Updated August 24, 2026
If you're trying to collect every new artifact in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope, there is an important distinction to understand first: the DLC adds four main unique artifact types, but some artifacts have multiple collectible copies. The Flickering Flare is the main example, with five copies required for The Forgotten.
This guide covers Heart of a Shadow Chimera, Water Drop, all five Flickering Flares, Flare Time and Flare Light, including their locations, quest requirements, effects, and the important things you should do before starting The Forgotten.
📋 Table of Contents
- All Artifacts at a Glance
- Heart of a Shadow Chimera Location
- Water Drop Location
- All 5 Flickering Flare Locations
- How to Start The Forgotten
- Prepare for The Forgotten
- How to Get Flare Time
- How to Get Flare Light
- Artifact Effects and Best Uses
- Which Artifacts Should You Keep?
- Are Any Artifacts Missable?
- Complete Artifact Checklist
- FAQ
- Community Tips
- Final Artifact Route
- Related Guides & Sources
All Cost of Hope Artifacts at a Glance
There are four main unique artifact types associated with Cost of Hope:
- Heart of a Shadow Chimera
- Water Drop
- Flickering Flare
- Flare Light
Flare Time is a separate quest-created artifact formed from Flare Time shards during The Forgotten, so it is best treated as part of the same artifact chain rather than as another normal random artifact spawn.
What you need to collect:
The five Flickering Flares are not five identical random-anomaly drops. One is obtained from Otter during The Forgotten, while the others are found around the Iron Forest and CNPP. A separate Where Hope Leads quest also involves a Flickering Flare, so the quest progression is worth following carefully rather than treating the artifacts as isolated collectibles.
Heart of a Shadow Chimera Location
The Heart of a Shadow Chimera is obtained during the Shadow of the Past mission.
How to get Heart of a Shadow Chimera:
- Progress through Shadow of the Past.
- Fight the Shadow Chimera.
- After defeating it, make sure you search/skin the corpse.
- Collect the Heart of a Shadow Chimera before leaving the area.
The artifact provides several defensive bonuses, including physical, electrical, thermal and chemical protection, along with bleeding resistance, but also increases radiation.
⚠️ Don't miss this artifact: This is one of the items I'd prioritize if you're going for a complete Cost of Hope collection. The important thing isn't just defeating the Chimera. Make sure you actually collect the artifact from the corpse before leaving.
Water Drop Location
The Water Drop is one of the more interesting Cost of Hope artifacts because its acquisition depends on your route through the DLC.
Current coverage documents the artifact on both major faction paths: Dangerous Way on the Freedom route and DPP-2 in the CNPP on the Duty route.
Freedom Route — Dangerous Way: If you're following the Freedom/Mavka route, you can encounter the Water Drop during Dangerous Way. The mission takes you through an underground complex containing the dangerous Mercury anomaly. The Water Drop is obtained during this section and can be useful for carrying more equipment while exploring.
Water Drop effects: The artifact focuses on: Endurance, Carry weight, and Increased Radiation. That makes it particularly useful for players who spend a lot of time carrying loot through the Zone.
Duty Route — DPP-2: If you're following the Duty route, current artifact coverage places another Water Drop inside DPP-2 in the CNPP. So don't assume there is only one possible Water Drop location.
Should you sell Water Drop? I'd keep it. Apart from its useful carry-weight and endurance bonuses, Water Drop is also relevant to the Luftgarde unique-weapon route, giving you another reason not to sell it immediately.
All 5 Flickering Flare Locations
The Flickering Flare is the most important collectible in the Cost of Hope artifact chain. You need five Flickering Flares for the relevant section of The Forgotten. One comes directly from Otter, while the remaining required copies are found around the Iron Forest and CNPP.
1. Flickering Flare — Iron Forest: The first location is in the Iron Forest. Look for the artifact sitting around the valve/toppled electrical pole area. The environment can make the pickup easy to overlook, so check the area carefully rather than simply following the main objective.
2. Flickering Flare — Bridge to CNPP: Another Flickering Flare is found around the bridge leading into the CNPP. Look beside the damaged vehicle on the CNPP side of the bridge. Be careful around the bridge because the route contains environmental and anomaly hazards.
3. Flickering Flare — Sentry Building: Another Flickering Flare is located inside the Sentry Building in the CNPP. Go upstairs and look around the broken upper-floor area. The artifact is positioned near a bookshelf.
4. Flickering Flare — Industrial Site: The fourth open-world pickup is at the Industrial Site in the CNPP. Current location coverage places it on a trailer near a tree. The surrounding anomaly activity can make reaching it more dangerous than the actual pickup suggests. Use vehicles, structures and other objects as cover while approaching.
5. Flickering Flare — Otter: The fifth required Flickering Flare is connected directly to The Forgotten. During the mission, Otter gives Skif one of the required Flickering Flares. This is why the collection shouldn't be treated as five completely independent open-world collectibles.
Important: Keep all five Flickering Flares. You need the complete set equipped later in The Forgotten.
What about Where Hope Leads? There is an additional Flickering Flare associated with Where Hope Leads, the CNPP side mission involving Castro. The mission specifically has Skif retrieve a Flickering Flare and return it to Castro. So, if you're following every quest and collecting every unique artifact copy, don't skip Where Hope Leads simply because you've already obtained five Flares for The Forgotten.
How to Start The Forgotten
The Forgotten is one of the most important artifact-related missions in Cost of Hope.
The mission becomes available after securing the Water Treatment Facility. Your preceding mission depends on your faction route:
- Duty: Gunpowder, Sweat, and Blood
- Freedom: Uninvited Guests
Once the mission is available, you can begin the larger Flickering Flare collection and Flare artifact sequence.
Ready to complete the quest? Our S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: The Forgotten Walkthrough covers the full quest from Otter and the Flickering Flare requirements through the Flare Anomaly, Flare Time, Flare Light, and the final encounter.
Prepare for The Forgotten
This is one of the sections I recommend reading before starting the mission.
Quick preparation checklist: Before reaching the dangerous Flare Anomaly section, make sure you have:
- 5 Flickering Flares
- 5 available artifact slots
- A suitable upgraded suit
- Healing supplies
- Radiation protection
- A manual save
The important part is the five-slot requirement.
You need five Flickering Flares: The five artifacts aren't just collectibles. During The Forgotten, you eventually need to equip all five at the same time to survive the relevant Flare Anomaly section.
You need five artifact slots: Your armor therefore needs enough artifact slots to equip the entire set. If your current suit doesn't have five available slots, visit a Technician and upgrade your equipment first. Current walkthrough coverage specifically recommends having five artifact slots before attempting this section.
Before entering the dangerous section: I'd recommend:
- 5 Flickering Flares
- 5 available artifact slots
- A suitable upgraded suit
- Healing supplies
- Radiation protection
- A manual save
This preparation can save you from having to backtrack through a long mission.
How to Get Flare Time
Flare Time is part of The Forgotten's artifact chain rather than a simple world pickup.
Once you've collected and equipped the required Flickering Flares, you can progress through the dangerous Flare Anomaly section around the Water Treatment Facility.
Reach the Water Treatment Facility: Equip all five Flickering Flares before attempting the crossing. The five-artifact setup allows Skif to survive the dangerous anomaly section and continue the quest.
Collect the Flare Time shards: The next stage involves collecting Flare Time shards during the quest sequence. Once you've gathered the required shards, they are used to create the Flare Time artifact.
So if you're searching for a conventional "Flare Time location," don't waste time looking for one fixed anomaly spawn. You obtain it through the mission's multi-step collection sequence.
How to Get Flare Light
The Flare Light comes from the later stages of The Forgotten.
After obtaining Flare Time, continue following the mission through the Destroyed Generators sequence. Current walkthrough coverage describes Flare Time manifestations appearing around the generators before the Flare Light reward becomes available.
The basic sequence is:
- Collect the required Flickering Flares.
- Equip all five.
- Survive the Flare Anomaly section.
- Progress through the Water Treatment Facility.
- Collect the required Flare Time artifacts/shards.
- Continue to the Destroyed Generators.
- Obtain Flare Light.
- Continue the quest and return to Otter's location.
Important: Different walkthroughs describe the final Otter/Flare Light sequence slightly differently, so the safest practical instruction is to follow the quest objective after obtaining the artifact rather than assuming Flare Light is a normal world pickup.
Artifact Effects and Best Uses
Here's the practical breakdown.
Heart of a Shadow Chimera — Best for: General defensive protection — Provides multiple defensive bonuses, including physical, electrical, thermal and chemical protection, plus bleeding resistance. Downside: Radiation.
Water Drop — Best for: Carrying loot and improving endurance — The Water Drop improves Endurance and carry weight. Downside: Radiation. For explorers and loot-heavy players, this can be much more useful than its relatively simple description suggests.
Flickering Flare — Best for: The Forgotten progression — The Flickering Flare contributes to the Psi-protection needed for the Flare Anomaly section, but its most important purpose is progressing through The Forgotten. You need five copies equipped at once for the relevant part of the mission.
Flare Time — Best for: Continuing The Forgotten — Flare Time is created from the required Flare Time shards during the mission rather than found as an ordinary random artifact.
Flare Light — Best for: Psi protection — Flare Light is the major artifact reward from The Forgotten and provides powerful Psi-protection.
Which Artifacts Should You Keep?
If you're managing a crowded stash, I'd prioritize them like this.
❤️ Heart of a Shadow Chimera: Keep it if you want a powerful general-purpose defensive artifact and can handle the radiation penalty.
💧 Water Drop: Definitely keep it if you're still collecting unique weapons and exploring the CNPP. Its carry-weight and endurance bonuses are useful, and its connection to the Luftgarde route gives you another reason not to sell it immediately.
✨ Flickering Flare: Do not sell these before completing The Forgotten. You need five equipped together for the major Flare Anomaly section.
🔆 Flare Time: Keep it while you're progressing through the associated quest sequence.
🌟 Flare Light: This is one of the strongest rewards from the artifact chain if your build benefits from Psi protection.
Are Any Cost of Hope Artifacts Missable?
Heart of a Shadow Chimera — Treat It as Missable: This is the biggest warning in the guide. When you finish the Shadow Chimera encounter during Shadow of the Past, check the corpse and collect the artifact before leaving. Don't assume you can simply return later. Current artifact coverage specifically identifies the Chimera corpse as the acquisition point.
Flickering Flares — Don't Get Rid of Them: Even though you collect them through different locations and quests, they're needed together later. Keep the required five until The Forgotten is complete.
Water Drop — Don't Sell It Too Early: Even if you don't currently need the carry-weight/endurance bonus, keep Water Drop until you've checked the Luftgarde route. That prevents you from unnecessarily losing access to a useful unique-artifact/weapon interaction.
Complete Cost of Hope Artifact Checklist
Use this as your quick completion tracker.
Unique Artifact Types:
- ☐ Heart of a Shadow Chimera
- ☐ Water Drop
- ☐ Flickering Flare
- ☐ Flare Light
Flickering Flare Collection:
- ☐ Flickering Flare — Iron Forest
- ☐ Flickering Flare — Bridge to CNPP
- ☐ Flickering Flare — Sentry Building
- ☐ Flickering Flare — Industrial Site
- ☐ Flickering Flare — Otter / The Forgotten
Additional Flickering Flare Quest:
- ☐ Where Hope Leads / Castro
The Forgotten:
- ☐ Collect the required five Flickering Flares
- ☐ Upgrade armor to five artifact slots
- ☐ Equip all five Flares
- ☐ Cross the Flare Anomaly section
- ☐ Collect the required Flare Time shards
- ☐ Obtain Flare Time
- ☐ Complete the Destroyed Generators sequence
- ☐ Obtain Flare Light
Current location and quest guides support the five-Flickering-Flare structure and the five-slot requirement.
FAQ
How many new artifact types are in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope?
There are four main unique artifact types associated with the DLC: Heart of a Shadow Chimera, Water Drop, Flickering Flare and Flare Light. Flare Time is a separate quest-created artifact formed during The Forgotten.
How many Flickering Flares are there?
You need five Flickering Flares for the The Forgotten progression. They are collected through a combination of open-world locations and quest progression, including Otter's reward.
Where is Heart of a Shadow Chimera?
You obtain it from the Shadow Chimera during Shadow of the Past. Make sure you collect it from the corpse before leaving the area.
Where do you find Water Drop?
Water Drop has route-dependent acquisition. Current coverage documents it during Dangerous Way on the Freedom route and inside DPP-2 in the CNPP on the Duty route.
How many Flickering Flares do I need for The Forgotten?
You need five.
Do I need five artifact slots?
Yes. The relevant section of The Forgotten requires all five Flickering Flares to be equipped at the same time, so your armor needs five available artifact slots.
How do I get Flare Time?
Collect the required Flickering Flares, progress through The Forgotten, and collect the required Flare Time shards during the quest sequence. These are used to create the Flare Time artifact.
How do I get Flare Light?
Continue The Forgotten through the later Destroyed Generators sequence. Flare Light is the major artifact reward from this part of the quest.
Should I sell Flickering Flare?
No. Keep the five required Flickering Flares until you've completed the relevant The Forgotten progression.
Community Tips
The most useful practical approach is to treat these artifacts as a progression checklist, rather than ordinary random Zone loot.
Before starting The Forgotten:
- Check how many artifact slots your armor has.
- Make sure you can equip five artifacts.
- Keep every Flickering Flare you find.
- Don't leave the Shadow Chimera encounter without checking its corpse.
- Keep Water Drop until you've dealt with the relevant unique-weapon route.
- Make a manual save before the more dangerous sections.
If you're returning to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 for the DLC, remember that Cost of Hope launched alongside free Update 2.0 on August 20, 2026. GSC says previous saves remain compatible with both Update 2.0 and Cost of Hope, while also recommending that players remove outdated mods because they can cause instability or performance problems after the update.
Final Artifact Route
If you just want the shortest possible route through the collection:
- Shadow of the Past → Get Heart of a Shadow Chimera
- Dangerous Way / DPP-2 → Get Water Drop
- Iron Forest + CNPP + The Forgotten → Collect the five required Flickering Flares
- The Forgotten → Equip all five → Cross the Flare Anomaly section → Collect the required Flare Time shards → Create Flare Time → Continue to the Destroyed Generators → Obtain Flare Light
That gives you the core Cost of Hope artifact collection and, more importantly, prevents the biggest mistakes: leaving the Shadow Chimera without its artifact, selling your Flickering Flares, or reaching the Flare Anomaly section without enough artifact slots for all five Flares.
Cost of Hope launched on August 20, 2026, alongside the free Update 2.0, which introduced broader changes to the game in addition to the paid expansion.
Related Guides & Sources
- Cost of Hope: The Forgotten Walkthrough
- Cost of Hope Endings: Duty vs Freedom & Point of No Return
- Cost of Hope: Existing Save vs New Game
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Official — Cost of Hope & Update 2.0
Guide for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 – Cost of Hope
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