An unmarked, inconspicuous place in STALKER 2: The Heart of Chernobyl is actually an in-game recreation popular concept art produced for the series’ 2007 debut, eagle-eyed fans recently discovered.
After a miniature prologue, STALKER 2 tasks the player with traveling to a compact settlement called Zalissya. It’s a relatively miniature journey, but mutant ambushes, paramilitary interrogations, and the arrival of electrical storms do everything they can to discourage close exploration of the weathered landscapes. It’s a pity, because just a few meters off the beaten path there is a scene of great importance to die-hard STALKER fans.
The image is elementary: a wooden gate overlooking Zalissia, decorated with a gigantic bird’s nest, wind chimes, radiation warning signs, a religious painting and a gas mask. But where some might see some intriguing environmental story and continue their adventure, those who have long been invested in the franchise got a pang of nostalgia when they realized that the site was a near-copy of the iconic image used to promote the first game.
Since the sequel premiered on November 20 several Reddit users pointed out the similarities between the classic work of art and STALKER 2 location, evoking emotions ranging from amusement to emotion. One comment was even mentioned location reconnaissance with no prior experience with STALKER due to how thoroughly the community spread the beloved image across the internet, to which another user replied, “This has been my Steam profile picture since 2007.”
If you want to check the passage yourself, go to the place marked with a turquoise dot on the map above. Just don’t try to cross it: there’s only a steep cliff waiting on the other side, and the fall will almost certainly kill you.
