Who Should You Show The Unusual PDA To?

Fairly early in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl‘s main quest, players will find an unusual PDA. This device contains important information, and even if Skif can’t fully understand it at first, he can decide whether to show it to or hide it from a series of NPCs during the quest “Back to the Slag Heap.” This is where the factional conflict at the heart of STALKER 2 starts to come to a head: both the authoritarian Ward and the researchers of Spark want access to the PDA’s data, and are willing to go to great lengths to go it.

That said, the decision ultimately lies with Skif (and the player) to determine who gets to see what’s on the PDA. They can first choose either to show it to Ward captain Korshunov or turn him down, then do the same to Spark leaders Scar and Star. Finally, he can show the PDA to Strider, leader of the related Noontide faction, although there’s less variation in outcomes there. Here’s what each phase of the unusual PDA decision in “Back to the Slag Heap” affects.

What Happens If You Show The PDA To Korshunov?

Pros & Cons Of Helping The Ward

If Skif decides to show the PDA to Captan Korshunov of the Ward, he’ll naturally be grateful. Regardless of Skif’s interactions with the Ward thus far (i.e, whether he gave Squint’s sensors to Richter or Zotov), he’ll receive a Ward Badge as thanks for all his good work. The badge effectively marks Skif as a friend of the Ward, and it’ll make his progression through certain story missions (including the very next one) significantly easier by getting him behind otherwise closed doors. The Ward Badge will also unlock new dialogue options in random encounters with Ward scouts, which may help avoid confrontation.

Choosing whom to show the PDA to doesn’t seem to affect faction reputation directly, although what the players chooses to do afterwards may.

In addition to the Ward Badge, Skif will also receive a unique weapon, the Combatant, from Korshunov. This is an Assault Rifle with a high rate of fire, and decent accuracy, but it’s fairly low on damage and penetration. It’s not the best rifle Skif can find in the game, but it’s pretty good, and may be better than what the player is using at this early stage. However, it’ll quickly be dwarfed by the caliber of weapons Skif can find later. It also sells for a handy 3,785 coupons, in case it’s not needed.

That said, choosing to show the unusual PDA to Korshunov will affect Scar and Star’s reaction (see below), regardless of whether Skif decides to share the PDA with them, too. It shouldn’t have any long-term effects on his relationship with Spark or those two characters, though. Players can still continue working with Spark if they so desire.

Skif will then move onto the next main mission, the identity of which depends on his decision here. Note that showing the PDA to Korshunov unlocks the next main mission, “Hot on the Trail,” immediately, but here’s an extra step required if Skif chooses not to share the contents of the PDA with Korshunov, regardless of whether he chooses to show it to Scar and Star.

Refusing to show the PDA to Korshunov requires Skif to complete the side mission “A Heavy Burden” before moving onto “Hot on the Trail,” delivering some cargo to Wild Island in order to get in good with Noontide. It’s not an impossible mission, but it’s more work; that work does reward an additional 1,350 coupons, however.

What Happens If You Show The Unusual PDA To Scar & Star?

Pros & Cons Of Siding With Spark

Again, Scar and Star’s reception to Skif’s decision here will depend on whether he chose to show the PDA to Korshunov previously. (That step can’t be skipped; Skif must have a confrontation with Korshunov either way.) If he did share it with Korshunov first, Scar and Star will have a hostile reaction. The conflict between the Ward and Spark is persistent throughout the game, and manifests itself again here.

However, Scar and Star’s threats don’t lead to any negative action either way. They’re just warning Skif of more severe consequences if he continues helping the Ward. They won’t immediately attack him or turn on him later for this choice alone, which seems to have little to no impact on faction reputation.

If Skif chooses not to show the PDA to Scar and Star, he’ll have to get to Wild Island on his own, beginning the side mission “A Heavy Burden.” As a result, this decision could be considered far less impactful than the one with Korshunov. Players can choose whatever they’d like here.

What Happens If You Show The Unusual PDA To Strider?

Pros & Cons Of Siding With Strider

During “Hot on the Trail,” Skif will have what appears to be a decision between whether to show the unusual PDA to Strider. They may say either, “The attackers had this PDA” or “Your men did this.” However, this isn’t a real choice: regardless of what the player chooses to say here, Skif will show the PDA to Strider either way. It’s required to move the main mission forward.

You Should Show The Unusual PDA To Everyone

Plenty Of Time To Decide

Ultimately, players should show the unusual PDA to both Korshunov and Scar (and to Strider, but they don’t have much choice in the matter). Showing the PDA to Korshunov is, of course, the more important choice of the two, as it has a direct impact on immediate rewards and the next mission. The Scar and Star choice matters less, but from a story perspective, it’s best to show it to them, too. Skif needs all the help he can get at this point. He may as well keep his options open.

That said, the rewards provided by Korshunov (especially the Ward Badge) are very much worth drawing Scar and Star’s ire. The Ward Badge can help Skif get out of any number of sticky situations, including the entirety of the “Heavy Burden” sidequest. Its utility doesn’t end there, though, as Skif can use it to get out of various conflict encounters, as well as to walk in the front door of various Ward bases throughout the game.

Remember, this has almost no impact on faction reputation. Getting the Ward Badge doesn’t mean permanently siding with the Ward; it just means getting their seal of approval. He can choose to use that for his own purposes, however nefariously anti-Ward they may be. For those reasons, showing the PDA to everyone (or at least to Korshunov) results in the smoothest experience in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.