View source for Zone of Contamination

{{Infobox/Region
|image=Zone of Contamination.jpg
|description=A massive, open pit industrial mine abandoned due to highly hazardous toxic chemicals
|connections=[[Transfer Pass]],[[Forsaken Airfield]] and [[Sundered Pass]] (Via a transition cave)
|difficulty=Advanced
|locations=25
|added=Dec 5, 2023
|interloper region spawn?=No
|TFTFT paid content?=Yes
|locatormap=Zone of Contamination Location.png
|regionmap=Zone of Contamination Region map.png}}{{TFTFT}}{{Quote2|An open-pit mine operation scars the landscape, with various outbuildings and mining apparatus pock-marked by pools of toxic chemicals and run-off. The mine may hide relics of the Far Territory's mysterious past.|Official Hinterland Description}}
{{Quote2|For advanced players. A Cold War relic of industrial hubris, the Zone is littered with Chemical Hazards and forgotten infrastructure. Its secrets remain hidden by environmental devastation. Prepare yourself, and take care.


Stay above ground and see the remnants, or dive into the deep mine, at your peril.

Connects to Sundered Pass, Forsaken Airfield, and Transfer Pass.|In-game Description}}
The '''Zone of Contamination''' or '''ZOC''' as its also known as, is the 15th [[Region]] added to ''[[The Long Dark]]'' that was released on the 5th of December in 2023 as part of the Part 4 "Buried Echoes" update to the [[Tales from the Far Territory]] expansion. It is also the setting of the second Tale [[Buried Echoes]].

It connects to [[Transfer Pass]] via the railroad at [[Immutable Hesitation]] and [[Forsaken Airfield]] via a large cave system near [[Enduring Waterfall]].

== Overview ==
Locally named the Langston Mine and built by the Langston Mining Corporation, the Zone of Contamination is an abandoned open-pit mine that is one of the most dangerous places to travel to on [[Great Bear Island]], due to the dead zone created by the extreme amount of toxic chemicals spilled throughout the center of the region.

Ponds are filled with a sickly orange toxic runoff previously pumped and dumped onto the surface, driving away all herbivorous wildlife and killing the nearby plants. Puddles of [[Chemical Hazard|toxic goo]] are spread all over the surface of major roads and railroads due to mismanaged ruptured chemical barrels, requiring special [[Chemical Boots]] to walk across without destroying footwear. Deep below the surface, the local mines are filled with caustic vapors, requiring a [[Respirator]] to travel through safely to prevent [[Suffocation]]. [[Poisoned Wolf|Poisoned wolves]] shamble in between chemical hazards desperately searching for anything to eat due to a lack of prey, and can give the player the [[Chemical Poisoning]] [[Afflictions|affliction]] if attacked.

Though thankfully not all areas of the Zone are so treacherous to the player's well-being. Sections of Great Bear Island's pristine beauty still shine through decay of the locally mismanaged industrialization, and can still be found to the south, north, and west of the map. The south and west still sees a great deal of thriving [[Deer|deer]], [[Bear|bears]], and [[Rabbit|rabbits]] to provide hunting opportunities for fresh meat and the hills to the north and east occasionally contain [[Ptarmigan|ptarmigan]] nests. The uncontaminated frozen hills also offer an unspoiled bounty of harvestable [[Cat Tail|cat tails]] and other plants to forage, and the north western corner of the map contains a pond large enough to freely fish in.

== Survivability ==
Surviving in the Zone of Contamination can be quite difficult without the right equipment, supplies, or strategy. Most supplies and shelters in the region are located in contaminated areas, creating an incentive to stay close to them for items needed for survival despite the danger. On the flipside, the nearby valleys and mountains, while pristine and full of healthy wildlife to hunt, contain no manmade shelters and very few caves to escape from the cold, creating a unique survival dichotomy only found within this region. One potential solution is to use a [[Travois]] to haul more food from the valleys and mountains to the shelters per trip.

[[Glimmer Fog]] returns from [[Forsaken Airfield]] to frequently plague the area, but it can be more reliably escaped by hiding inside the local underground mine tunnels.

The region has 2 vista locations: one is located at a cliff with a picnic table at [[Boss's Settlement]], the other can be found on a cliff side close to [[Welkin's Window]] overlooking the valley of Enduring Falls.

== Locations ==
There are a number of locations in the Zone of Contamination, including:
{{Col-begin}}
* [[Boss's Settlement]]
* [[Bountiful Overlook]]
* [[Concentrator]]
* [[Conveyor Room]]
* [[Craggy Passage]]
* [[Desperate Elevation]]
* [[Dubious Overlook]]
* [[Enduring Waterfall]]
* [[Flagman's Gap]]
* [[Forgotten Exploration]]
* [[Harrowed Residence]]
* [[Headframe Building]]
* [[Idle Camp]]
{{Col-2}}
* [[Indolent Hoppers]]
* [[Langston Mine]]
* [[Miner's Footpath]]
* [[Old Corral]]
* [[Overladen Pond]]
* [[Pump House]]
* [[Smoker's Cave]]
* [[Scaffolder's Hideout]]
* To Cave System (Region Transition to [[Forsaken Airfield]]/[[Sundered Pass]])
* To Transfer Pass (Region Transition to [[Transfer Pass]])
* [[Turbulent Pasture]]
* [[Unquenched Extraction]]
* [[Welkin's Window]]
{{Col-end}}

==Maps ==
<gallery>
File:ZOC map default.png|A detailed map of Zone of Contamination v2.35 (contains spoilers)
File:ZOC map loper.png|A detailed map of Zone of Contamination v2.35 (Interloper/Misery edition, contains spoilers)
File:ZOC, all locations by Aiibees.webp|Map of the Zone of Contamination with all named locations, by Aiibees.
File:ZOC, chemical spills, by Aiibees.webp|Map of the Zone of Contamination with all named locations and chemical spills, by Aiibees.
File:ZOC, Full spoilers, by Aiibees.webp|Map of the Zone of Contamination with all named locations and resources, by Aiibees.
File:Transition cave map 03 v1.jpg|Map of the transition cave connecting Forsaken Airfield, Zone of Contamination and Sundered Pass
File:Langston Mine Fan made Map.jpg|Fan made layout of all three floors of the Langston Mine
</gallery>

==Trivia== 
*The region was formerly announced as the Industrial Mine, but was renamed during its debut.
*The [[Concentrator]], [[Conveyor Room]], and [[Headframe Building]] found above the mine form the largest interior building space found in the game to date. The previous holder of this title, the [[Carter Hydro Dam]], is significantly smaller in comparison.
* The Zone of Contamination is currently the only region to feature the [[Earth Mover]] and [[Poisoned Wolf]].

==Game History==
*Zone of Contamination was added to the game on 5 December 2023 in the [[The Long Dark/Changelog#2.25 (Steam)|TFTFT Chapter 4 Update]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:20230520075647 1.jpg|A sign in Transfer Pass directing motorists to the mine
File:Industrial Mine Concept.jpg|Concept art of the Industrial Mine Region
File:Starving-wolf-mining-region-illustration-comp.jpg|A poisoned wolf concept art
File:Bountiful Overlook sign.jpg|The sign leading to the open pit mine near Bountiful Overlook
File:Zone of Contamination Open Pit Mine.jpg|The open pit Langston Mine
File:Chemical Spill.jpg|A large Chemical Spill. Notice the dying trees.
File:Poisoned lakes.png|Poisoned lakes
File:Mine warning sign.png|Health warning sign at the mine
File:Mine buildings.png|View of the buildings of the mine
</gallery>{{Zone of Contamination}}{{Regions}}
[[Category:DLC Content]]
[[ru:Зона заражения]]