How to fix the bug in the On the Edge quest in Stalker 2

After completing a number of key tasks in the NIIChAZ area, players often encounter bugs in both the main and side quests of the game. One such issue in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the inability to save Zalesye from the attack of the Monolith fighters. Nevertheless, gamers have found ways to bypass these errors and softlocks. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to fix the error related to the On the Edge quest.

In this task, you need to help the stalkers of Zalesye repel the attack of the Monolith fighters. If you fail to completely stop the advancing forces, the settlement will be destroyed. Given the importance of the mission and the many NPCs at stake, failing such a task is a serious consequence. During the playthrough, you may encounter a critical error that will lead to the failure of the quest, regardless of what actions you take.

The critical bug in this quest is the absence of enemies who are supposed to attack the stalkers and the main character. Despite the previously released patch, you may still encounter this error: some players continue to receive a prompt to return to Zalesye, but the Monolith fighters never appear. For others, the building turns into a dead zone for the attackers, as well as for Hamster and his bodyguard, who die when entering the building.

If you pay Hamster's bodyguard, he will head to watch over another character in the main building. As soon as he opens the door to enter, both will fall and die from unknown causes, and all stalkers in the settlement will become hostile towards Skif.

In addition, there is an issue with the missing weapon that Kolduun asks you to find — for some players, it simply does not appear. The patch fixed some problems, but at the same time, other bugs became even more serious.

Currently, the only way to successfully complete the On the Edge quest in Stalker 2 is by using mods on PC. Console players will have to wait for updates that will fix this quest. To do this, you will need access to the developer console, which can be obtained by installing the UETools modification. Follow these steps:

After completing these steps, all Monolith members should be eliminated, and you will be able to talk to Kolduun to receive the task. If the task from Kolduun does not appear immediately, try speaking with him several times. Alternatively, after Kolduun delivers his speech, you can use the command 'XDKFinishQuestStage E07SQ01 E07_SQ01_defend_against monolith true' to complete the quest. This command allows bypassing bugs and completing quests if other methods have not worked.

However, this does not solve the problem of Hamster's death at the end of the quest. It seems that the developers set the building as a death zone for the Monoliths but did not give Hamster the right to protection. Fortunately, the issue with Kolduun's missing weapon can be resolved much more easily: simply restart the game several times, and the weapon will appear in the technician's room.