You’re trekking through the Lesser Zone, the air is thick with radiation, and your Geiger counter won't stop clicking. Then you meet Squint. He’s sitting there in his little shack, looking pathetic but holding onto information you desperately need for the "Needle in a Haystack" quest. Honestly, he’s one of those NPCs that makes you want to reach for your Kalashnikov immediately. But should you actually do it? Deciding whether to kill Squint in STALKER 2 isn't just about being a "bad guy" or a "good guy"—it's about how you want to manage your resources and your reputation in a world that already hates you.
The Zone is brutal. It doesn't care about your morals.
When you first encounter Squint, he’s basically holding you hostage with a price tag. He wants a hefty sum of coupons—10,000 to be exact—just to tell you where to find the sensors for Richter. For a player just starting out, 10,000 coupons feels like a million. You’ve probably spent your last few credits on bread and a few rounds of 5.45mm. So, the thought of putting a bullet in his head to save that cash is incredibly tempting.
The Immediate Consequences of Killing Squint
If you decide to pull the trigger, the game doesn't stop you. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is built on this kind of gritty freedom. Killing Squint is the "poor man's route." Once he’s dead, you can loot his body. You won't find the 10,000 coupons you were hoping to save, but you will find his PDA.
Reading that PDA gives you the exact same coordinates he would have sold you.
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It’s fast. It’s free. You get to keep your money for suit upgrades or a better scope. From a pure "efficiency" standpoint, the kill-path seems like a no-brainer. GSC Game World designed these moments to test if you're willing to trade your humanity for a slightly easier time in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
But wait. There's a catch.
The Zone has a memory. While Squint himself isn't some legendary hero, he is a trader. In the STALKER universe, killing traders is generally frowned upon by the local population. If you kill him, you’re choosing a darker path for Skif. You’ll notice that some NPCs might treat you differently, and you lose out on Squint as a potential trade node later. He’s not the best trader in the game, but having a spot to offload heavy loot in the Lesser Zone is sometimes worth more than 10,000 coupons.
Is Paying the 10,000 Coupons Actually Worth It?
Let's look at the alternative. You cough up the cash. You're broke, but Squint is alive.
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Why would anyone do this?
Mostly, it’s for the long game. STALKER 2 features a complex web of consequences that aren't always immediate. Keeping Squint alive keeps a neutral-to-friendly face in a very dangerous area. Plus, if you're roleplaying as a Skif who actually tries to maintain some semblance of a moral code, paying him is the "canon" way to stay on Richter's good side.
Richter is a key figure. He's watching. While the game doesn't give you a "Moral Meter" like Mass Effect, your actions ripple through the dialogue and the way factions perceive you.
Paying him also opens up the possibility of future interactions. Squint is a coward, sure, but cowards survive. Later in the game, having fewer enemies means fewer people shooting at your back when you're already trying to outrun a Blowout.
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How to Kill Squint Without Ruining Your Save
If you’ve made up your mind and he has to go, don't just run in spraying bullets. The Lesser Zone is still populated.
- Check your surroundings. Make sure there aren't any heavily armed loners or Ward members nearby who might take offense to you murdering a trader in cold blood.
- Use a silenced weapon if you have one. It’s just cleaner.
- Loot everything. His PDA is the quest item, but his stash notes are where the real value lies.
If you kill him and find yourself regretting it because you realized you needed a place to sell your junk, you’re out of luck. There is no "resurrection" mechanic in the Zone. Once a named NPC is dead, they stay dead. You’d have to reload a previous save, which, depending on how long you spent fighting mutants on the way there, could cost you hours of progress.
The Verdict: To Kill or Not to Kill?
Most veterans of the original Shadow of Chernobyl will tell you to save your money. The Zone is a place where "might makes right." However, Heart of Chornobyl is a much more reactive game.
If it's your first playthrough, I'd actually suggest not killing him.
Money comes and goes. You’ll find artifacts. You’ll sell junk. You’ll eventually have more coupons than you know what to do with. But you can't buy back a clean reputation. Killing Squint is a shortcut, and in the Zone, shortcuts usually lead to a shallow grave.
That said, if you're doing a "bandit" style run or you're just genuinely frustrated by his smug attitude, go ahead. The PDA has everything you need to progress the main story.
Actionable Steps for the "Needle in a Haystack" Quest
- Scout the area first: Before talking to Squint, make sure you've cleared out any nearby mutants. You don't want a bloodsucker interrupting your moral dilemma.
- Check your wallet: If you have 15,000+ coupons, just pay the man. The 10,000-coupon hit won't hurt your mid-game progression as much as you think.
- Save your game: Create a manual save before you interact with him. This allows you to see the outcome of the kill-path versus the pay-path without committing to a 40-hour journey with a choice you hate.
- Loot the PDA immediately: If you do kill him, don't leave the shack without that PDA. The quest marker won't update properly until you've physically interacted with his body and read the data.
- Look for the sensors: Regardless of how you get the info, the sensors are located in high-radiation zones. Make sure you have enough anti-rad meds or a suit with decent protection before heading to the coordinates provided by Squint (or his corpse).