Don't Let Your Weapons Decay If You Want To Survive Stalker 2

It happens to the best of us: You’re delving into a dank, decrepit bunker in the post-apocalypse searching for rare loot, casually popping off shots at the various rat-like mutants scurrying through the dark when your weapon jams. In a moment of panic, you attempt to reload and clear the jam, but your weapon is so degraded it’s unusable. What now? In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, these situations occur rapidly and frequently, making the series’ signature dangerous environment more harsh than ever. Thanks,realism.

But if this kind of busy work has you down, fret not. This guide will cover best practices for maintaining your Stalker 2 weapons through repairs, upgrades, and occasional upgrades.

Finding Weapons In Disrepair Is Very Common

Screenshot: GSC Game World / Kotaku

Whenever you defeat an enemy and loot them, it’s common to scoop up a poor-quality rifle or handgun. You’ll note the broken weapon icon, typically in yellow or red, in the corner of the weapon preview window. This icon indicates your weapon is in poor condition, and if you continue using it, it will break and become unusable.

However, you can repair just about any weapon in the game by visiting a local Technician. They’re found inside safe zones, the first being Lens at Zalissya. Be wary, though. Repairing a weapon is expensive, so you likely won’t be able to fix every gun you scoop up from bandits.

Weapon Attachments Make Existing Weapons Better

At the start, you’ll rock a lot of stock equipment without attachments. Why? Because you can’t afford any early on. Attachments cost a lot of coupons, especially the high-end scopes and suppressors, which you’ll find most valuable in the Zone.

Sure, you can find the occasional weapon attachment out in the world or receive one as a reward for completing a side quest, but you’ll be running low-end rifles and shotguns to start.

Once you unlock weapon attachments, keep compatibility in mind. Just because you found a suppressor doesn’t mean it’ll work on every weapon in your arsenal. Some suppressors are only designed for pistols, for instance.

To equip an attachment from your inventory, hold down T on keyboard or Up on the controller d-pad to open the weapon attachments menu. Here, you can select which piece to equip.On PC, you can also the weapon in your inventory and select an attachment from the drop-down menu.

Weapon Upgrades Are A Boon

Screenshot: GSC Game World / Kotaku

Now that you have a fully repaired weapon with attachments equipped, it’s time to upgrade it to increase its stats. You’ll need to visit the Technician again for this.As with repairs, don’t expect anything free or cheap. You’ll spend a lot of coupons upgrading your weapons in Stalker 2, but it’s worthwhile.

Depending on the weapon, you can upgrade various components, including the barrel, magazine, forward grip, stock, upper receiver, lower receiver, and more. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend and the upgrade path you’d like to take, you can focus on increasing aiming speed, reducing spread, or bolstering penetration capabilities. In time, you’ll have a small arsenal of fully upgraded weapons that will take down a Burer or Controller! And depending on your feelings about four-legged friends, you might want to pack a few extra upgraded weapon to deal with the copious amounts of wild dogs in Stalker 2’s beginning sections!