How to get your Stalker 2 DLC weapons in-game?

If you’ve purchased either the Deluxe or the Ultimate Edition of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, you might be wondering where those bonus weapons are.

Paying extra for those editions entitles you to certain benefits unavailable with the Standard Edition. Some of those feature special weapons, and some can be carried over to the multiplayer side (where they become skin). But unlike so many video games and their bonus content, you’ll have to earn them in The Zone.

How to unlock Stalker 2 Deluxe Edition content

While the DLC bonuses are added to your game, you’ll have to unlock them first. To do so, you’ll need to trigger the Seek, and You Shall Receive quest. This side mission will give you the locations of something called Journalist Stashes.

This side mission is activated automatically once you’ve completed A Needle in a Haystack. This is part of the main storyline, and you’ll have to reach Zalissya to trigger this quest. Once you’ve gained access to Seek, and You Shall Receive (after finishing A Needle in a Haystack), you’ll come across a flash drive in your stash.

Opening the drive will help you gain the locations of all the Journalist Stashes spread all over The Zone. Each of these stashes consists of the DLC content you’re entitled to from your Deluxe/Ultimate Edition purchase. These stashes also include all your pre-order bonuses. Once you’ve gone through the drive, the location of all the Journalist Stashes will be marked.

However, you shouldn’t automatically start trying to go for those stashes. Most are in locked zones where you’re not supposed to travel in your first few hours. For example, the Reinmann, located north of Rostok, is relatively easy to get.

For the rest, it’s best to just let the game play out. You’ll be getting some great weapons by completing the missions, and they can be upgraded with suitable tools to make them even more powerful. It’s better to treat the DLC weapons as elite rewards that can be retrieved once you’ve powered up to clear content across all the locations of The Zone in Stalker 2.

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