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The reported fast route in STALKER 2 runs from STC Malachite to VPC Mirror: hunt the Chimera, collect its ear, then turn in two ears to Viktoria Dorozhnyuk when her Chimera mutant order is available. A guide updated August 25, 2026, reports a payout of 51,800 Coupons per pair, but the route and reward are not confirmed in GSC’s official notes. Treat the method as patch-sensitive, particularly after Update 2.0.
How the Chimera Ear payout works
The August 25, 2026 guide says Viktoria Dorozhnyuk at STC Malachite sometimes offers a Chimera mutant order that accepts two Chimera Ears for 51,800 Coupons. Her mutant orders rotate, so you may need to keep ears in storage until the matching contract appears. GSC’s official Patch 1.5 notes confirm that looting mutant parts is a game feature, but do not verify this specific NPC, contract payout, Chimera location, or repeat cycle. NerdsChalk’s route guide is the source for those details.
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Follow the reported Malachite–Mirror route
- Check the available orders. At STC Malachite, speak with Viktoria Dorozhnyuk and look for her Chimera mutant order. The guide suggests completing or declining other orders to clear the queue, but does not establish that doing so guarantees the Chimera contract.
- Prepare supplies. Carry food and energy drinks. The guide says hunger prevents sleeping and drinks help with sprinting.
- Travel west to VPC Mirror. The guide describes an elevated platform there as a firing position for attacking the Chimera from range. Exact spawn and timing details may vary with game updates.
- Kill the Chimera and loot it. Collect the Chimera Ear, then return to Malachite. If Viktoria’s matching order is not active, store the ear rather than expecting an immediate sale.
- Turn in a pair when the order is available. The guide reports 51,800 Coupons for two ears.
- Reset for another attempt if desired. The guide recommends eating and sleeping for two in-game days at STC Malachite before repeating the loop. This refresh method is guide-reported, not confirmed by official patch notes.
Choose equipment and account for costs
The route guide recommends an M701 Super or another high-damage sniper rifle and estimates 8–10 rounds per Chimera. That ammunition advice needs care: GSC’s Patch 1.5 notes, dated June 25, 2025, say the M701 Super, SVDM-2, and SVU-MK S-3 use supersonic and armor-piercing ammunition unless upgraded, and that sniper ammunition was reworked. Check the weapon’s current ammunition compatibility in your game rather than assuming an older loadout still applies.
The guide estimates ammunition at roughly 2,000 Coupons per kill and food and drinks at about 1,000 Coupons. These are guide estimates, not fixed costs: prices, weapon choice, ammunition use, and play style affect your actual spend. Repairs and travel can also reduce what you keep from the turn-in.
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What the hourly estimate means
The same guide estimates around 200,000 Coupons per hour at approximately eight ears per hour. It presents this as a favorable, ceiling-style estimate, not a measured or guaranteed rate. It depends on a smooth route, successful kills, limited downtime, and having the Chimera order available when you need to turn in ears; rotating orders can slow the loop. The guide’s associated cost and net-profit figures are likewise unverified estimates, so use your own runs to judge whether the route is worthwhile.
When the Chimera order is unavailable
If you have ears but no matching order, keep them stored and use another activity while waiting. The guide suggests hunting artifacts in anomaly fields or completing repeatable base missions. It also mentions a more distant horn-based mutant route after unlocking the relevant hub, but does not provide a verified comparative payout or rate. These alternatives are options for filling downtime, not evidence that they earn more or less than the Chimera loop.
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Why the route may change between updates
GSC announced Update 2.0 on August 20, 2026, including changes to A-Life behavior. That makes exact spawn locations and timing especially worth treating as version-dependent. The route, turn-in mechanics, and reward described here come from the dated guide; official notes establish mutant-part looting and update context, not that this precise farm remains unchanged in every build. GSC’s Update 2.0 announcement describes the update context.
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