Stalker 2: Should you kill Shah or pay Varan in Deal with the Devil

Stalker 2‘s Deal with the Devil is a classic case of “everyone’s out to screw you over.” You’ll be dealing with Varan, a shady character who’s got a deal that smells fishy right from the start.

He wants a cool 20k for some vague help, or you can skip the payment and handle things your own way. Of course, nothing in the Zone is ever simple, so you can expect a few surprises, some backstabbing, and a whole lot of gunfire no matter what you choose – so bring all your ammo and repair your weapons beforehand.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the different options, show you the outcomes, and help you decide the best way to navigate this dumpster fire of a mission.

How to start the quest Deal with the Devil

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Deal with the Devil quest kicks off when you look for a shady NPC called Varan in a plant in Garbage. If you’ve already been there, you can just fast travel nearby.

He’ll give you three main choices, all of which hinge on whether or not you’re willing to cough up a hefty 20k in cash.

Should you kill Shah, Pay Varan, or kill Varan?

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After weighing the options, the best and quickest option is to deal with Varan right away.

Why waste 20k when you can go straight to the point and snag the key and PDA yourself? It’s faster, cheaper, and – honestly – what did you expect from a mission called “Deal with the Devil”?

Finish up by looting the PDA and making a hasty exit from the compound, and you’re all set. Mission accomplished, minimal hassle.

If you’re not so sure this is the choice for you, here are all your options:

Option 1: Pay 20000 Coupons

You fork over the 20k, and Varan gives you a metal key. He’ll send you off to an underground garage where, surprise, one of the attackers is supposedly locked up. Spoiler: the guy’s already dead.

You crack open the locked metal door, grab the PDA on the body, and bam – quest progresses. But wait, don’t get comfy, because the moment you snag the PDA, you’re ambushed by enemies anyway. Money well spent, right? (Not really, but if you need some extra cash after this mission, we’ve got you covered.)

Option 2: Deal with Shah

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If you’re not a fan of parting with cash, you can agree to kill Shah in the Roosevelt building instead.

Once you loot Shah’s PDA off his corpse, you bring it back to Varan. The reward is the same metal key as before, but you’ve saved 20k and got to handle things with a bit more style. After that, it’s the same routine – down to the garage, grab the PDA, and then fight your way out.

Option 3: Just kill Varan

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The most straightforward option is to ignore the theatrics and just take Varan out.

It’s a bit riskier because you’ll have to fight Varan’s goons immediately, but you end up with the same key and PDA, skipping the drama and keeping your cash.

That’s everything you need to know about Deal with the Devil quest in Stalker 2. If you need more help with Stalker 2, check out the best weapons to get early, all Lesser Zone stash locations, whether to give the Ward Sensor to Richter or Captain Zotov, and who to side with in The Los Boys quest.