic or marginal upgrades. Carry enough supplies for the next mission and leave room to sprint home.
- Use brief aimed rifle bursts from cover. Switch to the loaded shotgun against a charging mutant and retreat to reload.
Preview this plan from the beginning to the endgame · 7 stages
- Complete Warlock's Debtor and take from the water tower; pair it with a working TOZ-34/M860 Cracker found or bought along the route.
- Take OZK Explorer in the Sphere corridor near Solder if it improves your current suit. Repair both guns before accepting long compound fights.
- Keep Weird Ball optional: its extra weight under sustained fire can undermine the light-travel plan.
- Collect at Cage or SEVA-I at Yantar Production Complex for psi protection.
- Take from Yantar's bus/platform puzzle, or pick up Nimble's dropped copy during In Search of a Guide. Repair it before replacing a reliable earlier shotgun.
- Keep the familiar scoped AK until GP37/AR416 or Dnipro ammunition, repairs and upgrades are affordable.
- Make the your later close-range target when mutant encounters are consuming too much medicine. A documented pickup sits on the bus route southwest of the Chopper Field in Yantar; the jump sequence crosses the center bus and the right-hand bus, with an electrical hazard at the final approach. Alternatively, obtain it during the Nimble encounter without making his death a build requirement. Repair and test the gun before replacing your working shotgun. Fit only compatible sights or magazines that you actually own, and keep one maintained rifle for human opponents rather than carrying several overlapping ammunition families.
- Preserve NK-5 during Radio Silence, complete White Noise and inspect Skull's GP37V2.
- Use its suppressor and optic for sentries and medium-range headshots; Saiga remains the close-range answer.
- Do not carry both the old AK and GP37 permanently unless the next mission genuinely needs spare ammunition types.
- Brummbar from X16's 171008 safe is a defensive option once mobility is addressed.
- Clapper/Warszawa follow the earlier tactical approach; keep whichever fills your preferred close or medium-range role without forcing a story allegiance for minor stat differences.
- The permanent Mavka/Zulu choice determines faction content. Saiga plus the trusted rifle remains viable on either path.
- Install the story psi suppressor on your chosen expedition suit and equip the reward.
- Use ordinary safe artifacts for endurance/radiation control; rare Thunderberry and Liquid Rock are optional improvements, not prerequisites.
- Return to Rostok after difficult stages instead of beginning the Duga assault with a near-broken gun.
- Collect Diamond at Sunny Kindergarten and install Hydraulic Amplifiers for Servos through the late technicians.
- Buy/salvage a well-maintained Dnipro or keep the upgraded GP37V2. Favor available ammunition and controlled recoil over an unserviced weapon's nominal damage.
- Put the highest-radiation artifact in an installed lead container and check that the equipped layout actually neutralizes its penalty.
- Repair fully, carry armor-piercing rifle rounds and adequate shotgun shells, and keep a loaded sidearm for emergencies.
- Finish free-roam collections before Down Below. Preserve the loadout in the earlier campaign save for alternate endings.
- Avoid carrying every unique weapon into a one-way finale.
Your completion route: Follow your chosen base ending and the available optional and expansion routes. Use earlier branch saves, where the mode permits, or separate campaigns for alternate endings and faction outcomes. The 77-blueprint atlas remains an external companion checklist.
Changing your plan keeps your saved achievements, quest choices and checklists. Required respecs, unlocks and later equipment are explained at their route steps.
Browse picture and diagram checkpoints 6 references
Open the matching walkthrough section. Its choices, build advice and checklists stay together.
0 / 82 route sections complete · 0 / 76 achievements earned
Story outcomes, achievements and reference notes
PC campaign reviewed on 9 October 2026 against the live Steam roster (76 achievements), official Cost of Hope release material and Back to the Zone 2.0 information. Cost of Hope released 20 August 2026.
Includes the base story's four endings, Cost of Hope's two faction endings, Stories Untold and Sealed Truth. Early/Advanced DLC starts are alternatives; this route preserves a normal new-campaign experience.
Equipment progression is based on real guns, armor, detectors, attachments, technicians and artifacts. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 does not use a selectable RPG class or conventional skill-point tree.
Choices are repeated at their local route stops. Alternate endings and route-exclusive equipment require earlier ordinary saves or another campaign; completed branch inventories are not combined.
This is researched guidance, not a claim of playtesting or inspection of the user's installed patch. Coupon rewards, balance and some scripted triggers can change with version/difficulty.
Advanced equipment plans now combine weapon roles, maintained armour and a radiation-safe artifact belt. Kharod/Saiga and SVU/shotgun are well-supported community recommendations; new 2.0 guns and DLC variants are alternatives rather than proof of one universal ranking.
GSC released Cost of Hope and the free Back to the Zone 2.0 update on 20 August 2026.
GSC’s readable Steam announcement confirms PC 2.0.6 on 18 September 2026: AMD GPU crash fixes and other high-priority crash fixes. It does not announce a weapon rebalance. Check your installed version before comparing an older save or a modded loadout.
Check achievements already earned · 76 available
Check confirmed platform unlocks. Untick a target to defer it. Finishing a walkthrough step never checks an achievement automatically.
Welcome to the Zone
Finish There and Back Again and reach the post-prologue awakening. Automatic story progress in a normal new campaign; DLC Advanced Start can skip the early experience.
Goss
Sit with stalkers at a campfire and remain for their gossip. Try Zalissya's populated camp area; simply walking past a fire is insufficient.
Lockpick
Lure a mutant into a damaging anomaly so the anomaly kills it. Approach from a known safe edge, provoke a dog/boar and let its charge enter the hazard; do not shoot the final blow.
Proxy
Observe two squads fighting, wait until one has defeated the other, then eliminate all members of the winning squad. Killing random patrols separately does not satisfy that encounter sequence.
First touches
Buy and install one compatible equipment upgrade from a technician such as Lens. A repair alone is not an enhancement.
Good hunting, stalker
Finish the Lesser Zone story and leave through the opened northern route. Story progression; do the local jobs and optional equipment before departure.
On the go
Eat bread and sausage in succession. Both are common early supplies; carrying them together does not count.
Clincher
Accumulate 100 headshot kills in the continuing campaign. Use controlled rifle fire against humans/zombies and check progress during normal travel.
Pump it up
Fully upgrade one weapon's available tree, choosing one option on mutually exclusive branches. A cheap pistol is practical; upgrades distributed across several weapons do not qualify.
Would you like some toast?
Meet Scar at the Sawmill during Back to Slag Heap's continuation. Story-related; showing or withholding the PDA changes dialogue but does not replace the meeting.
The good, the bad and the ugly
Kill five enemies with headshots within ten seconds. A compact group of slow zombies near Waste Processing is a useful setup; reload and establish an unobstructed view first.
Eyes on the prize
Recover the scanner through the Clear Sky base sequence after disabling the Swamps transmitters. Finish the actual pickup/story interaction, not just reaching the settlement.
House of glass
Finish the SIRCAA disaster and escape on either To the Last Drop of Blood or Law and Order. The faction branch changes allies, not availability of this story achievement.
Your move!
Retrieve Shah's Mate from Docent's stash. Take Huron's No Honor Among Thieves job and spare Docent for the lead before resolving the kingpins; killing Shah alone is not the trigger.
Personal approach
Kill four enemies in one fight with four distinct weapons. Keep a fourth gun ready for an inventory swap behind cover; switching fire modes or ammunition on one weapon is insufficient.
Peace and quiet
Clear every hostile in a camp before its alarm. Choose a small camp, approach with light off, isolate sentries and use suppressed/covert kills; reload the attempt if detected.
Taking it for granted
Use disposable equipment until it breaks at zero condition. Avoid wasting an expensive unique primary; a merely damaged/red-condition weapon is not yet broken.
Such is the will of the Monolith
Defeat Faust in the second Duga assault and finish the encounter scene. Destroy his supporting psi devices and attack during exposure rather than shooting illusions indefinitely.
Monolith envoy
At Faust's post-battle vision, refuse his offered help and complete the climb yourself. This survives the scene; the opposite choice awards One awkward step and needs a reload to continue.
Coupons to burn
Spend more than 1,000,000 coupons during the campaign. Repairs, upgrades and supplies contribute; possessing that amount is not the condition. Keep a repair reserve while accumulating it.
I see you have many questions
Meet the C-Consciousness representative during Visions of Truth's X17 sequence. This is earlier than Subtle Matter and its ending choice.
Baptism by fire
Save Zalissya in On the Edge after SIRCAA. Finish survivor requests, the second attack and the final meeting before leaving; winning only the first skirmish is insufficient.
Doctor's oath
Complete An Act of Mercy and watch the Doctor's basement revelation after returning the regenerator. The secret is the story trigger; the nonlethal bonus is a separate condition.
Run, stalker, run!
Escape the scripted Swamps chimera/emission chase during Ad astra per aspera and reach the shelter/Clear Sky route. Keep sprint available instead of stopping to kill that pursuing creature.
Living legend
Meet Strelok through Legends of the Zone after the preceding combat and pseudogiant encounter. Story-related; complete his scene.
Zone's deadliest predator
Kill each base mutant family listed in the hunter circuit, including rodent and rat-swarm encounters. Use Arena/collar quests for rare chimera/pseudogiant opportunities; illusion kills do not replace the real creature.
The Prypiat guardian
Meet Degtyarev during The Road to the Foundation in Pripyat. Follow the story meeting and dialogue rather than expecting it from visiting the city alone.
Bouncy
Survive a fall of at least 30 metres. The Chasing Ghosts tower has a plank-guided jump into a gravitational cushion after its objective; save first and land in the anomaly, not beside it.
Alas poor Yorick
Kill Scar in a non-Spark finale. Use his television/red-button stun windows to make him vulnerable. Ward and the independent routes can provide the fight; Scar is an ally on his own ending.
Can opener
Kill an exoskeleton-wearing enemy with the knife's final blow. Weaken the target first, close behind cover and finish with melee; ordinary body armor is not an exoskeleton.
Apple-shot
During Bullseye, accept the bandit's contest and hit all three apples without killing the hostages. Save before accepting; ransom or open combat does not satisfy this missable condition.
All quiet in the Zone
Defeat Korshunov on a route that opposes Ward. Ward's own ending keeps him allied, so obtain it on an independent or Spark route; use the boss's device/vulnerability stages.
No obstacle too big…
Accumulate 50 enemy kills through penetrable obstacles. Thin wood or metal can work; shoot the final damage through the material rather than around its edge.
Legends never die
Kill Strelok in Ward, Spark or Project Y's final sequence. Following Strelok's own ending leaves him alive and cannot award this boss achievement.
Merry-go-round
Drag a corpse into an active Whirligig and release it. Use a known anomaly near a completed fight; avoid walking into its center yourself.
The good ol' days
In Three Captains, spare both Sultan and Beard, kill the crane sniper, listen to the radio and protect the meeting from mercenaries. Finish their conversation; following Sonya's assassination loses it.
Keeping your hands steady
While intoxicated, kill with a headshot through a penetrable obstacle. Establish the target's head position first, drink alcohol, then fire through thin cover before intoxication wears off.
On a leash
Finish In the Name of Science's full trap/confrontation. Return the X5 documents, collect collars, destroy the jammer, accept the later invitation, use Dvupalov's vodka and defeat the bloodsuckers. Recalibrating ends the job too early.
She will never be free
Complete Strelok's ending: reject Scar at Subtle Matter, Escape from Korshunov, then Fire at Kaymanov during The Last Wish. Alternate endings require an earlier branch save or another run.
One awkward step
Accept Faust's offered hand after his boss encounter and watch the fatal outcome. Reload the ordinary pre-choice save and climb yourself to continue and obtain Monolith envoy.
High voltage
Cost of Hope: obtain the Iron Forest gate card through Dead or Alive, or finish Digger's Tunnel and enter. The two entrances are alternatives; no faction-ending lock is required.
Project Y
Complete Project Y: reject Scar, Escape from Korshunov, Lower the gun at Kaymanov, recover the cartridge and follow the additional Orbita/finale objectives. This opposes Strelok at the end.
Tit for tat
Confirm one trader transaction with exactly equal buy and sell totals. Adjust food/ammunition quantities to a net zero before confirming; two separate transactions do not count.
Loner shooter
Make a headshot kill from at least 75 metres with a hip-fired shot. Pick a stationary target, check distance and fire without pressing the aim/zoom input.
Casus Belli
Cost of Hope: complete Distant Mirage and its return/aftermath conversation at Kurin. Survive the Amok and escape; this occurs before the permanent faction split.
Brave new world
Complete Ward's ending by choosing I'm not your enemy at Dangerous Liaisons and finishing Eye of the Storm/The Last Step. This late choice can override earlier faction behavior.
Between the lines
Enter the locked Pripyat apartment south of CSC, eighth/top floor, using 13263622; inspect the interior if the trigger is delayed. The eight explanatory notes are optional for the achievement.
The territory of the future
Cost of Hope: progress Moving in the Shadows through the ruined SIRCAA investigation and report. Requires the DLC introduction and A Minor Incident's Ozersky stage to receive the call.
Wiped out
Kill a rodent with a grenade launcher, preferably a compatible underbarrel launcher in a safe tunnel encounter. A thrown hand grenade does not meet the stated weapon condition.
Welcome back
Cost of Hope: finish Shadows of the Past and return from the Bubble. Skin the Shadow Chimera before the timed escape for the separate missable achievement.
Shadows of the idols
Cost of Hope: complete both Shadows of the Past and To the Origins of Freedom, meeting the founders in their respective investigations. Doing one faction's history first does not cancel the other.
Get your hands dirty
Cost of Hope: after killing the Shadow Chimera in Shadows of the Past, personally use the search/skinning interaction and take its Heart before escaping. Killing it alone is insufficient.
Goodnight
Perform 20 covert knife takedowns from behind unaware enemies. Approach crouched with the knife ready and use the takedown when Skif raises it; suppressed gunshots and ordinary alerted melee kills do not substitute.
Curiouser and curiouser!
Collect all six base arch-artifacts: Weird Ball, Flower, Pot, Water, Nut and Bolt. Their exact puzzle routes are in the southern/northern stops; ordinary legendary artifacts belong to another checklist.
It's a no-brainer!
Cost of Hope: defeat the Psi-Brain during The Destructive Power of the Mind. This encounter is available regardless of the later Mavka/Zulu commitment.
Kilometer Zero
Cost of Hope: reach CNPP through The Road to the Center of the Storm (also translated Road to the Eye of the Storm). Follow the faction travel sequence rather than attempting to cross the old closed boundary.
Catching up
Shoot an enemy's thrown grenade while it is incoming so it detonates. Look for its trajectory, move away from the landing point and shoot; an environmental canister explosion is a different achievement.
The four winds
Reveal the named regions in your campaign. Complete the accessible surface circuit, including off-route Cordon and the Iron Forest/CNPP region registrations, before Down Below. Generators is normally reached during the final missions, so the achievement can remain pending until then; the community checklist lists 22 regions.
Today never ends
Complete Spark's ending: support Scar's Eternal spring route at Subtle Matter, choose Escape from Korshunov, and finish The Eternal Shining. Scar survives, so his kill achievement needs another branch.
Freedom of Choice
Cost of Hope: support Mavka in the final X16 dispute during The Destructive Power of the Mind. The earlier side-entry tactical choice alone is not the permanent faction commitment.
The end of the Golden Era
Cost of Hope, Freedom only: kill Myklukha in the Arena during Status Quo, then collect Leichtfuchs. The Duty branch does not contain this mission.
This is our Duty
Cost of Hope: support Zulu in the final X16 dispute. Save before that conversation for the Freedom alternative; choosing the earlier demolition approach is not enough.
The times of Freedom
Cost of Hope, Freedom only: finish Uninvited Guests at CNPP, including defense and headquarters objectives. It is not the base Cement Factory quest of the same name.
Contra spem spero
Cost of Hope: finish The Price of a Miracle on Mavka/Freedom's branch. Complete cooling/control objectives and the closing scene; the opposite ending requires the pre-X16 branch save.
His last order
Cost of Hope, Duty only: finish In the Memory of the Fallen, activate the station nodes, place charges and board the train. Freedom's Montreal route is a different mission.
In the heart of the enemy
Cost of Hope, Duty only: finish Gunpowder, Sweat, and Blood and report after the headquarters assault. Use the rooftop sniper/teleport route and final breach objectives.
Battle on – and win your battle!
Cost of Hope: finish The Price of a Miracle on Zulu/Duty's branch. Complete the fuse/tank sequence and final scene; the Freedom outcome requires reloading the earlier faction choice.
The draw of the Flare
Cost of Hope: finish The Forgotten, collecting five Flickering Flares, using a five-slot suit and completing Otter's final sequence after the main DLC story. One fragment or the initial meeting is insufficient.
BOOM!
Kill 20 enemies by exploding environmental objects such as fuel barrels/canisters. Hand-grenade kills alone do not count; lure or weaken targets beside the scenery.
Flash Royal
Collect the 77 distinct equipment upgrade flash drives tracked by current community guidance. Search Diode's workshop early for the Integral blueprint alternative; use the linked current regional companion for individual stashes. This guide's disclosed limit is that all 77 micro-routes are not reproduced.
Stalker's smarts
Before SIRCAA, obtain Khors's The Side Hustle after Shock Therapy at Icarus. Get the parts by shooting the exterior-view red canister so the crate falls out; do not enter the warehouse first.
Scanning complete
Activate the ten collectible scanners and take their artifacts: Garbage, Chemical Plant, Burnt Forest, Rostok, Zaton, Swamps, Cooling Towers, Yaniv, Jupiter and Pripyat. Plot scanner use does not replace these.
Bingo
Have bleeding, sleepiness, hunger, intoxication, radiation and psi effects simultaneously. Use the controlled Stone Village setup with a prepared recovery kit; clear the effects immediately after the trigger.
Wardens drool
Take Zotov's Ward version of Answers Come at a Price, press Korshunov about Nestor/Chornozem, then kill the three guards at the captive to save him. Obediently following the Ward resolution misses this branch.
Miracle hoarder
Collect the ordinary artifact set listed by the linked checklist. GSC confirms that quest variants such as Dvupalov's Crystal Thorn do not count; its support article does not certify the checklist's 69 total or every DLC exclusion. If the ordinary set is complete but the achievement fails, follow GSC's save and recollection advice.
Voices of the Zone
Cost of Hope: approach Faraday in Iron Forest and receive its radio/stash hint. Hearing the clue is the trigger; looting the 5043 safe is optional for this achievement.
Compare story outcomes · 26 decisions
Each option explains its consequences. Your choice is repeated at the relevant step; alternatives remain available.
Squint: help him or take the sensors · Undecided
Squint: help him or take the sensorsCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Return Mold and spare Squint
Squint survives and gives the Ward Sensors. You give up this Mold copy, but another standard Mold can be found later; the artifact achievement does not require killing him.
Kill Squint immediately
You obtain the sensors from his body and skip his favor. His story ends, and you forgo the peaceful cave errand. The final ending remains open.
Retrieve Mold, then kill him
You keep Mold and take the sensors, at the cost of Squint's life. This is a gear-saving betrayal, not a stronger permanent character upgrade.
Ward Sensors: Zotov or Richter · Undecided
Ward Sensors: Zotov or RichterCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Give them to Zotov
Opens the Ward version of Answers Come at a Price and the captive-rescue opportunity for Wardens drool. You can still reject Ward later. Combatant's later reward is not guaranteed on this early-friendly route.
Give them to Richter
Supports the local stalkers and leads through Star's investigation. This branch does not offer the same Ward-captive achievement scene; plan an alternate save for it. Final faction choices remain open.
Solder's fate · Undecided
Solder's fateCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Knock him out
Solder lives, retaining his later appearance/help opportunity at the Sphere. You still advance the investigation.
Kill him
Solder dies and cannot assist later. Main-story progression continues; this is not one of the decisive ending choices.
Mityay's family icon · Undecided
Mityay's family iconCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Return it to Mityay
Completes the family's request and its payment. You forgo Pomor's unique AR416 on this ordinary resolution; it is not required for an achievement.
Trade it to Pomor
Receive Unknown Stalker's AR416 instead of restoring the icon to Mityay. The rifle is damaged, so the immediate benefit comes with a repair bill.
The drowned rifle · Undecided
The drowned rifleCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Keep Drowned
Retain the unique modified rifle near Slag Heap bridge. Its owner does not receive the gun; it requires maintenance before becoming useful.
Give it back
Return the gun to the man who lost it and forgo keeping the unique weapon. This does not affect the late ending tree.
Varan's deal · Undecided
Varan's dealCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Hunt a rival
Opens the Shah/Roosevelt side investigation and more local content. One rival's PDA satisfies Varan, but he still betrays you; neither faction's DLC ending is selected.
Pay for the information
Spend a large payment, then face the same betrayal and basement investigation. Payment does not secure permanent peace.
Attack Varan directly
Skip the kingpin errands, kill his gang and take the key for the prisoners' room. Collect the unusual PDA to continue.
Docent and Shah's Mate · Undecided
Docent and Shah's MateCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Spare Docent for the stash
Get the stash lead and retrieve Shah's Mate for Your move! before resolving the kingpins. This gives a distinct unique-weapon objective.
Kill Docent
Ends his personal thread and loses his peaceful stash-information reward. Killing Shah alone does not substitute for retrieving Shah's Mate.
Show the unusual PDA to Korshunov · Undecided
Show the unusual PDA to KorshunovCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Show the PDA
Receive Ward Badge access and a shorter Noontide entry. Combatant may also be offered depending on prior Ward relations; take it from the table if present. Scar reacts distrustfully, but the final ending remains undecided.
Withhold the PDA
Remain without the badge and complete the Noontide shipment task to enter Wild Island. This adds travel but does not prevent later choosing Ward at Dangerous Liaisons.
A Sign of Hope: Kvashka · Undecided
A Sign of Hope: KvashkaCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Spare Kvashka
Respect his friend's request to preserve the zombified stalker's life. Complete the emitter work and report; the detector objective remains available.
Kill Kvashka
Follow the original lethal request, ending Kvashka's life. The main Noontide investigation and detector reward route continue.
Nimble in the cave · Undecided
Nimble in the caveCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Spare Nimble
He supplies the information that advances the Clear Sky search and survives the confrontation. His dropped Saiga can still be picked up; killing him is unnecessary for it.
Kill Nimble
Take his information from the body and collect the dropped gun. You lose his survival for a revenge outcome; the main quest still advances.
Bullseye hostage solution · Undecided
Bullseye hostage solutionCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Win the apple contest
Three successful apple shots save the captives and award Apple-shot. Missing, abandoning the contest or using another resolution loses that achievement in this attempt.
Pay the ransom
Resolve the hostages with money. It does not meet the three-shots condition for Apple-shot.
Attack the bandits
Use force to resolve the encounter; captives are at risk from crossfire and the contest achievement is forfeited.
Sonya's contract · Undecided
Sonya's contractCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Protect Sultan and Beard
Kill the crane sniper, listen to the radio and defeat the mercenary ambush below. Both captains survive and The good ol' days can trigger; keep Clusterfuck from the sniper.
Follow the assassination contract
Kill the marked captains for Sonya. Their shared future and The good ol' days are lost on this branch; the crane rifle can still be collected.
Hermann's execution · Undecided
Hermann's executionCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Spare Hermann
Hermann survives Skif's decision. The experiment crisis continues and this mercy does not by itself choose a base ending.
Execute Hermann
Hermann dies for his betrayal. The later Dubny faction split still occurs; this is not an automatic Ward-ending commitment.
SIRCAA: Noontide or Ward · Undecided
SIRCAA: Noontide or WardCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
I'm with you
Support Dubny/Noontide and enter To the Last Drop of Blood, with Ward enemies during the escape. House of glass remains available. Final ending alignment can still change later.
I'm with the Ward
Follow Law and Order with Ward allies and Noontide opposition. The disaster still happens and House of glass still registers. Later refusal of Korshunov remains possible.
Faust's offered hand · Undecided
Faust's offered handCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Climb without his help
Survive the vision and gain Monolith envoy. Such is the will of the Monolith comes from the defeated Faust encounter itself.
Accept his help
The fall/death scene awards One awkward step. Reload the ordinary pre-choice save to continue and take the survival outcome; this is not a separate playable ending.
The Doctor's nonlethal request · Undecided
The Doctor's nonlethal requestCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Retrieve without killing Monolithians
Preserve the extra nonlethal reward by taking the regenerator and escaping without killing the occupants. Doctor's oath still comes from the later revelation.
Fight through the hospital
The regenerator can still be recovered, but killing the occupants forfeits the Doctor's nonlethal bonus. The main story continues.
Scherba's jammer · Undecided
Scherba's jammerCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Destroy the jammer
Allows his experiment to continue and opens the later trap, Gauss Gun and On a leash route. This initially supports a harmful experiment but lets you confront it.
Recalibrate it
Stops the collar signals and closes this quest early with the alternative payment. The later trap and its completion achievement are missed on this branch.
After surviving Scherba's experiment · Undecided
After surviving Scherba's experimentCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Let Scherba go
Resolve the confrontation without damaging scientist relations. Finish Dvupalov's dialogue for the Gauss Gun and On a leash.
Kill Scherba
End his life after the betrayal, harming scientist relations. The completed confrontation can still give the same quest reward and achievement.
Subtle Matter: Scar's vision · Undecided
Subtle Matter: Scar's visionCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Life is for the living
Reject Spark and preserve the Strelok/Project Y branch if you also escape Korshunov. Scar becomes an enemy; accepting Ward later overrides this independent direction.
Eternal spring / Spark-compatible delay
Support Scar; a prior Ward version can use the documented I need more time alternative. Refuse Korshunov at the next gate to reach Today never ends. Scar will be an ally, so his kill achievement needs another ending.
Dangerous Liaisons: Ward's final offer · Undecided
Dangerous Liaisons: Ward's final offerCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
I'm not your enemy
Commit to Ward regardless of earlier preferences. Korshunov survives as an ally and enters the capsule for Brave new world; this branch fights Strelok and Scar.
Escape
Permanently reject Ward. Earlier support for Scar leads to Spark; earlier rejection leads to the Doctor's Strelok/Project Y decision. Retrieve confiscated gear during the prison escape.
The Last Wish: Kaymanov · Undecided
The Last Wish: KaymanovCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Fire
Kill Kaymanov and follow Strelok, sealing the Zone for She will never be free. Strelok remains an ally, so his boss achievement requires another ending.
Lower the gun
Spare Kaymanov, take the hidden cartridge and follow his investigation to Project Y. Strelok becomes an opponent; Skif's final capsule action expands the Zone beyond its old boundary.
Sealed Truth: Mikheyev and the emitter · Undecided
Sealed Truth: Mikheyev and the emitterCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Confront, then kill
The confrontation followed by his death yields the strongest reward path: Lukash's stash with Integral-A/RNBW scope and the extra payment.
Take it and kill immediately
Receive the stash lead without the extra confrontation payment. Mikheyev dies.
Return the emitter to Diode
Complete Diode's request for its payment rather than leaving the device with Mikheyev.
Confront, then let him keep it
Mikheyev keeps the emitter after being challenged and pays a smaller reward.
Let him keep it without challenge
Leave him and the device in place with no payment. This preserves that experiment rather than returning the equipment.
Radio Silence: Skull's bargain · Undecided
Radio Silence: Skull's bargainCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Refuse and protect NK-5
Fight the mercenaries, deliver the amplifier and continue Rat Catcher/White Noise. This preserves the chance to establish Kazkovyi as a full hub.
Sell the coordinates
Take the offered money but betray the group. Camp members are killed and the later storyline/hub outcome is lost.
Give the coordinates freely
Disclose the camp without demanding the bribe. It still betrays the group and loses the later hub/story; declining payment does not spare them.
Iron Forest entrance · Undecided
Iron Forest entranceCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Help the IPSF checkpoint
Complete the mutant job and Dead or Alive to receive the access card and payment. High voltage still comes from entering the region.
Use Digger's Tunnel
Take Goodbye's PDA and cross the timed-gas pipeline route. This is an alternate entrance with less checkpoint work, not a Duty/Freedom allegiance lock.
X16 tactical approach and weapon · Undecided
X16 tactical approach and weaponCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Mavka's side entrance
Recover the side-entry card and take Clapper. This selects the infiltration route, but the permanent faction choice is still later.
Zulu's demolition plan
Get C4 from the old barracks and take Warszawa. Demolition changes entry tasks; it does not force the later Duty ending.
X16's permanent Duty/Freedom split · Undecided
X16's permanent Duty/Freedom splitCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Support Mavka
Commit to Freedom and preserving the research. Opens Status Quo/Dangerous Way, Myklukha's death/Leichtfuchs, Freedom's CNPP defense and Guardian/Contra spem spero. Duty's branch achievements and Mriya require reloading this choice.
Support Zulu
Commit to Duty's containment/destruction plan. Opens In the Memory of the Fallen, Duty's CNPP assault, Mriya and Battle on – and win your battle! Freedom-only missions and Guardian require the earlier branch save.
Lesser Zone
IN CAMPAIGN ORDER
New-game plan, survival rules and ending saves
Begin here: The main menu, before Skif’s base-game prologue.
1. Choose New Game and the full base-campaign opening. Read the difficulty description before confirming. There is no character creator or skill-tree selection to complete before Skif’s introduction.
Begin the full base campaign as Skif. Early/Advanced DLC starts skip earlier story state; the prologue route keeps its early decisions available. There are no character levels or skill points to allocate.
Standard Stalker is the recommended first-run difficulty. In the guide's 2.0.6 scope, Master and Expedition runs can permanently enable Manual Save after starting, adding F5 quick saves and menu saves; GSC says this changes the pause-menu progress status but does not specify its achievement effects. Built-in Custom Rules and third-party mods are different: GSC explicitly states that playing a modded version disables achievements. No blanket eligibility promise is made for every Custom Rules combination or an already-modded save. See GSC's Achievements support article and Stories Untold update notes.
Continue to . The first serviceable equipment loop starts after reaching Zalissya. Keep ending preferences open until the guide reaches those choices.
Need to pause this section? (optional)
Use this only if you are stuck or want to come back later. Otherwise, leave it on “Continue normally” and use “Mark section complete” below when you finish.
Use this while working through the section. This menu changes your guide’s progress reminders, not anything in your game.
Individual tasks and achievements keep their own checkmarks.
1. Cross the breach beside the perimeter scaffolding, cut obstructing boards and shoot the padlock. Loot the fallen soldier's rifle. Watch the moving electrical anomaly complete its circuit, then cross into the pipe after it passes.
2. Reach the riverside house, climb through its attic and enter the bunker from its roof hatch. Search the scientists, take the detector and access Nehoda's laptop. Follow Hermann's call to the chemical field and let the detector's faster signal lead you to the first artifact.
Help finding the bunker and scanner route
Where to look: Begin at the breach beside the perimeter scaffolding. Inspect the boards, padlock and moving electrical anomaly before entering the pipe.
What to do: Clear the obstruction, collect the fallen soldier’s rifle and wait for the anomaly to pass before crossing. Follow the riverside-house route into the bunker, where the detector and laptop continue the objective.
What should happen: You pass the opening hazard and reach the bunker’s investigation interactions. The later artifact search requires the handheld detector you collect there.
If it does not work: If the electrical route is unsafe, watch its circuit before moving again. Later in the chemical field, draw the handheld detector and follow its increasing signal; the automatic hazard alarm alone does not reveal an artifact.
3. The bloodsucker briefly becomes visible as it attacks. Keep a wall behind you, move laterally and fire during the approach/recovery instead of emptying a magazine at its invisible retreat. Do not stand still to reload with your back exposed.
4. Place the scanner at each marked point, retreat while it activates, then approach carefully to retrieve it. The scan creates hazards around the device. Follow the bunker/tunnel route to the next placement and finish at the large open site.
The hazard alarm is not the artifact detector
After taking the detector in the bunker, draw it using the radial menu or its bound key (7 by default on PC). The automatic anomaly warning only reports nearby danger. With the Echo out, move carefully toward the faster signal until the normally hidden artifact becomes visible, then collect it. If you hear warnings without an artifact signal, confirm the handheld detector is active and retreat from the hazard before searching again. Bolts arrive after the prologue, so this first field cannot depend on having them yet.
Need to pause this section? (optional)
Use this only if you are stuck or want to come back later. Otherwise, leave it on “Continue normally” and use “Mark section complete” below when you finish.
Use this while working through the section. This menu changes your guide’s progress reminders, not anything in your game.
Update earned achievements (optional)
Welcome to the Zone
Finish There and Back Again and reach the post-prologue awakening. Automatic story progress in a normal new campaign; DLC Advanced Start can skip the early experience.
Individual tasks and achievements keep their own checkmarks.
1. Use Richter's bolts to trigger a gravity anomaly, then cross during its brief recovery. Bolts are reusable as an unlimited tool; throwing one does not permanently remove every kind of anomaly. Talk to Richter and follow the road toward Zalissya.
2. At the first roadside rescue, eliminate the bandits attacking the stalker inside the house. Search bodies for a serviceable long gun and unload ammunition before discarding a heavy broken weapon. Speak to the rescued man for his optional lead.
3. Enter Warlock's green bar, watch Gaffer and Zotov's argument, then locate the trader, bed, personal stash and Lens's workshop. Repair your chosen main gun before buying luxury attachments. Make one useful upgrade for First touches.
Help packing and repairing before the next job
Where to look: In Zalissya, identify Warlock’s bar, the personal stash, bed, trader and Lens’s workshop before accepting a long excursion.
What to do: Store excess heavy equipment, repair the weapons you intend to use and place bandages and medkits in deliberate quick slots.
What should happen: Your main weapon is serviceable, healing is ready to use and the pack has space for the return trip.
If it does not work: If the next outing is unaffordable or overloaded, compare repair costs with the equipment you actually plan to carry and put surplus guns in the stash. Reopen the quick-slot layout before leaving rather than discovering an empty slot during combat.
Sources for this explanation
4. Begin a spending and kill habit: accurate headshots save ammunition and build toward Clincher; sensible repairs/upgrades contribute to Coupons to burn. Do not buy and resell wastefully just to force the million-coupon achievement at the opening.
Before the first long assignment
Locate the stash, bed, trader and Lens while the hub is safe. Store spare heavy guns and excess supplies; repair the two weapons you will use and leave carrying room for the quest return. Put bandages and medkits in deliberate quick slots so you can stop bleeding and restore health without searching the bag during the first bloodsucker rush.
Packing and approaching the next job
5. Put medkits and bandages on quick access. A medkit restores health; stop bleeding promptly rather than losing that recovery. Keep water/food, anti-radiation medicine and a few energy drinks. Match carried ammunition to two main guns and a sidearm; hauling every damaged rifle makes you slow and expensive to maintain.
6. Story NPCs can die and quest hubs can change. Approach named people with your weapon lowered. Use PDA objectives and the current interaction prompt when controls differ from older screenshots. This guide supplies locations and actions, not an instruction to modify saves or install troubleshooting mods.
Checkpoint Completion scope before starting
All 76 Steam entries are mapped, but Flash Royal’s 77 individual flash drives are not all described in this walkthrough. Keep the linked atlas and its ownership list alongside this route before leaving early regions; see . Optional A-Life encounters may move or differ, so use the active PDA rather than assuming a named NPC is always stationary.
Load, repairs and return route
Your entries save with this playthrough and travel in its exported backup. Values are manual; the guide does not read the game.
Free travel margin: 0. Recheck your actual encumbrance indicator, weapon condition and ammunition type after looting. An equipment recommendation sourced on Veteran is not a tested Master or Expedition completion plan. A-Life encounters can change the return journey.
Need to pause this section? (optional)
Use this only if you are stuck or want to come back later. Otherwise, leave it on “Continue normally” and use “Mark section complete” below when you finish.
Use this while working through the section. This menu changes your guide’s progress reminders, not anything in your game.
Update earned achievements (optional)
Goss
Sit with stalkers at a campfire and remain for their gossip. Try Zalissya's populated camp area; simply walking past a fire is insufficient.
First touches
Buy and install one compatible equipment upgrade from a technician such as Lens. A repair alone is not an enhancement.
On the go
Eat bread and sausage in succession. Both are common early supplies; carrying them together does not count.
Individual tasks and achievements keep their own checkmarks.
Mityay's family iconCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Return it to Mityay
Completes the family's request and its payment. You forgo Pomor's unique AR416 on this ordinary resolution; it is not required for an achievement.
Trade it to Pomor
Receive Unknown Stalker's AR416 instead of restoring the icon to Mityay. The rifle is damaged, so the immediate benefit comes with a repair bill.
Follow the route and confirm the result
Accept Mityay's request in Zalissya before heading to the Poppy Field, then plan a short entry and a direct return. The objective is the root cellar west of the main barn and house, not a payment to Pomor. Approach along the field's western side, locate the cellar opening and take the icon from its shelf before fatigue turns exploration into a rescue attempt. The truck south of the field holds energy drinks if your supply is thin. Pomor's information deal is an optional aid; you can locate the cellar yourself. Back outside, decide whether the icon goes to Mityay or into Pomor's weapon bargain. Do this local business before the later SIRCAA transition rather than relying on an eventual return to finish it.
Lesser Zone — affordable essentials
- Complete Warlock's Debtor and take from the water tower; pair it with a working TOZ-34/M860 Cracker found or bought along the route.
- Take OZK Explorer in the Sphere corridor near Solder if it improves your current suit. Repair both guns before accepting long compound fights.
- Keep Weird Ball optional: its extra weight under sustained fire can undermine the light-travel plan.
Use these choices when the required level, resource or unlock is available. Opening this section does not change your character.
Compare or change your style1. Take Warlock's Debtor and go to Valik Lummox's besieged house. Resolve the bandits, speak to Valik and climb the nearby water tower to his stash for the scoped AKM-74S. It is a strong early human-target weapon when kept in good condition. Keep a TOZ-34 or another working shotgun for mutants.
2. Accept Mityay's family-icon request. At the Poppy Field bring energy drinks, travel lightly and use nearby shelters/bodies for orientation as drowsiness builds. The icon is in the marked area's root cellar. Returning it to Mityay fulfills his request; giving it to Pomor trades it for Unknown Stalker's AR416, which needs costly repair.
Two early arch-artifacts
Search the northern Poppy Field near its abandoned structures for Weird Flower. At Bulba east of Zalissya, use wrecks/cover and the anomaly's pulse timing to approach the water's edge and take Weird Ball. Do not rush the center of the suction. Both count toward the six-item arch collection.
3. Artifacts in a backpack do not apply their equipped radiation penalties. Equip a benefit only when your radiation management can support it. Store one of every new type and keep a checklist for Miracle hoarder; a rare damage artifact is not automatically better than a safe stamina or carrying setup.
At a safe hub, fit one intended artifact in an armor slot and read both its benefit and radiation effect. If radiation starts rising, remove it before wasting medicine. Keep it in the backpack until an offsetting artifact or protected slot supports it. A protected slot shields only the artifact occupying that slot.
4. Return to Lens, sell surplus and keep enough funds to repair after the Sphere. Expensive damaged unique gear can sit safely in the stash until the appropriate loadout and budget are ready.
Checkpoint Choose the first expense
First fund condition and usable ammunition; next consider the affordable attachment or suit improvement that solves the next mission. Preserve enough coupons to return to Lens after the Sphere. A rare-looking gun with no spare rounds and an unaffordable repair can stay in the stash until its support costs are practical.
Equipment and readiness check
Update these only after collecting the item or checking the result in your game.
An early rifle lead to pair with a working close-range gun.
Record it as owned after collecting or preparing it in your game.
Alternative and evidence
Keep a repairable current rifle with affordable ammunition; do not replace it just for a nominal damage number.
Record a choice or pause this section (optional)
Use this only if you are stuck or want to come back later. Otherwise, leave it on “Continue normally” and use “Mark section complete” below when you finish.
Use this while working through the section. This menu changes your guide’s progress reminders, not anything in your game.
Choices you made in the game
Record the option you actually chose in the game. Leave decisions you have not reached blank. These records are separate from your planned choices.
Update earned achievements (optional)
Curiouser and curiouser!
Collect all six base arch-artifacts: Weird Ball, Flower, Pot, Water, Nut and Bolt. Their exact puzzle routes are in the southern/northern stops; ordinary legendary artifacts belong to another checklist.
Miracle hoarder
Collect the ordinary artifact set listed by the linked checklist. GSC confirms that quest variants such as Dvupalov's Crystal Thorn do not count; its support article does not certify the checklist's 69 total or every DLC exclusion. If the ordinary set is complete but the achievement fails, follow GSC's save and recollection advice.
Individual tasks and achievements keep their own checkmarks.
Squint: help him or take the sensorsCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Return Mold and spare Squint
Squint survives and gives the Ward Sensors. You give up this Mold copy, but another standard Mold can be found later; the artifact achievement does not require killing him.
Kill Squint immediately
You obtain the sensors from his body and skip his favor. His story ends, and you forgo the peaceful cave errand. The final ending remains open.
Retrieve Mold, then kill him
You keep Mold and take the sensors, at the cost of Squint's life. This is a gear-saving betrayal, not a stronger permanent character upgrade.
Ward Sensors: Zotov or RichterCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Give them to Zotov
Opens the Ward version of Answers Come at a Price and the captive-rescue opportunity for Wardens drool. You can still reject Ward later. Combatant's later reward is not guaranteed on this early-friendly route.
Give them to Richter
Supports the local stalkers and leads through Star's investigation. This branch does not offer the same Ward-captive achievement scene; plan an alternate save for it. Final faction choices remain open.
1. Ask Gaffer/Richter or Zotov about Solder. The antenna route tunes the tower in Zalissya and the installation to its southeast, revealing Squint at the Old Mill. Disarm the tripwires as you climb rather than sprinting up the stairs.
2. Hear Squint's escape plan for Piece of Cake. Enter the nearby house's cave, handle the bloodsucker, then use the detector among the chemical pools to collect Mold. Return it for the Ward Sensors and leave Squint alive. Killing him instead obtains the sensors immediately but skips or cuts short his artifact favor.
Checkpoint Sensor recipient
Give the sensors to Zotov if you want the Ward version of Answers Come at a Price and its Wardens drool opportunity. Richter's route supports the local stalkers and leads through Star's search. This early choice does not by itself lock a final ending.
3. Returning Mold costs you that copy of the artifact. Betraying Squint after collecting it lets you retain it and loot the sensors, but kills him. Mold can be found again through artifact hunting; murdering him is not a collection requirement.
4. Revisit the chosen informant. Prepare ammunition, bandages and anti-radiation medicine before following Solder's trail to the Sphere.
Record a choice or pause this section (optional)
Use this only if you are stuck or want to come back later. Otherwise, leave it on “Continue normally” and use “Mark section complete” below when you finish.
Use this while working through the section. This menu changes your guide’s progress reminders, not anything in your game.
Choices you made in the game
Record the option you actually chose in the game. Leave decisions you have not reached blank. These records are separate from your planned choices.
Individual tasks and achievements keep their own checkmarks.
Solder's fateCompare choices, rewards & consequences · spoilers
Knock him out
Solder lives, retaining his later appearance/help opportunity at the Sphere. You still advance the investigation.
Kill him
Solder dies and cannot assist later. Main-story progression continues; this is not one of the decisive ending choices.
Follow the route and confirm the result
Use the hidden tunnel approach to the Sphere when you want to reach Solder without turning the whole courtyard into your first major firefight. The reconnaissance lead through the basement provides the access code, 2765; approach the sphere's sloping side and find the sewer entrance rather than presenting yourself at the main gate. Move through the toxic passage with healing available, enter the code and work toward the white-doored basement room where Solder waits. Check the neighboring room for the PTM magazine before committing to your exit. Keep a manual save before the conversation so the existing spare-or-kill choice remains reviewable. Afterward, retracing the sewer route is a practical alternative to fighting through the upper compound with a full backpack.
1. On Richter's lead, enter the Abandoned Communication Hub southeast of Zalissya, retrieve Schneider's PDA and learn 2765. Avoid the poltergeist's thrown objects while leaving. The code opens the northern tunnel access beneath the Sphere; Zotov's lead supplies an alternative entry context.
2. Work through the tunnel, rodents and lower guard rooms. Pause at corners to pick off one soldier rather than exchanging fire with the whole hall. Meet Solder and hear his explanation. Knocking him out preserves a later opportunity for help; killing him ends that personal thread.
3. Climb back to the surface and escape the compound. When the emission warning arrives, follow the actual shelter objective to Zalissya's underground refuge. An open shed or convenient tree is not reliable emission protection.
4. Speak to your informant for the route out. Cross the northern checkpoint building, use the window onto the damaged bridge and probe its anomalies with bolts.
Equipment and readiness check
Update these only after collecting the item or checking the result in your game.
OZK Explorer
An early suit pickup to compare against actual worn protection.
Record it as owned after collecting or preparing it in your game.
Alternative and evidence
Repair and use the current suit while following the next armor lead; compare condition as well as base stats.
Record a choice or pause this section (optional)
Use this only if you are stuck or want to come back later. Otherwise, leave it on “Continue normally” and use “Mark section complete” below when you finish.
Use this while working through the section. This menu changes your guide’s progress reminders, not anything in your game.
Choices you made in the game
Record the option you actually chose in the game. Leave decisions you have not reached blank. These records are separate from your planned choices.
Update earned achievements (optional)
Good hunting, stalker
Finish the Lesser Zone story and leave through the opened northern route. Story progression; do the local jobs and optional equipment before departure.
Individual tasks and achievements keep their own checkmarks.
Campaign notes & backups
Coverage, version notes and sources
Flash Royal is mapped with its critical early pickup warning, regional audit and a current companion reference. All 77 individual flash-drive stash micro-routes are not reproduced or independently rechecked here; do not present this package as an exhaustive standalone blueprint atlas.
The guide covers main stories, important optional chains, achievements and selected unique equipment. It does not claim every incidental A-Life encounter, every base-game unique weapon/armor or every ordinary stash.
Two published Cost of Hope references disagree on SWYD-West's optional safe code (3546 versus 3456); the local stop tells the reader to verify the room/PDA clue. Translated Flare quest-item names also vary; retain quest items and follow the actual PDA request.
Some Cost of Hope post-story jobs are covered by start/faction reward and objective sequence rather than every room and enemy placement. Dynamic world fights and named NPC pathing can vary.
Deluxe/Ultimate journalist equipment is optional ownership content, not required by these builds. The package does not assume the player owns those packs or enumerate every pack-specific stash.
No game screenshots or map panels are fabricated. Verified location references are linked where text cannot uniquely identify an unnamed site.
No gameplay run, installation/version inspection, save modification or unlock test was performed. A mapped achievement is a researched acquisition path, not proof it has triggered on the user's current save.
The advanced loadouts are researched for the 2.0 era, not personally benchmarked on Master/Expedition. One detailed equipment source explicitly played Veteran; its high-difficulty guarantees are not assumed. Static damage bars, repair prices, rare artifact spawns and early rush routes are not guarantees.
Sources and reference details (144)
Steam — official 76-achievement roster
steamcommunity.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗GSC Game World — Cost of Hope release
stalker2.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
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Read the original source ↗GSC — Update 2.0 systems, weapons and difficulty context
stalker2.com
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Read the original source ↗GSC Game World — Cost of Hope and 2.0 questions
stalker2.com
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Read the original source ↗Steam — Cost of Hope product/release
store.steampowered.com
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — base main-mission index and point of no return
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — base achievement conditions (2025, not current roster size)
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — base story and side-quest choices
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — Cost of Hope mission order and side missions
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗VGTimes — all 18 Cost of Hope achievement conditions
vgtimes.com
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Read the original source ↗VGTimes — Cost of Hope safes and codes
vgtimes.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Cost of Hope route and branch sequencing
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗Steam community — achievement guide with DLC (legacy bug workarounds not adopted)
steamcommunity.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: There and Back Again - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: A Tough Awakening - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Behind Seven Seals - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: A Needle in a Haystack - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Answers Come at a Price - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: The Price Goes Up - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Deal with the Devil - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: King of the Hill - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Back on the Slag Heap - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Hot on the Trail - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Chasing Ghosts - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗STALKER 2: Dead Frequency - gamepressure.com
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗PC Gamer — unique weapon acquisition
pcgamer.com
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Read the original source ↗Prima Games — armor locations
primagames.com
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Read the original source ↗TrueAchievements — Bingo status interaction methods
trueachievements.com
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Read the original source ↗GSC support — Miracle Hoarder trigger issue
support.stalker2.com
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Read the original source ↗Steam community Flash Royal guide — recent Diode workshop alternate-pickup report
steamcommunity.com
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Read the original source ↗The Gameslayer - fixed scanner approaches and activation hazards, updated 10 September 2026
thegameslayer.com
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — unique weapon index
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗XboxAchievements — artifact families and fixed pickups
xboxachievements.com
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Read the original source ↗Neooenone — current artifact checklist and DLC separation
neooenone.com
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Read the original source ↗Community unique-equipment location catalog (cross-checked at relevant quest sources)
reddit.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — In Search of a Guide
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Ad astra per aspera
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Extreme Simplicity
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — A Long Overdue Visit
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — The Forge of Progress
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Wishful Thinking
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — To the Last Drop of Blood
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Just Like the Good Old Days
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — The Hornet's Nest
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — An Invisible Threat
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Dawn of a New Day
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Assault on the Duga
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — A Minor Incident
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — In Search of Past Glory
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Neoseeker — Zaton side quests
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Neoseeker — Law and Order
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — An Invisible Threat
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗TrueAchievements — On a leash
trueachievements.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Happiness for Everyone
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Visions of Truth
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Dark Times
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — An Act of Mercy
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Legends of the Zone
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Subtle Matter
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Dangerous Liaisons
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Escape from the Cage
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — The Boundary
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — The Road to the Foundation
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Down Below
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — The Last Wish
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗Gamepressure — Let No One Leave Unsatisfied
gamepressure.com
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Read the original source ↗GameSpot — On the Edge
gamespot.com
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Read the original source ↗Neoseeker — Endings
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — The Last Step
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — The Eternal Shining
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Cost of Hope faction endings
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗GSC — Stories Untold
support.stalker2.com
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Read the original source ↗Switchblade Gaming — Sealed Truth
switchbladegaming.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Cost of Hope unique weapons
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Iron Forest
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — X16
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Shadows of the Past
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Origins of Freedom
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗Player Atlas — Montreal, CNPP and X19
dq7reimagined.com
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — Moving in the Shadows
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗ShowGamer — Shadows of the Past
showgamer.com
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Read the original source ↗ShowGamer — The Forgotten
showgamer.com
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — DLC artifacts
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗ShowGamer — Gunpowder, Sweat, and Blood
showgamer.com
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Read the original source ↗Patch Crazy — The Price of a Miracle
patchcrazy.co.uk
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — X16 approaches
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗Neoseeker — Moving in the Shadows prerequisites
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Neoseeker — Banzai's Tools / Once Upon a Time
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — Dark as a Dungeon
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — Terra Incognita
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — Unexpected Alliance
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — In the Heart of the Iron Forest
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow — Distant Mirage
allthings.how
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Read the original source ↗ShowGamer — The Road to the Center of the Storm
showgamer.com
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold — White Noise
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold — Rat Catcher
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold — NK-5 Group
neoseeker.com
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold — Radio Silence
patchcrazy.co.uk
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold — amplifier and betrayal consequence
attractmo.de
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold — Medulin rescue
patchcrazy.co.uk
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Read the original source ↗In the Name of Science — collars and final choice
gamesrecon.com
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Read the original source ↗Doctor's Oath story trigger and base achievements
xboxachievements.com
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Read the original source ↗Stories Untold and base optional quest index
steamcommunity.com
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Read the original source ↗Banzai's third tools — boiler room C2
steamcommunity.com
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Read the original source ↗Artifact names by anomaly family (use with current collection tracker)
framesgames.com
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Read the original source ↗Arch-artifact puzzle locations
raiderking.com
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Read the original source ↗Bouncy — Chasing Ghosts tower landing
insider-gaming.com
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Read the original source ↗Between the lines — code, building and optional notes
trueachievements.com
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Read the original source ↗Freedom Colosseum — arena rounds
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗In the Name of Science — five collar locations
thenerdstash.com
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Read the original source ↗Saiga D-12 fixed pickup and Nimble's dropped gun
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Exoskeleton sprint upgrades and technicians
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Diamond Exoskeleton locations
gamerpillar.com
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Read the original source ↗Veles detector acquisition
primagames.com
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Read the original source ↗Whip — exact Doctor house pickup
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Combatant reward depends on prior Ward relations
reddit.com
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Read the original source ↗Community player route revised for 2.0.x — equipment, repair costs and pickup pictures
note.com
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Read the original source ↗Game8 — Kharod dam pickup, attachments and Harpy upgrades
game8.co
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Read the original source ↗Recent player preference poll — Kharod, Dnipro and ammunition-dependent choices
reddit.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Update 2.0 weapon role comparison — recommendations, not official rankings
pixeltwelve.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Cost of Hope unique weapon roles and availability; use local quest route for branch details
allthings.how
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Recent community artifact combinations and armour-dependent Compass use
reddit.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Lead containers and the Thunderberry/Compass/Liquid Rock radiation balance
reddit.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Current Dnipro acquisition routes and calibre considerations
allthings.how
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗GSC official Steam news — released Cost of Hope, Update 2.0 and patch 2.0.6
steamcommunity.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Game8: The Poppy Field
game8.co
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Prima: Behind Seven Seals
primagames.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Game8: SEVA-D at the Cage, Cement Factory
game8.co
Community reference; source read, not in-game tested
Claim checked: 2026-10-10
Read the original source ↗Neoseeker: Terra Incognita
neoseeker.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗AllThingsHow: Heart of the Iron Forest generator key
allthings.how
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Destructoid: Cost of Hope walkthrough
destructoid.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Neoseeker: The Destructive Power of the Mind
neoseeker.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Game8: Down Below
game8.co
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Neoseeker: Cost of Hope entry and cutoff
neoseeker.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Game8: SVU-MK S-3
game8.co
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Game8: SVU high-capacity magazine
game8.co
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗GSC patch archive exposing 2.0.6
stalker2.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗GSC support: Achievements
support.stalker2.com
official-developer
Supports: GSC explicitly states playing a modded version disables achievements.
Claim checked: 2026-10-10
Limits: Live support text checked 2026-10-10; it does not explain retroactive save flags or restoration after removing mods.
Read the original source ↗GSC: official 2.0.6 announcement
steamcommunity.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗GSC: artifacts, equipment slots and radiation
support.stalker2.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗GSC support: Anomalies
support.stalker2.com
Official developer support article
Claim checked: 2026-10-10
Read the original source ↗GSC: Patch 1.5 Guns & Looting ammunition changes
support.stalker2.com
Official developer patch note
Claim checked: 2026-10-10
Read the original source ↗Shacknews: artifact-slot protection
shacknews.com
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗Game8: A Sign of Hope antenna and report
game8.co
Reference; evidence type not yet classified
Claim checked: No individual check date recorded. A guide review date is not proof that every claim on this page is current.
Read the original source ↗
Manual planning and checklists. This guide does not read your game save or platform account.