Keeping your weapons in good condition is crucial in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. You definitely don’t want to be caught with busted gear in the heart of an irradiated wasteland.
This guide is all about helping you keep your weapons in fighting shape and offering advice on managing broken tools.
### How to Maintain Your Weapons and Gear in STALKER 2
As you venture through the wasteland, your weapons and gear won’t retain their durability indefinitely. Over time, you’ll notice a small yellow icon appear, signaling that it’s time to take action. This is your cue to either repair or sell the item, because ignoring it will only lead to further degradation and, ultimately, a broken weapon.
To prevent this downward spiral, pay a visit to a technician, marked by a wrench icon on your map. You’ll find your first technician, named Lens, in Zalissya, the very first village you stumble upon in STALKER 2. This is also where you kick off “The Poppy Field” side quest. Lens is your go-to guy for learning the ropes of utilizing technician services.
While chatting with Lens, you’ll notice a button prompt in the lower right corner that takes you to his upgrade menu. This is where you can not only shell out some cash to beef up your gear but also to fix it. Keep in mind, the longer you wait to repair, the pricier it gets, so it’s smart to schedule regular check-ins with your technician to avoid an item becoming prohibitively expensive to restore.
### Handling Broken Gear in STALKER 2
The golden rule of gear management in STALKER 2: Don’t let your equipment break. If you see a red shield mark over your gear, it’s practically screaming “help!” as its durability has hit rock bottom. At this point, vendors lose interest in your damaged goods, and repairing them will set you back thousands of Coupons per item.
If you come across a broken piece while exploring or if one of your own breaks down, the best course is to unload it (which you can do from your menu), grab any ammo it might have, discard it, and just keep moving.
In cases where a particular item holds some sentimental value, stash it away until you can muster up the resources for a repair. Make sure, though, that only truly important items earn this treatment—broken gear can be an unexpected drain on your resources, so your criteria for what’s worth saving should be pretty high.
