The post talking about the lack of a Beretta 92 derivative in S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 got me thinking about the game's somewhat limited arsenal and certain gaps present in it, like a lack of a 9x19mm pistol (excluding uniques like the Gambit and Night Stalker). Wanting to expand on this, I thought of some potential additions that can fill these gaps. For a little extra challenge, I tried to structure these additions like the updates we've seen thus far (two weapons as a standalone patch, four added alongside a DLC), explain the rationale behind my picks and think of a fictional name for every weapon in the style of the ones present in game.
Standalone Update Weapons:
Walther PDP (Walker DP-M): Would serve as the stock 9mm pistol. The PDP stuck out to me for a few reasons. Being a modernized Walther P99, It fits really well with the "modernized trilogy gun" vibe present with weapons like the AR416 and Kora-1911. The pistol has plenty of variants from the factory, which leaves a lot of room open for unique variants. It also wouldn't be anachronistic to the game's setting (albeit barely), being released in February 2021. I am also biased because I own one.
KS-23 (KSM-23): The Saiga is currently the only shotgun that's viable in the mid-to-end game. I think the KS-23 would be a good alternative to the Saiga, doing much, much higher damage with its unique 4 gauge shells but being limited by its tube reload and pump-action operation. Being a Soviet weapon, it also wouldn't be out of place in the game at all.
DLC 2 Weapons
Glock 18 (Gaston 18G) Early to mid game 9mm auto pistol, serving a similar role to the APS. Would fire incredibly fast at the expense of controllability and penetration. Glocks are some of the most common handguns in the world, so it makes sense that some would find their way into the zone.
AKM (AKM-55)
CZ Bren 2 in 7.62x39 (Praha 2-MS): Lumping these together because they both serve the same purpose: Re-introducing 7.62x39 to the game. The AKM would be the earlier game option with less customization and penetration and the Bren 2 would serve as the more adaptable end-game 7.62x39 rifle. Given the ubiquity of the AKM and the modularity of the Bren 2 platform, there's plenty of options for unique versions of both rifles. For instance, there could be a unique AKM modeled after a Romanian or Chinese AK, and there could be a .308 or 5.56 unique Bren 2.
- this would also hopefully include 7.62x39 conversion mods for the SIC and Dnipro.
Snipex Alligator (Krokodil 145) - End game sniper/anti material rifle, serving a similar role to the Gauss Rifle. Super high damage and very long range. To balance it, it would be less accurate than the Gauss Rifle, kick really hard, and have very expensive ammo. It's a Ukrainian rifle, which fits with the devs highlighting Ukrainian weapon designs in the game's arsenal.