Cash in with these early methods for making money.
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Getting rich is far from quick in the irradiated wasteland of STALKER 2. You’ll need a constant stream of cash to survive — ammo, healing items and food are all imperative to make progress in the zone, and better gear is your first priority. You won’t be able to upgrade your stuff without plenty of Zone Coupons and earning them isn’t obvious in your first hours. Not all guns can be sold, so you’ll want to look for specific weapons and loot to make the most out of your excursions. Here’s a quick guide covering all the best ways to stock up on cash in STALKER 2.
How To Make Money
The cash of STALKER 2 is coupons, and if you want to stock up early to buy the best upgrades, you’ll need to look out for the best junk to loot. Not everything is worth keeping or selling, so here’s a quick guide on what you’ll want to look out for, and how to get a quick buck early in the story.
- Money is required if you want to purchase healing items, anti-radiation items, ammo and upgrades.
- You can purchase upgrades from the Technician in the starting settlement of Zalissya. He’s located in the building to the right of the trader.
- The trader is your main resource for healing items and ammo. Sell him valuable items to earn money. Go to the [Trade] tab to sell items you don’t want.
You’ll only need one of each gun, so there’s no reason to stockpile multiple weapons. Pick up one you want — preferably a gun in good repair so you don’t need to pay to fix it — and upgrade it to get the best performance possible. You’ll also want to collect guns from enemies, but not all guns can be sold.
- Making Money | Tips
- To make money, collect valuable items like guns, PDAs and artifacts.
- Only pick up guns that are at least YELLOW status. Red durability guns are too broken and can’t be sold. Just leave them or take the ammo.
- PDAs and notes are more valuable than you think. Sell these off after collecting the notes.
- Artifacts are some of the most valuable items in the game. Collect these with an Echo Detector in Anomaly areas. You’ll need to acquire an Echo Detector to start hunting for them. They’re typically worth 5,000+ cash and can be sold to the trader in Zalissya Base.
Talk to everyone and complete quests to earn cash rewards — and always look for special loot during quests. Stashes (and Journalist Stashes) are another great way to earn valuable loot. Whenever a location or stash is marked on your map, go looking for it to collect.
Hunting Artifacts For Money
To find Artifacts, look for Anomalies — these are areas with explosive energy. You’ll need to use bolts to set off the anomalies in areas, then rush in to find the nearby artifact. Use the Echo Detector. It will beep when you’re close to an artifact. Open the Weapon Wheel and open the Echo Detector to follow the trail — when you’re close to an artifact, the invisible artifact will disappear.
Artifacts often have HIGH RADIATION so be prepared to sprint back to Zalissya Base to sell them before you’re permanently irradiated. As long as you’re carrying these items in the early game, you’ll take radiation damage and won’t be able to rest.
Luckily, artifacts are very valuable. You’ll find an early one (and an Echo Detector) during the quest ‘Dangerous Visitors‘ found very early in the game, south of Zalissya Base. Take the quest and rescue the NPC — saving him, he’ll tell you about a cave behind the Boiler House. Blast open the cave and you’ll find a Mama’s Beads Artifact inside. It’s worth more than 4,000+ coupons.
Taking on side-missions, selling yellow or green guns and discovering artifacts are the best ways to earn lots of cash. You’ll need as much money as you can get to stay alive in STALKER 2.
