In the early chapters of the world of STALKER 2, and this one seems to be no exception. The search for Solder forms the first major narrative thrust, and the way that players choose to resolve it determines how the next chapter plays out.

After choosing either to help or kill Squint, they'll return his sensors either to Richter or Zotov, and gain important information on Solder's location (along with a way in). They'll need to sneak their way to his headquarters in the heart of The Sphere, and interrogate him about his involvement in their earlier run-in. Finally, with Solder weakened and restrained, Skif can decide either to kill him, or to knock him out, before escaping The Sphere and moving onto the next map region. Here's what that decision affects, both immediately and in the long run.

What Happens If You Kill Solder?

Pros & Cons Of Killing Solder

If the player decides to kill Solder during "Behind Seven Seals," it'll be over in a moment; there's no fight or extended struggle required. Skif already has Solder restrained and at his mercy, so he puts up no further resistance, and just crumbles to the ground. The most immediate effect of killing Solder is that the player will be able to loot him, but don't expect to find anything great. All Solder carries is a broken gun, a handful of ammo, and a PDA.

Players can, however, pick up Solder's PDA to unlock a secret message between him and Nestor. All it says is, "We've got an emergency here, Nestor. The Ward knows about the scanners." This confirms that Solder was involved in some shady dealings with Nestor, involving a set of scanners they wanted to keep secret from the militant and authoritarian Ward. That's hardly surprising at this point, considering what the player already knows about Nestor and the Ward, but it's another piece of the puzzle.

With that, Skif is free to leave The Sphere - well, not exactly free. If he's caught anywhere between Solder's office and his preferred exit, the rest of the NPCs there will become hostile, which may make it difficult to escape. Frankly, it's best to pick a route and just make a run for it. Don't get bogged down fighting here, as there's not a lot of room to run. Skif is likely to be seriously outmatched by this point, likely having used most of his resources just to get in the door. There's little value in sticking around.

Stealth is an invaluble tool in STALKER 2 - don't underestimate the enemy, and sneak whenever possible.

Don't expect Solder or his allies to show up later in the game to avenge him. Although Solder's faction, the International Perimeter Security Force, will show up again from time to time, there's no apparent effect on the player's interactions with them after killing him. There is something of a faction reputation system in STALKER 2, but it's unclear how individual, story-focused acts like this one affect it. It seems Skif is more likely to draw the IPSF's ire by killing many of their number on his way into The Sphere (basically an inevitability) than he is by killing Solder.

What Happens If You Knock Out Solder?

Pros & Cons Of Keeping Solder Alive

If the player decides to knock Solder out instead, the rest of the quest will proceed much the same way: Solder will go down, Skif will escape The Sphere, and, depending on whether they sided with Richter or Zotov earlier, they'll receive their next instructions over the phone, and move onto the next phase of the main quest. The only immediate difference is that Skif won't be able to loot Solder here, but again, he's not missing out on much. The PDA isn't necessary for the ensuing quests, the gun is functionally useless, and the ammo, while nice, isn't worth the other consequences.

Much later in the story, Solder will reappear during the quest "The Hornet's Nest" if Skif decided to keep him alive. During this mission, he'll put his unique skills to good use, making a combat sequence significantly easier with Skif's help. Solder's participation isn't strictly necessary, but it makes a particularly tough part of a difficult game much easier. Players should at least take this into when deciding what to do with Solder at the end of "Behind Seven Seals."

You Should Knock Solder Out

I Scratch Your Back, You Scratch Mine

Ultimately, it makes more sense to knock Solder out and keep him alive long enough to participate in "The Hornet's Nest." Again, while not required, having Solder as an ally during this mission is invaluable. By comparison, the loot available on Solder after killing him is basically worthless. The gun barely works, the PDA hardly reveals anything new, and ammo is plentiful elsewhere.

And, if nothing else, Solder isn't ultimately at fault for betraying Skif. He's a patsy at worst, a pawn in a bigger scheme that'll take Skif much longer to unravel. He'd be pitiable if he weren't so dishonest, but either way, he hardly deserves to die over it. Keeping him alive is not only the better and more practical choice, but arguably the moral thing to do.

But in truth, players are free to choose whatever they want when dealing with Solder. This only appears to affect a single mission later down the line - it doesn't seem to alter any faction reputation mechanics, or change the story immutably. While it'll be significantly harder without Solder's involvement, "The Hornet's Nest" is still beatable. There's no wrong decision at this point in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.