To reach the repeater in Cost of Hope, climb the metal structure near Nitro, use the leaf anomaly to launch across the gap safely, interact with the repeater, shoot the spawned anomaly, then interact with the repeater again.
The Unexpected Alliance mission asks something simple on paper — get to a repeater and find out why it stopped working — but the climb up the tower is where most runs end in a long fall. The route is a chain of narrow beams, a launch hazard, and a leaf anomaly that throws Skif across a gap, so timing and footwork matter more than firepower. Once you reach the top, the repeater fights back before it cooperates.
Where the repeater objective begins
You pick this objective up in the Iron Forest region during the Unexpected Alliance main mission of the Cost of Hope expansion. After you reach the area, you speak with Nitro, who wants to know why the repeater has gone quiet and sends you up to check it.
The repeater sits at the top of a tall metal tower rising out of the fog, and the only way up is the broken framework around it. There is no shortcut here — the whole objective is the climb, the launch across the gap, and the short fight that follows your first touch of the device.
How to reach the repeater and fix the malfunction in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
Follow the route Skif actually takes up the tower — climb, ride the leaf anomaly across the gap, then repair the repeater after clearing what it spawns.
STEP 1/9
Climb the ladder and turn right
Climb the ladder directly opposite Nitro to the platform, then turn right onto the broken metal structure.
STEP 2/9
Jump onto the boxes and platform
Hop up onto the crates and across to the platform, but do not hold forward here — this spot launches you into the sky and will fling you off if you are pushing ahead.
STEP 3/9
Work around the construction
Move around the framework of the tower, taking the beam intersections and gap sections slowly and deliberately.
STEP 4/9
Walk into the leaves and stand still
At the section covered in floating leaves, walk toward them and stand completely still so the anomaly grabs you.
STEP 5/9
Move backward as it launches you
Key The instant the leaf anomaly throws you, press back and move backward, or the launch will overshoot and hurl you off the tower.
STEP 6/9
Run across and jump over
Once you land on the far spot, run across the remaining beams and jump over the gap to keep climbing.
STEP 7/9
Interact with the repeater
Reach the top platform, then interact with the repeater — this glitches it and updates the objective to deal with the causes of the malfunction.
STEP 8/9
Shoot the spawned anomaly
A flying anomaly appears in the air beside the tower; draw your weapon and shoot it until it is destroyed, since the repeater cannot be repaired while it is active.
STEP 9/9
Interact with the repeater again
With the anomaly gone, interact with the repeater one more time to fix the malfunction and clear the objective.
The moment the leaf anomaly launches you, move backward — holding forward is what throws Skif clean off the tower to his death.
Video help
Mistakes that get Skif killed on the tower
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Holding forward after the leaf launch | Move backward the instant it throws you so you land on the platform. |
| Rushing across the narrow beams | Walk each section and cross gap intersections deliberately. |
| Objective stuck after the fight | Interact with the repeater a second time once the anomaly is destroyed. |
| Dying on the way down | The anomalies stay live after the repair — descend carefully rather than assuming it is a bug. |
Almost every failed attempt comes down to momentum. The launch spots on this route punish forward movement, so the reflex to push toward your goal is exactly what sends you over the edge. Take the beams at a walk, and treat every launch as a cue to hold back rather than press on.
The other trap is the repeater itself. The first interaction only starts the encounter — the malfunction is not fixed until you clear the spawned anomaly and touch the device a second time. Skipping that second interaction leaves the objective stuck even though the fight is over. And once the repeater is repaired, the hazards on the structure do not switch off, so a careless descent that kills you is the tower working as intended, not a broken quest.
After the repeater is back online
With the malfunction cleared, climb back down the tower the same careful way you came up, since the anomalies on the framework are still active and will happily finish you on the descent.
Once you are safely on the ground, head back to Nitro and follow whatever the next Unexpected Alliance prompt points you toward to keep the Cost of Hope storyline moving.
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