Stalker 2 Guide: How to Quickly Earn Money

Gamers will need a constant influx of money to survive in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl: ammunition, healing items, and food. All of this is necessary for exploring the Zone, and the best equipment is your main priority. You won't be able to upgrade your items without a large number of Zone coupons, and obtaining them is not obvious at the beginning of the game. Not everything can be sold profitably, so you will need to look for specific weapons and loot to make your outings as useful as possible. Here is a brief guide detailing all the best ways to stock up on money.

Coupons are the main currency or money in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. You will only need one weapon of each type, so there is no point in stocking up on multiple types of weapons. Choose what you need — preferably in good condition so you don't have to pay for repairs — and upgrade it to get the maximum possible power.

Since there is no leveling system in the game, this is the only way to truly become stronger. Repair weapons to prevent jamming and armor to maintain its protective characteristics. Upgrade when you have an excess of coupons to keep your favorite weapon viable even in the late game against armored opponents.

If you are not looking for weapon upgrades, modifications are your next best investment in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Spend your coupons on weapon modifications. They can range from silencers, which make stealth gameplay possible, to scopes, which give you a clearer picture when shooting.

Some of the more modern weapons in the game (such as the GP37) will have fewer sources for ammunition replenishment compared to older reliable models like the AKM-74S. If you enjoy using this weapon in the late stages of the game, you will need to set aside some coupons, as the prices for ammunition from traders will make you go artifact hunting again to fill the new hole in your pocket. You can set the single-shot mode and use the scope to aim for the head and save ammo.

Armor is one of the most expensive items in the game, which means that its repair is especially costly. Avoid taking as much damage as possible or wear a cheaper spare armor set while earning money.

As expected, many inhabitants of the Zone will pay you for completing quests for them. While you will get some money for completing the main story missions in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, it will not be enough to ease survival. However, there are side missions and other NPC tasks that offer significant monetary rewards.

In particular, the bartender's quests (at the beginning of the game) are one of the best sources of money. So keep an eye on NPC quests and be sure to complete them while exploring the rest of the Zone.

Always look for special loot during quests. Stashes (and journalist's stashes) are another great way to get valuable loot. Whenever a location or stash is marked on your map, go and search for it.

Artifacts will bring you a large sum if you sell them to various traders in settlements rather than just equipping them on your character. These items are usually found around anomalies, and for this, you need to use the Echo Scanner. You can purchase it at the Zalesye base for around 5000 coupons.

One of the first Echo detectors you can find during the Dangerous Visitors quest, which can be taken at the very beginning of the game, south of the Zalesye base. Take the quest and rescue the NPC — he will tell you about a cave behind the boiler room. Blow up the cave, and inside you will find the Mama's Beads artifact. It is worth more than 4000 coupons.

Use the scanner in the place where you think you can find the artifact. If you are nearby, the scanner will emit a sound signal, and the closer you get, the faster it will sound. You will need to use bolts to activate anomalies in the areas and then quickly find the artifact.

Artifacts often have high radiation, so be ready to run back to the base to sell them before you get heavily irradiated. While you carry these items early in the game, you will take radiation damage and won't be able to rest. If you don't plan to use the artifact you just got, be sure to sell it to a trader.

As you explore the world, you will be able to pick up a lot of unnecessary equipment and weapons in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Since your inventory fills up alarmingly fast, be sure to sell loot you don't need, including weapons and other junk. Carry artifacts that reduce weight. The more you can carry, the more you can sell.

Armor is usually quite expensive, with some mid-game sets selling for 50000 coupons. Don't let the weight stop you — keep the armor and sell it as soon as possible. Grenades are also valuable due to their size and rarity — avoid using them in combat and instead sell them.

Few things can be more profitable than a large gang of bandits. Each of them will have at least a pistol, ammunition, and something else like bandages, drinks, or even grenades. Group sizes can vary, up to 20 people — that's a lot of supplies to collect and sell, plus a lot of ammo for future encounters.

However, keep in mind that you won't be able to sell weapons marked in red. These weapons lack durability, and you will need to repair them first, but most of the time, it will not be profitable. Only collect weapons that have a status no lower than yellow. Red weapons are too broken and cannot be sold. Just leave them, but first, take the ammunition.

Items are not sold at the price indicated in the inventory. Who you sell them to affects how much you get. Traders offer approximately 33 percent of the item's value, bartenders around 25 percent, and wandering stalkers usually less than 20 percent.

Even if you don't have to fight people and deal with mutants without loot, you will still be able to find useful items nearby. Don't leave the location until you have thoroughly inspected it and taken everything that isn't nailed down.

While you won't find coupons in abundance when exploring the map, you will get a lot of unnecessary equipment and junk that you can sell later. So don't be afraid to take risks and stray off the beaten paths, as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is designed to reward the more enterprising.

If you want to minimize the time spent aimlessly wandering in search of loot, head to a stash instead. The best part is that dead NPCs sometimes have PDAs. Picking them up often adds a new stash icon to your map.