In STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, you’ll face many intense decisions, and one of the first ones comes early in the game: what to do with Solder during the quest, “Behind Seven Seals“. Once you talk to him on the radio in the prologue of STALKER 2, this character betrayed you by feeding you the wrong information, and now you’ve tracked him down to his hideout in The Sphere. With Solder at your mercy, you’re given a choice—knock him out or kill him. It seems like a simple decision, but it might have a bigger impact on your journey than you’d expect. This guide explains what happens with each option and figures out which path makes the most sense.
What Happens If You Knock Out Solder?
After tracking him down to The Sphere and overpowering him, I chose to spare his life. Turns out, this choice has a good payoff. If you knock him out instead of killing him, he shows up much later in the game during the mission called The Hornet’s Nest. In this objective, Solder helps you out, making a tough combat section way easier to handle.
It’s worth noting that this help isn’t game-breaking, but in a game as challenging as STALKER 2, any little assistance can be of good help. If you value building strong allies, sparing Solder is the better move. Moreover, you’re not missing much by letting him live—the loot he carries is forgettable at best. His pistol is junk, the ammo isn’t anything special, and while his PDA contains a cryptic message tied to Nestor, it doesn’t add much to the story. After seeing the message saying, “We’ve got an emergency here, Nestor. The Ward knows about the scanners.“, it becomes clear that they have a bad deal related to the scanners business but Solder doesn’t know about their location.
Another thing I appreciated is that Solder admits during your confrontation that he wasn’t the one who truly betrayed you—he’s a small-time technician caught in a larger web of schemes. Sure, he’s not completely innocent, but does he deserve to die for it? For me, it was a no-brainer to let him walk away (or, in this case, crawl away unconscious).
What Happens If You Kill Solder?
If you decide to kill Solder, it’s quick and final. He’s restrained and can’t fight back, so taking him out is easy. However, there are very limited rewards: You can loot his body, but as I mentioned earlier, his gear is lackluster. The only somewhat interesting item is his PDA, which contains a short message from Nestor confirming their shady collaboration in dark business.
If you’re worried about factions or future consequences, don’t be—killing Solder doesn’t affect your reputation with anyone. The International Perimeter Security Force (IPSF), Solder’s faction, doesn’t react to his death in any noticeable way. Even if you leave a pile of bodies on your way into The Sphere, the IPSF is more concerned with their overall operations than avenging a small member like Solder.
On the flip side, killing Solder does close the door on his arrival in the late storyline. You’ll miss his help during the specific mentioned quest, which might make that mission somewhat tougher. If you like to keep your options open or enjoy seeing how characters are going to evolve as the story progresses, this choice might not be what you want as that’s why I decided not to go that way.
Should You Shoot or Knock Out Solder in STALKER 2?
After weighing both options, I recommend knocking Solder out instead of killing him. Sparing his life gives you a tangible benefit later in the game while killing him only provides a few scraps of loot that aren’t worth it. Plus, keeping him alive is a more strategic and humane decision. He’s not the mastermind behind your troubles—he’s just a pawn in someone else’s game.
That said, the often choices in STALKER 2 are up to player preferences, so there’s no “wrong” answer here. If you’re playing as a ruthless survivor who doesn’t let anyone off the hook, killing Solder might fit your style. It won’t derail your game or largely affect the narrative. But if you think to have fun seeing how your choices ripple, sparing him is the better path.
Ultimately, this decision is one of many tough calls you’ll face in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Whether you choose to knock Solder out or end his story for good, the game will keep throwing you into morally gray situations where there’s no clear right or wrong. Even though you aren’t able to get enough loot here, there is a lot coming your way ahead in the new unlocked locations once you get through this quest.
 or knock out Solder in STALKER 2? Our guide tells what happens with each choice and which option has the best payoff for your journey.){kind=link}