Best STALKER 2 weapons for the early game

STALKER 2 guns — (Image credit: GSC Game World)

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AKM-74S
Viper-5
TOZ-34

Having the best STALKER 2 weapons in your arsenal should be your focus in the early part of the game, as there are plenty of threats around you and you don't have the luxury of time to waste on dealing with them. There are plenty of different weapons types out there, from automatic rifles to shotguns, and they each have their own specific pros and cons. Naturally, their true benefits will depend to a degree on your personal playstyle and the mission at hand, but there are definitely some STALKER 2 weapons that are better than others – especially towards the beginning.

You should also bear in mind that ammo is a valuable commodity throughout the game, particularly when you first start out in the Zone, so it's best to consider the availability of ammo you’ll need before you finalize your choice of gun. To help with that, we’ve picked out the best STALKER 2 weapons to get ahead in the early game, their pros and cons, and where to find them.

The best weapons and guns in STALKER 2

Best long range: AKM-74S
Best medium range: Viper-5
Best close range: TOZ-34

We considered raw firepower, situational adaptability, and ammo rarity when making these choices. Depending on your needs, we’d recommend bringing along these weapons when exploring the Zone and completing missions.

It’s also worth noting that you’ll need to do some STALKER 2 gun repair if you're looting (usually damaged) weapons from enemies, while it'll take some upgrading to get the best out of them. By adding STALKER 2 weapon upgrades and improving them, you’ll find yourself frequently gaining more of an upper hand during combat. With that in mind, these top weapon choices should still work great out of the box in STALKER 2.

Bear in mind that you will lose all of your guns after finishing the STALKER 2 prologue, so don’t stress too much about holding onto ammo until you reach the first real act of the game.

AKM-74S

Pros: High rate-of-fire, quick reload, plentiful ammo
Cons: Not as accurate un-upgraded as other rifles
Where to find: Enemy drops, found during The Lost Boys and/or Warlock’s Debtor side missions

There are a few automatic rifle choices you get during the early hours of STALKER 2, and we’ve found the most reliable option for long range to be the AKM-74S. With a decent rate-of-fire and fast reload time, this gun should make quick work of any enemies you encounter out in the Zone.

Keep in mind that the AR416 ultimately outclasses the AKM rifles in several ways, however if you upgrade the AKM-74S at a Tech it'll outpace the AR416 for a good while. It's also tricky to find lots of 416 ammo early on - in the first 10 hours we only came across around 15-20 bullets for the 416. Meanwhile, AKM ammo is quite plentiful, and you should be able to keep this weapon topped up with a bit of scavenging – remembering to unload enemy weapons when you loot bodies is one of our top STALKER 2 tips.

You can find the AKM-74S in several places. The Ninth carries one during the STALKER 2 The Lost Boys side mission, but if you do not want to kill him you can grab a scoped AKM-74S at the top of the Water Tower during the Warlock’s Debtor side mission. The extra range this gives you makes an incredibly powerful option considering how early you can get it. There's also the STALKER 2 Drowned variant that you can pick up in Garbage, and it comes with an underbarrel grenade launcher!

Viper-5

Pros: Fast rate of fire, decent accuracy
Cons: High recoil
Where to find: Enemy drops, Zhorik’s Stash, or available to buy from Hamster

Your best rifle for medium and short range in the early game is the Viper-5. This weapon has a high rate of fire and a large magazine, allowing you to clear buildings of enemies before they have a chance to fill you with bullet holes.

You’ll have to contend with the gun’s high recoil though, making it less effective outdoors at longer ranges. There are some upgrades to help with this, but we’d recommend only really using this at closer ranges and indoors.

The Viper-5 can be found pretty soon after clearing the prologue. Once you reach the Post Office and help defeat a bunch of raiders, you’ll be pointed in the right direction towards Zalissya. Just up the road from there is a downed helicopter marked as Zhorik’s Stash, which holds the Viper-5.

TOZ-34

Pros: High damage, excellent at close range
Cons: Only two shots, long reload time
Where to find: Buy from Hamster or found during The Lost Boys side mission, also less common enemy drop

The TOZ-34 is a double-barreled shotgun that deals high damage, perfect for any close encounters when exploring the many abandoned buildings, sewers, and caves that populate the Zone. Its high damage is countered by its small magazine size and long reload time, so if you do get into a fight with a large group, make sure you have ample cover to breathe.

The TOZ-34 shares ammo with the Boomstick, but we’d recommend this due to the fact that it has slightly better range and accuracy, and the vertically-placed barrels makes the iron sights a little easier to place shots.

You can find the TOZ-34 not long after finishing the prologue. Hamster stocks it in the shop at Zalissya, and you can also find it on a dead Stalker body in the sewer during the The Lost Boys side mission, where you can get a AKM-74S as well. It’s a decent alternative to the Viper-5 for fighting indoors, so we’d recommend having both of these weapons equipped when you enter a building.

Where to find STALKER 2 ammo

You can find STALKER 2 ammo all over the Exclusion Zone, but the best way to find ammo is via stashes. As you talk to characters and advance main and side missions, stash locations will periodically open up that hold supplies like meds, food, and bullets.

Similarly, look out for dead bodies across the world too. They’ll typically carry a few bullets, and also may carry a weapon – be sure to unload the bullets from it and add them to your personal stock.