A peculiar bug discovered in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is giving players an unusual advantage. It allows the character Skif to defy weight limits and zip across the map, almost as if flying. While the game has a built-in fast travel feature for its expansive 64-square-kilometer map, this glitch offers an unexpected shortcut, especially handy when players are carrying too much weight and need to reach a settlement quickly. This unexpected ability comes courtesy of a strange anomaly that, with the right maneuver and the Veles Detector, launches the player high into the sky without causing fall damage—surprising everyone in the gaming community.
STALKER 2, launched as the fourth installment in the STALKER franchise by GSC Game World, follows over a decade of development since its predecessor, Call of Pripyat, released in 2009. Despite facing controversy due to allegations of orchestrated negative reviews affecting its release, STALKER 2 has managed to sell over 1.4 million copies since its debut. Critics have been offering mostly positive feedback, boosting its prestigious status. There’s even more excitement in store as a multiplayer update is anticipated, hopefully arriving shortly after the game first launched.
Over on Reddit, user jbarn23 dropped a jaw-dropping 32-second video into the STALKER subreddit, showcasing the said bug. As captured in the clip, the player harnesses the power of a strange anomaly using the Veles Detector. Right as a bolt hits, Skif is propelled through the air and lands safely in a nearby settlement, showing no impact damage. The glitch’s unexpected lack of fall damage left the community scratching their heads, as the usual damage-reducing artifact only mitigates bullet injuries.
Gamers familiar with The Elder Scrolls series might find this scenario reminiscent of its notorious glitches, particularly those that amuse players by bending the game’s physics. Comments likened the STALKER 2 glitch to having Morrowind-esque vibes due to the lag involved, with some even dubbing it the “Anomaly of Icarian Flight.” There was chatter about how speedrunners might exploit such glitches, though many believe they prefer cleaner, non-exploit strategies.
Apart from amusing glitches, STALKER 2 promises surprises around every corner, like the Harry Potter Easter egg another player recently uncovered. While this flying glitch might not stick around for long—GSC Game World is likely working on a fix—the STALKER community is certainly enjoying this peculiar, sky-high anomaly while it’s still in play.
To explore the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone further is to engage with a vast 64-kilometer expanse marked by hostile mutants, bizarre anomalies, and conflicting factions—an environment crafted to test a player’s wits and skills as they navigate its post-apocalyptic beauty. Whether facing cunning adversaries or tinkering with numerous weapon combinations, the game invites players to carve out their unique stories in this expansive and hazardous world. Available on Xbox Series X and Microsoft Windows, STALKER 2, powered by Unreal Engine 5, continues to engage players with its rich narrative and immersive gameplay.
