If you want the most Coupons, escort Zakhar until he pays you 2,500, then kill him and his two companions and return to Akopyan for another 2,500. GSC later fixed a quest bug tied to this sequence. Spare Zakhar if that better fits your role-play; available sources do not confirm a specific lasting story benefit or Zakhar-specific faction penalty for doing so.
How the Zakhar choice works
The decision comes during Deceive the Deceiver, the follow-up to A Big Score at Slag Heap. In the route described by the Gamer Guides walkthrough, Akopyan offers a chance for revenge. You need Sashko Cheery’s Spitter: return to Zakhar and choose “[Show Spitter] Akopyan says hi” to convince him Akopyan survived and get him to leave the area.
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Zakhar then offers an escort job. After visiting his stash, where the walkthrough notes a full-durability AKM-74S, he meets two men and pays you 2,500 Coupons for the escort. The consequential choice comes after you have received that payment.
What happens if you kill Zakhar?
The walkthrough’s reward-maximizing route is to accept and complete the escort, collect Zakhar’s 2,500 Coupons, then kill Zakhar and his two companions. Return to Akopyan for another 2,500 Coupons, according to the guide. That makes 5,000 Coupons in total from the two reported payments.
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This sequence previously had a quest-completion and reward issue. GSC Game World’s September 23, 2025 Update 1.6 notes say: “Fixed an issue where Players were unable to receive a reward from Akopyan and finish the quest if they decided to kill Zakhar after successfully escorting him during A Big Score mission.” The fix specifically addresses the documented problem; the notes do not guarantee that every platform or save state is free of related issues.
What happens if you spare Zakhar?
Sparing him lets you end the escort without killing him and his companions. The available sources do not establish a particular later story advantage, extra reward, or Zakhar-specific faction consequence for choosing this outcome. Choose it for role-play or because you prefer not to kill him—not on the assumption that a hidden long-term benefit is confirmed.
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Does killing Zakhar affect faction reputation?
GSC’s general faction guidance says, “A surefire way to worsen your reputation with a faction is to kill its members.” It also explains that faction choices can affect access to areas, traders, unique missions, or safe movement, while distinguishing faction reputation from an individual character’s relationship. However, the guidance does not establish which faction status applies to Zakhar in this encounter or identify a specific lasting penalty for killing him. Treat the general warning as context, not proof of a Zakhar-specific consequence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which choice should you make?
| Choice | Known immediate outcome | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Escort Zakhar, then kill him and his companions | 2,500 Coupons from Zakhar and another 2,500 reported from Akopyan, according to the walkthrough. | Players prioritizing the documented reward route and comfortable with killing the group after the escort. |
| Spare Zakhar | You finish the escort with Zakhar alive; no specific lasting story advantage or Zakhar-specific faction outcome is established by the cited sources. | Players choosing based on role-play or who would rather not kill him. |
If the Akopyan reward or quest completion does not trigger after the kill route, the issue resembles the one GSC says Update 1.6 fixed. Check current official support information or reload an appropriate save rather than assuming the encounter is guaranteed to resolve the same way on every save.
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GSC’s Major Patch 1.2 notes also record earlier fixes involving Zakhar Babay and Akopyan becoming dead or missing, and bandits starting a fight at Slag Heap if the player escorted Zakhar after an emission. Those are historical bug fixes, not evidence that either outcome is a necessary result of this choice.
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