The Zone hides many secrets, and finding top-tier gear is one of the main goals of any stalker. In this guide, we’ll break down the locations of six unique items in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, including a legendary artifact, a heavy exoskeleton, and four types of weapons (one of which, unfortunately, is prone to bugs).

1. The “Gangster” Weapon

This weapon is tied to a story quest, so you won’t have any trouble finding it if you explore the quest locations carefully.

  • Related Quest: Main Mission “Minor Incident”.
  • Where to find it: During the mission, you will descend into an underground bunker. The weapon is lying right on the table in the very room where you need to replace the fuse to restore power.

2. The “Decider” Weapon

A great gun that you can get if you show a little stalker-style audacity while completing a side quest.

  • Location: Cement Factory, “Concrete Forest” area.
  • Related quest: “The Uninvited Guest.” The quest is given by a stalker named Metric Genius, standing slightly to the left of the large building.
  • How to get it: Metric will ask you to go down into the tunnels and find his stash. Go down, ignore the two mutants (or kill them), and take the items from the stash, including a unique weapon. When you return to the quest giver, simply tell him that you’re keeping the gun for yourself.

3. “Glutton” Light Machine Gun (Glutton LMG)

A powerful but very heavy machine gun that’s perfect for clearing out groups of mutants.

  • Location: Rostock area.
  • Where to find it: Look for the underpass exit near Rostock, to the right of the abandoned helicopter fields.
  • How to get it: Go down into the tunnel and find the switch. Flip it to unlock the locked room, where you’ll find the machine gun.

4. The “Predator” Shotgun

  • Location: Zaton, a village east of the railway maintenance complex.
  • Where to look: You need to find a large building with a blue sloped roof. Inside, a mutated cat will be waiting for you. After dealing with it, jump through the opening into a room filled with skeletons. The shotgun should be right there. If it’s not there, you’ve encountered a bug in the current version of the game.

5. The “Cuirass” Exoskeleton

Excellent heavy armor that will make you virtually invulnerable, but will require some modifications for comfortable use.

  • Location: Cooling towers.
  • Where to find it: Head to the SKD assembly unit. Climb a few flights of stairs, walk a short distance forward to the vertical ladder—the exoskeleton will be right there.
  • Note: By default, you cannot run (sprint) while wearing this armor. You will need to find the appropriate upgrade module from the mechanics to unlock this feature.

6. The “Weird Nut” artifact

One of the legendary artifacts, obtaining which will require dexterity and precise timing.

  • Location: Cooling towers.
  • Where to find it: Look for a huge fire anomaly (a large yellow circle on the map) — Fire Whirl anomaly.
  • How to Obtain (Puzzle): You need to climb to the very top of this giant fiery vortex. Pay close attention to the timing and spread of the fire. Move only during the safe windows between bursts of flame. The artifact awaits you at the top of the structure.