In the sprawling universe of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, one player unearthed an astonishing glitch that lets the character Skif soar across the map, defying the usual travel conventions. While the game already includes a fast travel option for those itching to cover its expansive 64 square kilometers rapidly, this peculiar bug offered a surprising shortcut across the exclusion zone, even when burdened beyond capacity, making it a bit of a game-changer for those aiming to reach the next settlement swiftly.
After a long wait of over a decade, STALKER 2 finally emerged as the fourth installment in GSC Game World’s famed franchise, succeeding 2009’s Call of Pripyat. Although fans eagerly anticipate a multiplayer mode arriving as a complimentary update shortly after launch, the game has faced some unfortunate review bombing, allegedly fueled by individuals paid to tarnish its release. Despite these challenges, it has sold more than 1.4 million copies since its late-November release and has garnered positive feedback from critics worldwide.
A video clip posted on Reddit by user jbarn23 captured the community’s imagination as it unveiled a 32-second look at this wild glitch. In this clip, the player uses the Veles Detector while entering a mysterious anomaly just as a thrown bolt makes contact, causing Skif to catapult into the air and land unharmed in the nearby settlement. While the presence of a damage reduction artifact in the player’s arsenal typically mitigates bullet damage, fellow gamers were astounded by the absence of any fall damage from such heights.
Comparisons with bizarre glitches from The Elder Scrolls series, which have provided endless amusement to their communities, were inevitable. This particular STALKER 2 oddity evoked memories of glitches in Morrowind, leading some Reddit users to dub it “Anomaly of Icarian Flight.” Speedrunning enthusiasts noted that while it makes for an amusing detour, they would likely seek out more strategic shortcuts that don’t rely on exploiting bugs like this one.
Meanwhile, another player discovered an unexpected Harry Potter Easter egg within STALKER 2, proving the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone still holds many secrets beyond just whimsical bugs. Though a patch will likely fix this flying glitch soon, the community seems content enjoying its brief period of hilarity.
