STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is a densely packed game with many mechanics and a sparse tutorial. Some tooltips fail to appear due to bugs or broken scripts. This guide gathers the major questions players have while exploring.
Guides for STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl
How to increase your carrying weight limit
The limited inventory weight stands out as the central challenge. It can be increased by equipping special artifacts and upgrading armor. The tips below help players carry more loot on long expeditions.
Equip the Blood of Stone artifact. This object is found in gravity anomalies, so check areas where anomalies appear with your detector.
Use Hercules potion to gain +20 to your carry weight. The effect lasts 300 seconds, long enough to haul loot back to a merchant after extended missions.
Improve the load bearing capacity of your armor. A gunsmith can provide modifications that boost payload. This is most effective in the later stages when players switch to heavier suits.
Reduce the weight of weapons and armor. At the gunsmith you can buy upgrades that lower equipment weight.
Wear suits that raise the weight limit. Some outfits grant extra carry capacity; for example, the Cuirass exoskeleton adds eight kilograms.
Gain access to DLC and bonus content
Bonus content is available to owners of the Deluxe and Ultimate editions. To unlock it, complete the quest “He who seeks will always find,” then you will see “Journalist’s Caches” appear on the map. Each cache contains one bonus item. To unlock the quest, finish the main story mission Needle in a Haystack in the Zalesye area.
How and to whom to sell broken weapons
Weapons and gear can be sold regardless of the yellow icon in the top right corner. If the icon is red, the item can only be sold to Rugman at the Rostok base. Other traders do not buy broken equipment.
Where weapons and useful loot can be stored
In each faction location there is a bed where the hero can sleep. There is also a personal box to store items. There are no weight or capacity restrictions, so items can be kept for later sale. All loot is accessible at any location, and the storage system follows the approach used in the earlier entries of the series.
How to open a locked door at the northern checkpoint
You can open the passage through the Northern Checkpoint after finishing the task Behind Seven Seals. Visit the Zalesye bar and talk to Batya to request the gearbox key.
How to change the recording mode
The default PC key to switch recording mode is B, and the corresponding mouse button is Button 4. Players can remap these in the game settings. On Xbox, the Upwards button on the D pad toggles recording mode.
The game offers three firing modes: single, burst and fully automatic. Some weapons support all three modes, while others may offer only single or automatic.
How do you play in stealth mode?
When entering an area with enemies, a white arc appears beneath the compass. This is the detection scale, showing whether you are hidden. If the white portion fills the arc, enemies will detect you.
Hold down the left Ctrl key to crouch and activate stealth. On Xbox this is the Circle button.
Stealth kills are possible by sneaking up on enemies from behind. Carry a knife and approach quietly. A distinctive animation shows the blade moving into position, then the strike button is pressed.
You can attach a silencer to your weapon for stealth kills from a distance. To equip it, pick up the desired weapon and, while holding the T key, select the silencer from the context menu. On Xbox this is done with the Upwards button on the D-pad.
How the reputation system works
STALKER 2 uses a straightforward reputation system. It affects how factions treat the player and what bonuses are available. For example, good relations with a group unlock discounts from traders and repair services, while bad relations can lead to hostility from locals.
To raise reputation the player should:
- Complete faction missions offered by merchants or stalkers
- Eliminate members of the enemy faction
- If a faction dislikes you, engage with the local leader to try to improve relations
What is the effect of sleeping in bed?
Sleep is not required in the current build. It may return in future patches. For now, beds are simply a way to pass time during long nights in the zone.
How to play guitar
In STALKER 2 a guitar can be found near a personal bed in Zalesye. Picking it up unlocks the ability to play by the campfire. It does not take up space in the inventory.
To start playing, sit near a fire. A Play Guitar option appears. Use the mouse to select notes on the PC or the right stick on Xbox. Press Tab on the PC or LB on Xbox to switch scales.
How to use a flashlight
The lighting in STALKER 2 can be very dark. The flashlight is essential to navigate without stumbling. Some players may miss the prompt to turn it on, which leads to confusion in the dark.
On PC, press L to turn on the flashlight, or use Tab + E or the middle mouse button. On Xbox, press the RB button to toggle the flashlight.
How to hide from emissions
During a blowout, players should quickly seek shelter. The map usually marks safe spots. Enter a shelter and stay indoors until the event ends. The radio will announce when it is safe to go outside.
Shelters are buildings or closed structures with a door. Note that houses with missing roofs, walls or doors do not guarantee safety as radiation can penetrate indoors.
What to do with found PDAs
When a player picks up someone else’s PDA, notes or caches are automatically added to their inventory. These items can then be sold to the nearest trader.
Some PDAs show an orange frame indicating a quest item that cannot be sold yet. It will have a use in later quests.
How to use a grenade launcher
Open the radial menu by holding Tab. From there press C to attach the grenade launcher to the selected weapon. Hold B to confirm the underrun action.
Some weapons require a technician upgrade to unlock grenade launcher installation, including AR416, Kharod, and GP37.
Other guides
Additional guides can be found in community resources. This article avoids external links and uses concise attributions for credibility.