In a fascinating twist of events in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, a player unearthed a glitch that allows the character Skif to soar across the map. While the game indeed features a fast travel option for navigating its sprawling 64-square-kilometer expanse, this newly found bug offers an unorthodox and speedy way to whisk across the zone, even when burdened beyond the weight limit and in need of quickly reaching a nearby settlement.
Having taken over a decade to develop, STALKER 2 marks the fourth installment in GSC Game World’s revered STALKER series, following 2009’s Call of Pripyat. While players eagerly await a multiplayer mode set to roll out as a complimentary update soon after launch, the game’s release has been shadowed by alleged paid review bombing. Despite this, it has sold over 1.4 million copies since its release in late November, continuing to garner praise from critics.
A brief clip, lasting just 32 seconds, and shared by user jbarn23 on Reddit, captivated the STALKER subreddit. The footage highlighted an intriguing anomaly interaction where, equipped with the Veles Detector, the player ventured into the anomaly simultaneously as a bolt struck. This resulted in Skif being flung through the air to land safely in a nearby settlement, astoundingly unharmed. Though STALKER 2 includes a damage reduction artifact that helps mitigate bullet injuries, the community was amazed to discover that Skif avoided any fall damage from this flight.
Bugs like this one often draw parallels to glitches found in The Elder Scrolls series, with fans recalling instances so bizarre they left players chuckling, such as a Skyrim bug reminiscent of Morrowind’s quirks. Reflecting on the similarities, some in the community humorously dubbed the STALKER 2 bug the “Anomaly of Icarian Flight.” While one user suggested this could be a glimpse into potential speedruns, most agreed speedrunners would likely find a way to finish the game without relying on exploits like this.
In another surprising find, a different STALKER 2 player disclosed stumbling upon a Harry Potter Easter egg, demonstrating that there’s much to discover beyond amusing glitches in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. While the flying glitch will probably be patched soon, the community is soaking up the lighthearted entertainment it provides in the meantime.
Chornobyl’s Exclusion Zone has drastically transformed following a second massive explosion in 2006. This perilous area teeming with mutants, anomalies, and factions becomes a battleground for players who take on the role of lone stalkers, navigating a photorealistic, open world of 64 square kilometers with dynamic environments. Choosing your path in this epic, nonlinear story reveals the Zone’s secrets and challenges your survival instincts, offering a rich playground of weapons and enemies to engage with. Available on Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows, and powered by Unreal Engine 5, STALKER 2 awaits players ready to define their destiny in this post-apocalyptic landscape.
