Survival in STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl hinges on a steady income. Players need ammo, healing items, and food to explore the Zone. Gear upgrades come first, and the way to upgrade is coupons—the game’s currency. Early on, coupons are scarce, so a savvy player targets specific weapons and caches to turn a profit. This guide walks through practical ways to stack cash efficiently.
Guides for STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl
Where to spend money
Coupons are the main currency in STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. A smart approach is to keep one weapon of each type rather than piling up duplicates. Pick the best weapon for your playstyle, ideally in good condition so repairs cost less, and upgrade it to maximize power.
Since the game has no leveling system, upgrades are the core path to growing stronger. Repair weapons to prevent jams and armor to maintain protection. Upgrade when coupons are plentiful to ensure the weapon of choice remains viable even late in the game against armored foes.
If weapon upgrades aren’t appealing, mods come next. Spend coupons on weapon customizations. Silencers enable stealth, while scopes provide a clearer view for precision shooting.
Some modern weapons such as the GP37 have fewer ammo sources compared to trusted older rifles like the AKM-74S. To use such a weapon late in the game, set aside a few coupons; merchants’ ammo prices may push players to hunt artifacts to fill a new pocket. Set the single-shot mode and use the scope to aim for the head and save ammunition.
Armor is among the costliest items, which means repair costs can be high. Avoid taking damage where possible or wear a cheaper set of spare armor while earning money.
Complete tasks
As expected, many Zone residents will pay for completed tasks. Main story missions yield some money, but not enough to make survival easy. Side missions and NPC assignments often offer substantial cash rewards.
In particular, bartending jobs early in the game are a strong source of income. So keep an eye out for NPC missions and complete them while exploring the Zone.
Always look for special loot during missions. Caches and journalist caches are excellent sources of valuable loot. When a location or cache is marked on the map, search for it.
Sell artifacts
Artifacts bring in a substantial amount of money when sold to settlements’ merchants, not just when equipped. These items are usually found near anomalies and require the Echo Scanner. The scanner can be bought at the Zalesye base for about 5,000 coupons.
One of the first echo detectors can be found during the quest ‘Dangerous Visitors,’ started at the very beginning of the game, south of the Zalesye base. Complete the quest and rescue the NPC — he will mention a cave behind the boiler room. Blow up the cave and a artifact lies inside, costing more than 4,000 coupons.
Use the scanner where you think an artifact is hidden. When close, the detector beeps; the closer you are, the faster the sound. Anomalies require bolts for activation, and then the artifact can be found quickly.
Artifacts often carry high radiation, so be prepared to return to base to sell them before irradiation accumulates. Wearing artifacts at the start of the game causes radiation damage and can prevent rest. If one does not want to use the artifact found, sell it to a merchant.
Sell equipment and weapons
As exploration continues, collectors will amass a lot of gear and weapons. With inventory filling up fast, it’s wise to sell items you don’t need, including weapons and junk. Carry weight-reducing artifacts help expand selling opportunities. The more you can carry, the more you can sell.
Armor is pricey; some sets fetch around 50,000 coupons mid-game. Don’t let weight deter you: keep the armor and sell it when possible. Grenades hold value due to size and rarity. Don’t waste them in combat—sell them instead.
There are few things more profitable than a large gang of bandits. Each member carries a gun, ammo, and extras like bandages, potions, or grenades. Groups can be sizable, up to twenty. That means plenty of loot to collect and sell, plus ammo for future skirmishes.
Please note, however, that weapons marked in red cannot be sold. They are too damaged and require repairs, and often aren’t worth the cost. Only collect weapons with at least yellow status.
However, prices in the inventory aren’t guaranteed. Who you trade with matters. Vendors offer about a third of an item’s value; bartenders around a quarter; wandering stalkers often less than twenty percent.
Even if human combat isn’t required, chores and looting around sites can yield items worth taking. Do not leave a location until everything is checked and every useful item is retrieved.
Explore every part of the map
Exploration doesn’t shower players with coupons, but it yields gear and junk that can be sold later. The Zone rewards curiosity and bold exploration; wandering can pay off.
To minimize aimless wandering, head toward caches. Dead NPCs sometimes carry PDAs; grabbing them may add new cache icons to the map.
Other guides
Further reading and tips appear through community guides and posts that discuss long-term strategies and gear optimization.