STALKER 2: How to Deal With Artifact Radiation

Artifacts in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl provide a variety of bonuses, including increased bleed resistance, improved carry capacity, and more. However, Artifacts are frequently radioactive, and players who equip them without taking proper countermeasures will eventually succumb to radiation. It is possible to deal with Artifact radiation in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, though, and this guide is here to elaborate upon that statement.

It is very likely that a player will not be ready to deal with any level of radiation the first time that they obtain an Artifact, and they may need to leave it unequipped until they have made further progress.

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By William Parks

STALKER 2: How to Deal with Artifact Radiation

While players can attempt to address the radiation that is emitted by an equipped Artifact by continually consuming Vodka and Anti-Radiation Drugs, those items are not long-term solutions to the issue. Instead, STALKER fans must work to obtain and equip Artifacts that reduce radiation and gear with radiation protection.

Of those two options, radiation-reducing Artifacts are the most direct way to deal with Artifact radiation, as an Artifact with "radio protection" can cancel the negative effects of an Artifact with a comparable level of radiation. For example, an Artifact with weak radio protection, such as Slug, will nullify the negative effects of a STALKER Artifact with weak radiation.

With respect to how to pursue radiation-reducing Artifacts, players should hold an Artifact detector (like an Echo Device) any time that they do not need to have a weapon in-hand. These detectors indicate when an Artifact is nearby, and players who use them frequently will eventually come across Artifacts with radio protection. This is especially true if a fan makes sure to always use their detectors near acid anomalies, as several radiation-reducing Artifacts come from those sources.

Players will obtain a Slug, an Artifact with weak radio protection, during an early-game story mission in STALKER 2. That mission occurs in the Garbage, the game's second Region, and fans who are struggling to find a radiation-reducing Artifact in the environment may want to simply focus on reaching it.

Helmets and Suits also provide radiation protection, and players can deal with some levels of Artifact radiation as they improve their gear. Additionally, the radiation protection that is provided by gear supports the radio protection offered by some Artifacts. For example, players who equip an Artifact with weak radio protection alongside gear with some radiation protection should be able to negate a medium-radiation Artifact.

Players who hope to obtain those radiation-reducing Helmets and Suits are strongly advised to pursue Stashes when they appear on STALKER 2's map, as they are great sources for better gear. Additionally, fans will receive gear with radiation protection as they complete missions, though those items typically seem to be of worse quality than those that can be collected from Stashes.

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