S.T.A.L.K.E.R. MILSIM returns to Holt for another round

HOLT, Fla., April 21, 2021—Zombie and zombie fighters are returning to Holt this weekend.

Live-action role play and military simulation—known as MILSIM—is returning to Holt School Friday through Sunday.

Armed and trained S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s are planning to converge here to drive “Monolith,” who’ve escaped from “Darkscape,” out of “the Zone.”

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. stands for Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers and Robbers.

Inspired by the real-life Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the center of the site of the April 1986 nuclear power plant disaster in the Ukraine, the Zone is the heart of the video game series.

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Related: “Video game comes alive in Holt”

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Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, the Zone is where fans of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game will once again immerse themselves in its storylines and live the game.

“Shortly after we posted the information for this next event, tickets nearly sold out,” Chernobyl MILSIM co-founder Dako Morfey said.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s can expect much of the same action and fun as they experienced in January, said Morfey, known in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. world as Father Dako.

“The storyline will be the same as the last event, but with a few new added twists,” he said. “Players can expect another hands-on immersive experience with extreme focus on details to add to the overall experience.”

Though there are only a few full player tickets left at $175, several $40 tickets remain that allow participants to play as a zombie or a mutant to terrorize the players.

Whether a S.T.A.L.K.E.R., a zombie or a mutant, players are reminded that only blanks may be used in their weapons.

“This is not an airsoft game,” Morfey said. “The use of pellets is not permitted.”

According to the Chernobyl MILSIM’s website, the “goal is to replicate the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game-play. These events won’t be constant gunfights and ammo-wasting ventures where a bunch of cowboys get to blast at each other all weekend. Ammo is limited and expensive. Players must think tactically, coordinate and plan. You’re here to live the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. life, not waste $300 in blanks.”

Players are expected to provide their own uniforms and weapons, including Russian, Soviet bloc, Ukrainian or Polish military uniforms or components of the early 2010s.

New players may rent these items, including weapons, for an additional fee. 

Ammunition will be available for purchase at the onsite snack and drink bar.

While the sounds of gunshots in the old school drew an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy to the January MILSIM for a quick look-see, most neighbors aren’t too concerned about escaped zombies and mutants.

“Everybody in Holt has a gun anyway,” resident Matthew Brown said. “We’re more worried about meth-heads than zombies.”

Brian Hughes