If you haven't been in the Arena, I'd recommend it - it's a good way to make money and show everyone what you can do. Not everyone has the balls to fight the next monster and that's a pity!
― 100 Rads dialogue
The Arena is a location in the Bar featured in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
Overview[]
The Arena itself is located directly to the north of the 100 Rads and run by Arnie. The arena is located in the Duty Base, inside a roofless warehouse with 'DANGER: ARENA' painted on the side. In Heart of Chornobyl, the arena is moved below the warehouse into the basement.
As the name implies, it is a place where stalkers fight against each other for reputation and money. Every fight is to the death and the number of combatants varies. In Shadow of Chernobyl and Heart of Chornobyl, the player can choose to participate in the arena, fighting increasingly larger and more dangerous groups of opponents for increasingly larger sums of cash.
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
The Arena has eight different rounds. When a match is started, all of the player's equipment is removed and the player is only given certain outfits, armor and ammunition, the loadout being different for each challenge. Once a fight is over, the player's inventory is emptied once more and all of their belongings are returned, meaning items salvaged during the fight (especially weapons) cannot be kept without the use of glitches.
All of the fights take place of a separate area, located inside a warehouse. There are multiple crates and other items scattered around the arena, to serve as cover during the battle. Each fight begins with a small cutscence flyover of the arena. The fight begins and ends with an announcer commentating on the player and their opponents.
Each match has a ranking requirement that the player must fulfill to participate, otherwise Arnie will not allow the player to continue. Conversely, after winning all eight rounds, there is no one left for the player to fight, and Arnie will only ever say "You're already a pro!" if he is talked to again.
Round One[]
- Rank requirement:
Rookie - Equipment: PMm, 9x18mm +P+ x40
- Reward: 1000 RU
- Description: "So, your first fight? Your opponent is a piece of meat just like you. He's here because of debts and he only has two options: to come out and fight or to land himself in the nearest anomaly. He's gonna fight like a cornered animal. Equipment for today... lemme think... OK! Why don't you two use PMm's... two clips each should be plenty. Either you kick his arse or we feed you to the dogs - not much of a choice. Go on now."
The first fight pits the player against a single opponent using the exact same equipment as the player. The opponent spawns on the other side of the arena and will make his way to the player's side until he eventually spots them and opens fire. The fight ends as soon at the stalker is killed.
The player's weapon is initially loaded with 9x18mm FMJ ammunition, but the player can swap with the provided +P+ bullets for extra damage as soon as the fight begins.
Round Two[]
- Rank requirement: Rookie
- Equipment: Viper 5, 9x19mm PB1s x20
- Reward: 2000 RU
- Description: "Your last fight didn't mean shit. You're still the same piece of meat you were before and no self-respecting person will bet a single mag on you. If you wanna earn some proper cash you're gonna have to make a few more appearances in the arena. Your new opponent also got through the first round and his fight was a lot harder than yours. I don't like him, to be honest - he kills too quickly and the crowd doesn't like that. So, go and show us what you can do! The stakes will increase after this fight - all you gotta do is stay alive. Move it!"
For this round, the player's opponent is a lone stalker with a Stalker suit and using the same weapon as the player. Once again, the Viper 5 is loaded with 9x19mm FMJ ammunition, but the player can swap from the more penetrating PB1s bullets as soon as the fight begins.
Round Three[]
- Rank requirement: Rookie
- Equipment: Sawn-off dbl-barrel, 12x70 Buckshot x20
- Reward: 3000 RU
- Description: "Well, well... You're not as much of a pussy as you first seemed. Now it's time to test you out in a real fight. You're up against two guys. The first one's called Swede and I don't remember the second one's name. They were paired up intentionally as they hate each other's guts so don't worry about them working as a team - they're more likely to shoot each other. Today is rifle day so don't let them get too close or we'll have to pick you up piece by piece. The odds are 10:1 so if you win you'll make a fair amount. Off you go!
This time the player has two fight two opponents, both wearing Stalker suits and using the same weaponry as the player. The given weapons are shotguns, so the fight will be close quarters.
Round Four[]
- Rank requirement: Experienced
- Equipment: Akm 74/2, 5.45x39mm BP x60, bandage x2
- Reward: 4000 RU
- Description: "Well, now I can safely say that you're a fighter, a real fighter. Now it's time for a team fight. You get to fight with two rookies - two brothers - on your side. They haven't fought yet but they're brothers, so I had to put them into a team fight. I wouldn't expect any real help from them if I were you. You're fighting an experienced team, they're contenders for the final this season. A dangerous lot. They use different weapons but one has an automatic shotgun - be very careful with him. Good luck, pal... you're gonna need it."
For this round, the player is teamed up with two rookies, one using a sawn-off dbl-barrel and the other an Akm 74/2U. The player has three opponents, two of them clad in a stalker suit while the third one uses a SEVA suit, one using a SPSA14 and the two others using the same weapon as the player. The rookies will usually not last long on their own, but may provide help namely by distracting the opponents, allowing the player to flank them and easily kill them.
Round Five[]
- Rank requirement: Experienced
- Equipment: Wind of Freedom suit, Obokan, 5.45x39mm BP x90, medkit x1, bandage x1
- Reward: 6000 RU
- Description: "You've got a special fight today. Even the army has heard about you! Don't be surprised, they fight here too - there's even a general in the crowd. These guys are from the Spetsnaz or from OMON. They're well armed and their armour is good as you'd expect. Don't worry too much, I ain't gonna leave you out in the rain, either. You'll get a vest used by Freedom - it's light so it won't slow you down. Go on, show them that stalkers ain't no whipping boys. Good luck!"
This is the first round where the player is given armor, but for good reason: both opponents are clad in Military armored suits, one uses a Tunder S14 while the other has a VLA special assault rifle. Considering how much armor the two soldiers pack, it is recommended to immediately swap to BP ammunition as it has more penetration. The player should be careful and use cover, as the soldiers' weapons will kill the player very quickly owing to their sheer stopping power.
Round Six[]
- Rank requirement: Experienced
- Equipment: Berill-5M armoured suit, Tunder S14, 9x39mm SP-6 x90, F1 grenade x1
- Reward: 8000 RU
- Description: "Time for you to show what you can do. Duty captured a group of bandits that had been causing problems for stalkers near Rostok. Duty took'em at night so most of the bandits were taken alive. They were all gonna be executed anyway so I conviced Duty to give them a chance. If any of them survive, they'll go in the can outside the Zone, which is better than dying here. They're not well-armed - just a few pistols and sawn-offs - but there's six of them so watch yourself. Go on now!"
This round pits the player against six bandits wearing simple jackets or trench coats, using either of the following weapons: sawn-off dbl-barrel, Akm 74/2U, Viper 5 or Akm 74/2. They have very little armor, so the Tunder S14 kills them very easily.
Round Seven[]
- Rank requirement: Veteran
- Equipment: F1 grenade x4, bandage x1
- Reward: 10000 RU
- Description: "Well, you're almost in the final. Now you'll be fighting a real stalker. He's alone but he's got an FT 200M and he's inside an exoskeleton. Catch one burst and you're toast. There will be a surprise that I can't tell you about too... Here's my advice: be prepared, it's gonna be tough. The winner makes it through to the final. Fight to the death, go!"
By far the most difficult fight in the arena, this round has the player with nothing but a knife and four F1 grenades take on a single stalker clad in an Exoskeleton and using a powerful FT-200M. The player has a single bandage for this match, so damage sustained during the battle will usually end up being lethal.
The best strategy to win this game is to sneak up on the stalker and quickly stab him in the head, which will be an instant kill most of the times. The grenades aren't likely to be much of use, given the fact the stalker will run away from them (despite wearing an exoskeleton), although a well-timed combination may kill him. Throwing grenades as soon as the fight begins may also catch the stalker off-guard and kill him.
Round Eight[]
- Rank requirement: Veteran
- Equipment: Exoskeleton, GP37, 5.56x45mm AP x120
- Reward: 10000 RU
- Description: "Congratulations, you're in the final! One more to go and this one is to the death, every man for himself. There will be 4 other stalkers in the arena: all real pros in exoskeletons with GP-37s but it's a fair deal this time - you'll get exactly what they have. The only thing is, you don't get medkits or bandages in a fight to the death. Ready? Go prove you're the best, GO!"
The final round is actually among the easier ones - the player's four opponents are all clad in Exoskeletons just like the player, but despite what Arnie says, they use Akm 74/2s instead of the GP37. What makes this fight especially easy is that it is a free-for-all round, but all four of the player's opponents are spawned on the same side, meaning they will immediately open fire on each other as soon as the fight begins. This means the player can just let them fight and finish off the last survivor. Alternatively, the player can take advantage of the fact the opponents are distracted by each other to easily score headshots with the very accurate GP37.
Mutant fights (Shadow of Chernobyl)[]
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This article or section is based on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl cut content and may contain inaccurate information or speculation. |
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Initially, the player was also meant to be able to fight mutants in the arena. This feature was cut from the final release of the game, although it is still alluded to in dialogue, such as with Sergeant Kitsenko. The mutant fights are comprised of several rounds, which are:
- Round 1: Pseudodog
- Round 2: Snork
- Round 3: Bloodsucker
- Round 4: Burer
The final and fifth round would pit the player against another stalker, named Savage.
Unlike the normal Arena fights, the player would be required to bet on the amount of time necessary to kill the mutant; very quick wins would net more earnings for the player, while taking too long would reduce the reward.
Heart of Chornobyl[]
The Arena returns in Heart of Chornobyl, featuring five rounds that function similarly to Shadow of Chernobyl. Unlike Shadow of Chernobyl, each fight begins with a small cutscence of Skif inspecting the primary weapon he was given. The fight has live commentation from an announcer on the player and their opponents.
Each match has a story/rank (hidden) progress requirement that the player must fulfill to participate, otherwise the arena will not clean up, and thus not allow the player to continue.
Round One[]
- Rank requirement: Rookie
- Equipment: PMm, 9x18mm +P+ x40
- Reward: 1000
- Description: "tbd"
The first fight pits the player and an ally (Ihor Valter) against two opponents using the exact same equipment as the player. The opponent spawns on the other side of the arena and will make their way to the player's side until they eventually spot them and open fire. The fight ends as soon as the stalkers are killed.
The player's weapon is initially loaded with 9x18mm FMJ ammunition, but the player can swap with the provided +P+ bullets for extra damage as soon as the fight begins.
Round Two[]
- Rank requirement: Rookie
- Equipment: Viper 5, 9x19mm PB1s x20
- Reward: 2000 RU
- Description: "Your last fight didn't mean shit. You're still the same piece of meat you were before and no self-respecting person will bet a single mag on you. If you wanna earn some proper cash you're gonna have to make a few more appearances in the arena. Your new opponent also got through the first round and his fight was a lot harder than yours. I don't like him, to be honest - he kills too quickly and the crowd doesn't like that. So, go and show us what you can do! The stakes will increase after this fight - all you gotta do is stay alive. Move it!"
For this round, the player's opponent is a lone stalker with a Stalker suit and using the same weapon as the player. Once again, the Viper 5 is loaded with 9x19mm FMJ ammunition, but the player can swap from the more penetrating PB1s bullets as soon as the fight begins.
Round Three[]
- Rank requirement: Rookie
- Equipment: Sawn-off dbl-barrel, 12x70 Buckshot x20
- Reward: 3000 RU
- Description: "tbd"
tbd
Round Four[]
- Rank requirement: Experienced
- Equipment: Akm 74/2, 5.45x39mm BP x60, bandage x2
- Reward: 4000 RU
- Description: "chimera"
Gallery[]
Glitches[]
- There is a grated door in the arena, just behind the player's spawn point. After completing a round, toss the player's weapon (or the opponent's) on the other side of this door. It will not despawn, and will allow the player to use this weapon in the next fight. This is particularly helpful for round 6, as the player can keep the Tunder S14 for use in the next round, where they are normally unarmed.
- Occasionally, stalkers may spawn in the arena during a fight and engage the player's opponents. The likelihood of this happening is relatively low.
- There is a bug that allows the player to enter the factory in which the Arena is placed in, similar to the bug that allows the player to open the door in the Sarcophagus without having the decoder. However, there is nothing inside it, as the Arena is actually in another place (physically).
Trivia[]
- All of the spectators use Kitsenko's and Plichko's models. They can be knocked off into the arena by using grenades, although this will not kill them; they will simply lie in the same position and remain animated.
- Most of the fighters in the arena are part of a unique faction, the arena_enemy faction (which is identified as the Mercenaries on the player's PDA).
- The sole exception to this is the opponents in the final round. One of them is part of this faction, while one is a Bandit, one is in the Military, and the fourth one is in the Monolith faction. This is done so as to have them shoot each other, as all of these factions are hostile to each other.
- In addition, the player's teammates in Round 4 are both part of Duty. In reality, they use the actor_dolg faction, which was initially intended for the player when joining Duty in earlier versions of the game