How to get the Sledgehammer shotgun in Stalker 2

The Sledgehammer shotgun is a unique firearm in Stalker 2. It is a modified version of the SPSA-14 that you can earn by completing the Freedom Colosseum quest. An incredible close-range weapon, this shotgun can be your weapon of doom throughout the game. Its massive damage and high rate of fire also make it a perfect go-to weapon if you get ambushed by a small group of mercenaries.

Here is a detailed guide on how you can get your hands on the Sledgehammer shotgun in Stalker 2.

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How to acquire the Sledgehammer shotgun in Stalker 2

Rostok

The Sledgehammer shotgun cannot be looted from corpses or bought from merchants. It is only available as a reward for completing all the Arena missions in Stalker 2. For this, you need to find the Rostok settlement and unlock the Arena side missions.

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Arena

Visit the Arena grounds in the Rostok Base (Image via GSC Game World || YouTube/@WoWQuest)

Once in Rostok, go through the door that has 'ARENA' written above it on an LED sign. Then, descend the stairs to meet a man named Arnie and speak with him to start the Arena side questline. The way this works is you'll have to fight 5 rounds to complete this mission. Each subsequent round will be more difficult than the last, but you will be given respites between each wave. Use it to restore your health or refill your arsenal. Completing the Arena quest line will reward you with the Sledgehammer shotgun in Stalker 2.

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The Fights

Complete all five Arena fights to get the shotgun (Image via GSC Game World || YouTube/@WoWQuest)

The first round will see you in a 2v2 encounter. These will be against humans so you should probably face no difficulties.

The second round will have you fight against a psi-dog and other mutated dogs, while this fight isn't that difficult, the psi-dog can produce mimic illusions, which disappear when you shoot them. Hence, you can chew through ammo if you lose track of the real one.

The third round will see you fighting against seven bandits with only a sniper, which is not very difficult if you hang back and make your shots count. After completing the round, Arnie will ask you to return after an hour. Do note that you'll need to complete the 'Law and Order'/'To the Last Drop of Blood' main mission to unlock the next round.

The fourth round will see you fighting against a chimera with an assault rifle. This is a tanky mutant that can take a long time to kill. It also has good speed and powerful attacks that can kill you almost instantly. However, there is a way to cheese this fight, as you can climb on top of the containers in the arena. The chimera can't reach you and will only wander around without any goal. You can use this time to shoot the Chimera safely, and if you ever lose aggro, just drop back down before clambering up again.

The fifth and final round will see you fight against the Tyrant, an armored human. You'll be given the option to choose between an assault rifle or a shotgun, and we recommend taking the latter. This will be your most challenging fight yet. However, while only using the firearm will not suffice, you have the arena on your side.

You'll notice some changes in the grounds this time around. There will be a podium with four gas canisters lying around on each corner, and exploding them while the Tryrant is nearby will deal massive damage. However, he will not go down with this alone and you'll need to then engage in a run-and-gun encounter. Blast him with the shotgun at point-blank range then quickly dart back into cover. Continue doing this until the Tyrant hits the ground.

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The Reward

Arnie will reward you with the Sledgehammer shotgun after the final fight (Image via GSC Game World || YouTube/@WoWQuest)

Once you have finished all the Arena missions, talk to Arnie and he'll give you the Sledgehammer shotgun. While the quest is a long and arduous one, the reward is worth the work. This shotgun is a beast at close quarters, dealing massive damage at point-blank range. It also has a scope attached to it, providing a boost to its accuracy.

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This was a walkthrough on how to acquire a Sledgehammer shotgun in Stalker 2.