An update with weight: Escape from Tarkov is getting heavier - and easier

 Update 0.12.4.6440 for Escape from Tarkov is live, as developer Battlestate Games announced via Twitter. The patch makes adjustments to the new system for overweight and endurance fatigue. The corresponding changes made by the new system in the hardcore shooter met with mixed reactions at best from the Tarkov community.

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Critics complained that the weight limit and the associated penalties especially punish entry-level characters for exactly what the game is about: collecting loot.

If the limit of 40 kilograms is exceeded with the new system, the character slows down and uses stamina more quickly. In addition, it makes louder noises, which in Tarkov often ends fatally because you attract the attention of the opponents.

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Level up faster in Escape from Tarkov: professional player reveals his tricks

Update 0.12.4.6 makes Tarkov lighter - and heavier

In addition to a number of bug fixes and the repair of exploits, developer Battlestate Games is making two important changes to the new weight system:

Tarkov is getting even harder: On the one hand, your character now makes a heavy breathing noise when the stamina is exhausted. This potentially makes you easier to spot if you run too much and / or carry too heavy. In addition there is a tremor of the hands.

Tarkov is getting a bit lighter: On the other hand, a lower weight limit now means that you improve your strength skill. From now on you will level strength from 48.75 kilos, everything below this weight will benefit your endurance.

The complete patch notes for the update, which is called 0.12.4.6440 in its full version number, can be found on page 2 of this message. The German translation comes from the official Tarkov forum.

Level up faster in Escape from Tarkov: professional player reveals his tricks

 Just recently, a balance change in Escape From Tarkov triggered very mixed reactions among players: Access to the flea market is no longer available from level 5, but only from level 10. In between, the required rank was even higher, but after heavy fan criticism came the weakening.

Nevertheless, you have to gain some experience first - namely 42,048 XP - until you reach level 10. The most effective way of doing this is revealed by professional player »Pestily« in a video guide for speed leveling:

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For experienced players: clean up the factory map

The factory is the smallest map in EFT. According to Pestily's tips, it is the key to leveling up as quickly as possible, because a run only takes around 20 minutes. The method he recommends for the experienced is simple (but not necessarily easy):

Kill all player characters and the NPC scavengers in the solo raid.

You get the most experience from headshots, so try to achieve this as often as possible.

With five player opponents and about 10-20 scavengers, you can theoretically get 10,000-15,000 XP per factory run.

To do this you have to stay on the map for the rest of the time after the death of all other players so that as many scavengers as possible respawn.

However, Pestily is aware that this approach is by far not feasible for every player. You need good equipment and a lot of experience to clean up the entire raid in twenty minutes.

For new players: group raids & 3M armor

For less experienced players should Pestily to focus on the factory map: For complete beginners, he considers it useful first in five squads scavenger to farm. If you manage to kill 3 Scavs per run, you will get around 4000 XP. Ten runs, each 20 minutes long, could be enough to reach rank 10.

If you are no longer a complete beginner, the pro recommends that you play in two or three squads and kill the other players first before you turn to the scavs.

His preferred method for moderately experienced players: Collect 3M Modular Body Armor (3M Armor). Just focus on it, don't try kills - Pestily recommends just running across the map and exiting once you've found an armor. Here are the 3M vests on the factory map:

In the main office with the safe

In the scaffolding above the factory flyover

In the large container under the overpass

The modular protective vest from 3M makes XP-Grinding in Escape From Tarkov easier.The modular protective vest from 3M makes XP-Grinding in Escape From Tarkov easier.

You need a total of 4 protective vests for the level 5 task "Supplier" from the Skier dealer. For completing this quest you will get 3300 XP. When you have completed them, the pro recommends that you concentrate on further quests until you reach level 10. Of course, you can first complete quests for lower levels until you land on level 5. Pestily's preferred grind quests are (in descending order):

Supplier: Level 5 Ski Quest (3300 XP)

Debut: Level 1 Prapor Quest (600 XP)

The Blackmailer: Level 7 Skier Quest (3200 XP)

Review: Level 2 Prapor Quest (800 XP)

Picnic Shootout: Level 3 Prapor Quest (2000 XP)

Mixing Up: Level 8 Skier Quest (4700 XP)

The GameStar community does not particularly like the factory: We recently wanted to know which of the maps in Escape From Tarkov you like best. The Factory, praised by Pestily, only landed on the penultimate place. What do you think of his tips? Do you use them as an opportunity to visit the factory map more often?

Patch 0.12.5 for Escape from Tarkov is "95 percent" about fixing bugs and performance problems

 Escape from Tarkov has been struggling with performance problems and errors, some of which are related to the last important updates. For example, the last EFT update 0.12.4 introduced a weight system and fatigue in the hardcore shooter, which was subsequently heavily criticized by players.

Now chief developer Nikita Buyanov has spoken via Reddit about the next patch with version number 0.12.5. The update should contain "95 percent optimizations and fixes" after the developers of Battlestate Games had already made some balance adjustments to the criticized features via hotfixes.

The developer did not give an exact release date for the patch, but it should appear in April 2020.

Minor new features with 0.12.5

Update 0.12.5 for Escape from Tarkov does not have to do without new functions, even if the features are only small. Buyanov writes:

"The next patch 0.12.5 will consist of 95 percent corrections and optimizations. However, it will also contain some functions such as fast healing after the raid and post-effect filter, but no additional content."

The developers had promised to send a new patch for Escape from Tarkov every month in the future. It is understandable that there are fewer innovations in these small updates.

Major updates are also developed in the background. For example, players are currently waiting for the eighth map for Escape from Tarkov. You can see all previous levels in our overview of the maps of Escape from Tarkov.

Loot is getting too difficult in Escape from Tarkov: Developers are weakening new features

 Escape from Tarkov is currently still in beta, which means that the developers at the Battlestate Games studio are trying out numerous features, which can cause problems every now and then.

For example, currently with the new overweight mechanics, which became part of Escape from Tarkov with patch 0.12.4 on March 12, 2020. Because the fans do not want to be particularly happy with this at the moment and sometimes even demand the complete removal of this feature.

Tarkov players no longer want to be overweight

What is the effect of the new overweight mechanism and what is the problem? Players from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim or Fallout 4, for example, already know that their own character can be punished by carrying too much weapons and equipment.

If we carry too much stuff around with us, we can no longer move properly. In Escape from Tarkov, however, these debuffs are far more serious - after all, it is also a survival shooter that hardcore fans really enjoy.

For the new Escape from Tarkov feature, your skills will be reset 43 0

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For the new Escape from Tarkov feature, your skills will be reset

Too many and especially too strong debuffs

With patch 0.12.4 it seems to be too much for even these players: On Reddit, Twitter and the official Tarkov forums it is criticized that the debuffs triggered by being overweight are too serious and frustrating. If you carry too many weapons, equipment and / or loot with you, you have to put up with the following effects:

Noises made by your own character become louder: If your own character rumbles through the levels of the game, sneaking and undiscovered procedures are of course difficult.

Limitation of the speed of movement: If you carry too much stuff with you, you can only act and react more slowly. For NPCs and, of course, especially human opponents, it is a real treat. The clumsy movements are also a problem for players for whom the leisurely turning of the character's head causes motion sickness.

Increased endurance consumption: If you carry too many things, you get tired faster. Especially in combination with the new endurance system (if a lot of endurance continues to be consumed in the long term, stamina regenerates less or not at all) a vicious circle that drives many players crazy

So while before patch 0.12.4 it was quite possible to walk around with a total weight of 100kg, it is now problematic from 70kg. Since you start the round with an average of 30-35kg as a well-equipped character, there are only 30 to 40kg left for loot - which are quickly exhausted.

Battlestate Games responds to criticism from fans

Developer Battlestate Games has already noticed the excitement about the new overweight system and has not ignored it. Quite the opposite: Even with the controversial change in the flea market level, the studio reacted quickly and offered the community a conciliatory compromise.

The developer announced that the overweight limit was not kicked, but at least raised. In addition, by reducing abrupt head movements, the problem of motion sickness has also been addressed.

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However, players have to reckon with such problems or serious changes in Escape from Tarkov: As already mentioned, the survival shooter is still in the beta phase, which the developer Battlestate uses to try out new features - Of course, they rely on feedback from the community.

Escape from Tarkov: Controversial balance change after fan criticism weakened

 With Patch 0.12.4 got Escape from Tarkov some map changes to Interchange and two new gameplay mechanics and a skill reset - but no character-Wipe - donated. The fans found one change so uncool that the developer Battlestate Games immediately reversed it - at least partially.

Battlestate listens to its fans & offers compromise

Update 0.12.4 was originally supposed to increase the level to be able to use the flea market to 15. Previously, rank 5 was enough to access loot that players had put up for sale and offered for sale.

Fans criticized the increase in flea market access so harshly on Reddit, Twitter and the official Tarkov forum that Battlestate Games was now persuaded to weaken the change: After patch 0.12.4 was deployed, the developer announced on Twitter that that the flea market will now be accessible from level 10 - and not only from level 15.

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A compromise with which fans can apparently reconcile: The excitement about the raised flea market level seems to have subsided, instead other aspects of Update 0.12.4 are being discussed: For example, the new weight mechanics are being criticized. How satisfied the fans are with the interchange changes remains to be seen.

Why players criticized the later access to the flea market

Not all, but many players weren't too happy with the initial increase in Flea Market access from level 5 to 15. The community criticized, among other things, that the entry hurdle for one or the other Tarkov newcomer could be "too high" if the game itself is already very difficult and demanding.

As a result, it was stated that you only get access to "really good weapons and equipment" when the flea market opens, whereas previously you had to fall back on goods from relatively low-level dealers. Too high a level for the use of the flea market would create a "gap between players with high and low level" - as described by player Spoona8, for example.

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Escape From Tarkov Community Ranking: These are the maps you love to play

However, not every member of the Tarkov community shared this opinion: th3_ghost reported, for example, that in the course of various quests level 15 "can be reached in around five hours of play", while for MattyB-02 a difficult entry "simply belongs to Escape from Tarkov "would.

For the new Escape from Tarkov feature, your skills will be reset

 With update 0.12.4 Escape from Tarkov gets two new features that make the survival shooter more realistic and thus even more difficult: fatigue and overweight. And while fans are currently waiting for the next character wipe, it will probably not be there for the time being.

Strength & stamina of your characters back to zero

Developer Battlestate Games announced on Twitter that with patch 0.12.4 there is still a wipe, but on a much smaller scale. In order to implement the new weight system from Escape from Tarkov, two skills of your character will be reset to zero: Endurance and Strength - i.e. endurance and strength.

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Players who have already leveled their stats to the max will no doubt be disappointed with this news. However, you have to keep in mind that Escape from Tarkov is still in beta and therefore there are regular resets - about every six months, for example, a complete character wipe.

In addition, resetting the two stats Endurance and Strength is important for both the developer Battlestate Games and the players in order to get a feel for the new weight feature of Escape from Tarkov: Does the new feature work properly? Where is there potential for improvement? What do players think of the new feature?

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Escape from Tarkov will be even more difficult with patch 0.12.4

After patch 0.12.4, the weight of your equipment, weapons and the loot you carry will have an impact on a number of aspects: For example, your own noise level increases if you carry too much stuff with you. The movement speed of your own character is also restricted, while certain actions require more stamina.

What does patch 0.12.4 change to Escape from Tarkov?

Patch 0.12.4 for Escape from Tarkov was deployed on March 12, 2020.

As already mentioned Escape from Tarkov gets two new features with the fatigue effect and overweight. In addition, the popular Map Interchange has been revised to counteract the problem of so-called "extraction campers". By the way: In the GameStar community, the Customs card has turned out to be your most played favorite.

Update 0.12.4 also brings a balance change that divides the community: In order to be able to fall back on the flea market, players should first reach level 15 with their PMC. Battlestate Games has already responded to the criticism of the fans and announced on Twitter that the required level for the flea market would be set to 10.

Invisible cheaters in Escape from Tarkov steal your inventory empty

 In Escape from Tarkov, cheaters are increasingly up to mischief who use a kind of invisibility hack and steal your inventory without noticing. Several posts are making the rounds on Reddit that deal with the issue.

Here you can see how one of these cheaters suddenly appears out of nowhere when his invisibility apparently quits their service for a short time:

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A player also complained about his suffering on YouTube. His modded M4 was stolen from the poor guy's hands by a brazen cheater in the middle of the raid. We have embedded the video for you:

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Developers are on the trail of hackers

Meanwhile, the head of Battlestate Games developer, Nikita Buyanov, has commented on Reddit about the recent problems with cheaters. Accordingly, they have already "initiated countermeasures" to banish the cheaters on one hand and to fix the causes on the other.

"We are aware of the problem, the situation is being monitored and all necessary measures are already being taken. All these fraudsters will be banned and we are preparing additional measures against such exploits."

Much increased interest

The increasing number of cheaters is also likely to be related to the increased interest in hardcore shooters since the beginning of the year. After a successful promotion, Battlestate Games stated that Escape from Tarkov now has hundreds of thousands of competing players, which in turn caused server problems.

Escape from Tarkov has had problems with cheaters in the past. In order to create more transparency about the measures taken against fraudsters, in 2019, for example, the developers published a list of cheaters that were banned in the official forum.

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Escape from Tarkov will be even more difficult with patch 0.12.4

Meanwhile, an upcoming change in Escape from Tarkov, also related to dishonest intent, is dividing the community. To combat bots more effectively, access to the flea market has been increased from level 5 to 15. Players criticize that this could widen the gap between beginners and professionals.

New balance change in Escape from Tarkov divides the community

A change in patch 0.12.4 for Escape from Tarkov does not exactly cause enthusiasm in the community. It's about a balance adjustment at the flea market - the player-centered economy in the survival shooter.

Specifically, the upcoming Tarkov update contains a change in access to the flea market: In future you will have to reach level 15 with your PMC in order to be able to trade on the flea market. So far, level 5 was sufficient.

We asked for your opinion on the change in our Escape from Tarkov forum thread. A rather negative picture emerged.

That's what the GameStar community says

Opinions about the upcoming update for Escape from Tarkov are not positive. For GameStar user Robbsen2992, the flea market implemented at the end of 2018 was a real relief:

"The flea market was a real blessing for me because I do not play that often and so far I've seen level 5 as the first important stage, after which the game became much more fun for me."

User Spoona8 fears that the higher flea market level "could widen the gap between players with high and low level". This would make it difficult for newcomers, as they would have to fall back on relatively weak weapons, ammunition and armor from low-level dealers. Meanwhile, players with access to the flea market can theoretically buy anything and are therefore better equipped.

"It will be very frustrating, especially at the beginning, when you can hardly do PMCs with mid to high gear and are killed by PMCs and Scavs with a bullet because there is no suitable armor."

Player noe12372 thinks "it takes too long to get to level 15":

"I am currently lvl 15 and have 135 hours of play. Certainly it is much faster, but a beginner will also need so long to be able to unlock the flea market and that is a bit too long in my opinion. However, I did not do any quests because I just do not feel like it and find it boring. "

The experienced player th3_ghost counters this by stating that "level 15 can be reached in around five hours of play" by completing the quests. That makes the missions indispensable for new players or after a wipe:

"Quests are compulsory. Level 15 can be done in a good 5 hours."

Logically, experienced players can reach the flea market faster after a wipe than someone who has never been to Tarkov before and has yet to learn all the mechanics.

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Jaeger in Escape from Tarkov: how to unlock the dealer

That's what other players say

On Reddit there are also voices who do not find the higher entry level for the flea market in Escape from Tarkov bad. So a difficult entry is simply part of it for some fans. User MattyB-02 writes:

"Honestly, lvl 15 isn't too hard to get to. One week of quest hunting and this should be done. I agree it will be tougher for newer players, but that could be a positive change in my opinion."

What do you think of the planned change to the flea market level in Update 0.12.4 for Escape from Tarkov? Write us your opinion in the comments!

Escape from Tarkov will be even more difficult with patch 0.12.4

 Escape from Tarkov is notorious for its merciless level of difficulty and its high demands on realistic and immersive gameplay. With Patch 0.12.4 two new features coming in the Survival shooter that again promote this principle to the extreme: The mechanics "overweight" and "fatigue".

The two new systems in patch 0.12.4

1. What does the new fatigue effect entail?

The fact that characters have a stamina bar that is emptied by actions such as sprinting or jumping is not something new in Escape from Tarkov or video games in general. For patch 0.12.4 developer Battlestate Games came up with a new trick.

Escape from Tarkov divides your stamina meter into "arms" and "legs". Actions such as aiming, throwing grenades and close combat empty the arms bar, while jumping, sprinting and changing body positions affect the legs bar. As soon as the arm stamina is used up, the leg groin also begins to wane.

The fatigue effect takes effect when the endurance of your character is kept at a low level for a longer period of time: the higher the fatigue effect, the further the energy consumption of your actions increases - a vicious circle of efforts.

2. What does being overweight entail?

The principle of overweight in Escape from Tarkov should be familiar to players of titles like Fallout 4 or The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim: If there is too much stuff in the inventory, running and sprinting are no longer possible, comfort functions such as fast travel are also deactivated.

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Escape from Tarkov too frustrating even for the fans: Popular map is being revised

In Escape from Tarkov, certain weight values ​​for weapons, equipment and loot with patch 0.12.4 also bring effects that are far more serious: For example, your own noise level is increased if you carry too much stuff around with you. The speed of one's own movements is also restricted, while the consumption of endurance skyrockets.

Incidentally, these are not the only major changes in Patch 0.12.4 for Escape from Tarkov: We recently reported that developer Battlestate Games is making important changes to the popular Map Interchange with the new update.

The patch notes for update 0.12.4 at a glance

Patch 0.12.4 for Escape from Tarkov currently has no release date. Developer Battlestate Games has not commented on it either in the livestream or in the official blog post.

All of the official patch notes for Update 0.12.4 are as follows:

Added

Interchange has been revised.

The light on Interchange has been updated.

New interactive objects, new extracts.

Various issues with culling, physical collisions have been fixed.

New mechanics, obesity. The character gains various negative effects or properties while carrying a certain weight (increased noise level of the equipment, limitation of movement speed, increased stamina consumption, etc.).

Added the fatigue effect that occurs when the character keeps stamina at a low level for a long time. The energy consumption increases with this effect.

The character's stamina display is now divided into "arms" and "legs". The endurance of the arms is used up when aiming, throwing grenades and in close combat. The endurance of the legs is consumed when sprinting, jumping, changing body positions, etc. Leg stamina also begins to wane as arm stamina drops to zero.

Trade, Flea Market, and Inventory buttons have been added to the bottom of the user interface for quick access.

New hand grenades based on the prototypes VOG-17 and VOG-25.

The resolution of the screen is determined automatically when the game is started for the first time and adopted as the default setting.

New weapon mods.

New outfits for character customization

New BEAR top called "Telnik"

New BEAR pants called "Tiger"

New USEC upper part named "TIER2"

New USEC trousers named "Commando"

New SCAV top named "Russia Olimpic Jersey"

New body armor, tactical vests, backpack, helmet, active headset

Grenade box.

New barter items and new trading options that require this loot.

New options for crafting in hiding.

New quests with new outfits as a reward.

optimization

Minor light optimizations.

Small optimizations of the decals.

Various optimizations for server stability.

Fixed

Fixed a bug where saving the weapon preset, all inventory and trade actions could freeze.

Some of the errors in the inventory display at a screen resolution of 2k (or 1440p) have been fixed.

Fixed an issue where AI corpses could disappear after or during a reconnect.

The display of notifications when receiving weapons from a SCAV box has been corrected.

Fixed a bug that prevented the production timer from updating when the generator ran out of fuel.

Fixed a bug that made it impossible to enter the hideout after transferring graphics cards from the Bitcoin farm.

An error has been fixed where the context menu - for objects brought in by SCAV - did not appear.

Fixed a bug that caused the item not to be

Escape From Tarkov Community Ranking: These are the maps you love to play

 In Escape from Tarkov you can currently choose between seven different maps on which you can move and loot. They all differ in their playing time, player size and types of opponents. While you can only fight against Scavs and other players on the Map Factory, for example, Customs, Woods, Interchange and Reserve also offer you special boss opponents. But which map in Escape for Tarkov is the best?

Exactly what we wanted with our survey and a survey in our Escape From Tarkov- forum thread and subreddit determined. Here is the result:

Participants: 976Participants: 976

Due to the small number of participants, only tendencies can be recognized, but they give an exciting picture: Reserve, Interchange, Shoreline and Customs are all about the same, which suggests that all of these four maps appeal to you in principle. The following ranking results:

1. Customs (26.51%)

2. Reserve (21.08%)

3. Interchange (19.14%)

4. Shoreline (18.01%)

5. Woods (6.35%)

6. Factory (5th, 22%)

7. The Lab (3.68%)

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Escape From Tarkov for advanced users: 4 clever tips from the community

Customs vs. Reserve - A question of nostalgia?

With only a very small margin, Customs can prevail against reserves. In the subreddit it is assumed that this trend is mainly related to the fact that many players used Customs as a beginner map and started their first runs there with their PVC or Scav. Reddit user Beebjank says:

"It amazes me that a lot of players like Customs so much. For me personally, it's the worst card in the game: Bad loot (unless you're like every other PMC in Dorms), the whole map is a choke point and in some areas you can not move freely unless you take complete cover. "

Both in the subreddit and in our forum, experienced players seem to prefer reserve. Community expert th3 ghost writes:

"I like Reserve best because it offers PvP from start to finish and the loot is well distributed over the map. You can fight at any distance and have a very varied map design. In addition, the exits are not static."

The other two winners of the Interchange and Shoreline rankings also get positive votes from the Tarkov community, whereby it becomes clear that every player values ​​other things in particular. justin_r_1993 especially likes Interchange for its loot:

"I like Interchange to stock up on supplies and collect items for sale. I started out on Interchange with little money and got $ 250,000 in loot and another $ 100,000 in weapons and armor."

Although Interchange is very popular, the map has one major camper problem. The lurking enemies wait especially at the two extraction points to steal your loot at the last minute. Therefore, Interchange is now being revised and is getting three additional extraction points. You can read everything about the revision in our separate article:

What kind of maps do you want in the future?

If we look at the ranking, there are three very clear losers: Woods, Factory and The Lab. They are all very specialized maps - Factory is close-combat-heavy, Woods requires a lot of long-range combat and The Lab is only suitable for high-level endgame players. Two of the cards also do not offer any additional bosses. As we can already read from the comments in the forum and in the Reddit thread, variety is most important to you with Maps.

For Lazy II, Shoreline is a good card in terms of diversity:

"It offers many alternative options, good exits, quiet areas, but also exciting hotspots. That is probably the most balanced card. Actually, Interchange would be my absolute favorite, but it simply has the worst exits in the game."

The developers of Escape From Tarkov are currently planning the following maps: Streets of Tarkov, Suburbs, Town, Lighthouse and Terminal. If the new maps are as varied as Customs, Reserve, Interchange and Shoreline and offer you as much good loot, bosses and gameplay variety as possible, nothing stands in the way of the new maps in Escape From Tarkov, also reaching a high place in the ranking.

Escape from Tarkov too frustrating even for the fans: Popular map is being revised

 A popular map in Escape from Tarkov is being massively revised: Interchange will receive a total of five extraction points with an upcoming update - and will no longer contain just two (or three) options for exiting the map.

Why is Interchange being revised?

The Map Interchange is extremely popular with the Escape from Tarkov community. However, there is a problem that has met with criticism from many players for over a year: Since there are currently only two Extraction Points, there are numerous campers waiting there to facilitate their loot for other players.

Developer Battlestate Games now wants to put a stop to these so-called "extraction campers": With an upcoming update, Interchange is to be expanded by three new exit points so that there are a total of five extraction points on the map. If you add the chargeable exit at the power plant, there are even six Exfil zones!

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Maps in Escape from Tarkov: All maps at a glance

This should make it much more difficult for campers to intercept players on the way to extraction from the combat area: Instead of concentrating on just two possible escape routes, campers will have to keep an eye on a total of five different extraction points with the next update - which is what extraction camping is for them difficult and makes it easier for other players to escape.

The developers have not yet revealed where the new extraction points will be.

By the way, here you can watch an older video from Interchange, which gives you an impression of the battles in the mall:

Escape from Tarkov - Patch 0.8 four-minute trailer features new map interchange and helmet visors

 4:03 Escape from Tarkov - Patch 0.8 four-minute trailer features new map interchange and helmet visors

Why are Extraction Points so important?

A raid in Escape from Tarkov is not done automatically and successfully completed, for example if you kill a boss or collect the most valuable loot. Instead, the extraction from the combat area is still pending after each foray.

Players have to find one of several possible outcomes. However, they are not always open: Each participant in a round is assigned random exits. Sometimes a certain key is required, sometimes an exit happens to remain completely locked.

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Escape From Tarkov for advanced users: 4 clever tips from the community

Finding the right exit is one of Escape from Tarkov's greatest charms. However, extraction campers missed the game experience for many survival shooter players, which is why the developer Battlestate Games is now responding to fan feedback.

Lighting and shadows are also being reworked on Interchange

Incidentally, the additional Exfil zones are not the only change for Interchange that Battlestate is planning: The lighting on the map should also be adjusted so that players in the parking garage of the map can no longer be unfairly discovered by other players who escape from Tarkov play without shadows or with a reduced representation of shadows.

Numerous fans on Reddit criticized the fact that they could be discovered by enemy players even though they should have remained invisible in the shadows - which of course affects the balance of Escape from Tarkov.

In addition, there will be "interactive lighting" on Interchange: Players can switch lights on and off on the map. Activation takes place via the card's Power Station, which triggers an alarm - but some of the new extraction points can also be opened at the same time.

When will the interchange update for Escape from Tarkov come?

When the next interchange update for Escape from Tarkov will be played, it is not clear from the livestream of the developers of Battlestate Games. We have already reported on the plans and roadmap 2020 for Escape from Tarkov.

On Twitch you have the opportunity to watch the developers' livestream again, where Battlestate Games talks about the planned changes for Interchange in Escape from Tarkov.

Does Escape from Tarkov have a spawn issue? Streamer calls for change

 At the beginning of 2020, Escape from Tarkov blossomed into the (meanwhile) most popular game on Twitch. Among other things, this is also thanks to big streamers, who at this point show increased interest in the survival shooter. Among the most popular streamers of Escape from Tarkov is also summit1g, which is currently not too good to talk about the game.

"The Scavs in Escape from Tarkov are unbeatable"

The reason for this: According to him, Escape from Tarkov is currently struggling with a "broken NPC spawn system". In the game there are NPCs called »Scav«, which are supposed to make exploring and looting more difficult in addition to human opponents.

However, Scavs do not disappear from the current match as soon as they are shot down, but rather respawn after their virtual death. And it is precisely this fact that is currently angry with summit1g.

Summit1g had to deal with a relatively large number of scavs in one of his last Escape-from-Tarkovs streams after he was unable to find other human players. And although he did one scav at a time, the NPCs ultimately managed to kill summit1g's character.

Accordingly, summit1g turned to the developers with corresponding frustration (and with various expletives): According to him, it is no fun to shoot down one scav after the other when they respawn anyway. So it is not possible for any player to master the overwhelming power of the scavs who cannot be killed.

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What would the alternative to the current enemy respawn be?

As an alternative to the scavs' current respawn system, summit1g suggests that, for example, an NPC counter could be introduced in Escape from Tarkov: In such a system there could be a limited number of scavs from which the ongoing match could be cleaned. What would remain "only" the threat from human adversaries.

Whether this is a suggestion that the developer Battlestate Games can make friends with is of course questionable: After all, there are not only loots from other players or from dealers and in the flea market, but also in loot caches distributed on the map.

This would theoretically make it easy for players to clean the maps of scavs, farm loot and, if necessary, even talk to each other. And that in turn would throw the game's balance out of joint, but above all it would destroy the real appeal of Escape from Tarkov.

Jaeger in Escape from Tarkov: how to unlock the dealer

 If you start with Escape from Tarkov, the hunter Jaeger is still blocked as a dealer. In order to be able to access his range of goods and his tasks, you must first activate Jaeger. But how does it work? We'll explain it to you in this compact guide.

First Mechanic Quest

First of all, you have to complete the Gunsmith Part 1 quest at the Mechanic dealer. To do this, you must have reached level 10 with your PMC beforehand. So you have to play for a while before you get anywhere near Jaeger.

If you need help getting started in this often ruthless hardcore shooter, check out our entry-level guide to Escape from Tarkov. Have you already reached level 10, accept the said quest at Mechanic.

The NPC mechanic will first check your hobbyist skills before you get any further quests. The NPC mechanic will first check your hobbyist skills before you get any further quests.

So you solve the quest

The mechanic asks you to make an MP-133 shotgun for him. But not just any, the part must have specific properties. And this:

Ergonomics of 55 or more

950 or less total recoil

Maximum of 4 fields

A magazine capacity of 6 or more

A laser pointer or a tactical laser / light combination

You can loot the shotgun from Scavs or buy it as cheaply as possible at the flea market. For the parts, we also recommend getting them at the flea market. You have various options for achieving the required values. We have put together the following setup:

With this setup you can complete the first Mechanic quest.With this setup you can complete the first Mechanic quest.

133/153 Pistol Grip

Custom plastic MP-133 forestock with mounts

UVG Tactical Foregrip

NCstar Tactical Blue Laser LAM module

Remington Tactical Choke 12ga

510mm MP-133 barrel

MP-133x6 magazine

Once you've put the shotgun together, go back to Mechanic and return it to the Tasks tab. Done! Now one more task is missing to unlock Jaeger in Escape from Tarkov.

Second Mechanic Quest

After you've built the shotgun for Mechanic, you have new quests to choose from. Select Introduction to take a step closer to Jaeger.

In the introduction you have to go to the Priozersky reserve, the Jaeger area. Here you have to find a message from the hunter and transport it out of the raid. Most people know the reserve better than Map Woods.

So you solve the quest

Start a raid on Woods and go to a hunting camp near the crashed plane. We have marked the place on the map for you:

Go to this location on Woods with the Introduction quest to find Jaeger's message.Go to this location on Woods with the Introduction quest to find Jaeger's message.

Once you've found the camp, look out for Jaeger's message. As soon as you have found them, you have to get out of the raid alive with the message.

Correction: It is not possible to simply transport the quest item in the secured container. We corrected the mistake.

Then give the message to Mechanic and complete the quest. Jaeger is now available to you as a trader and quest giver in Escape from Tarkov.

According to the developer, Escape from Tarkov has more players than Destiny 2 on Steam

 In the past, developer Battlestate Games has mostly kept a low profile on the specific number of players in Escape from Tarkov. In a live stream with well-known streamers such as Sacriel and Summit1g, chief developer Nikita Buyanov can now elicit surprisingly clear statements.

According to this, Escape from Tarkov already had around 100,000 simultaneously active players at weddings at the beginning of the month. The following weekend, according to Buyanov, the numbers doubled. To put the numbers in relation, let's draw a comparison to Steam: With around 200,000 players, EFT has twice as many players as Destiny 2 and is more in the range of Monster Hunter World (via Steam Charts).

Furthermore, Buyanov says that there is currently a weekly increase in players of 10 to 25 percent. We have embedded the stream as a video for you below. To hear the statements about the number of players, jump to minute 33:00:

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Success surprises the developers

Developer Battlestate Games did not expect such rapidly growing numbers of players. We reported: Thanks to a successful advertising campaign, Escape from Tarkov suddenly became one of the most watched games on Twitch. Several well-known streamers added the game to their portfolio. These circumstances are now also reflected in the number of players.

As Buyanov points out, the recent server problems in Escape from Tarkov were directly related to the increased number of players. In the meantime, however, the developers have taken countermeasures as announced. This weekend we did not have any serious problems with matchmaking and stability.

If you're one of the new players, take a look at our entry-level guide to Escape from Tarkov. In it you will find the most important tips to make the first steps easier. Our map overview for EFT, on the other hand, gives you an overview of the maps that have been playable in the hardcore shooter so far.

Server problems in Tarkov: developers are giving away 1 million rubles for a limited time

 Escape from Tarkov has had server problems for the past few days. Players complained about disconnections during the raids or could not even log into the hardcore shooter. Certainly not a few have lost valuable equipment as a result if they were suddenly thrown out of the game in the middle of a battle.

Developer Battlestate Games announced on Monday at 18:41 on Twitter that players will be compensated for this with one million rubles.

However, the offer is limited to three days. So you have to log in by February 13th at 6:41 pm. Anyone who logs in once must collect the money within 48 hours from this point in time. You can find the in-game money in the news tab.

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Server continues to be Achilles heel

Server problems have often been a weak point in the Escape from Tarkov beta in the past. There were frequent disconnections and desynchronizations, especially after the transition from alpha to the beta phase.

A hardware Youtuber discovered various problems with the Netcode of Escape from Tarkov in 2018. In the meantime, however, the situation has improved significantly. At least that has mostly been the case so far.

Noticeable desynchronizations rarely occur, and the client-side performance of Escape from Tarkov has increased. Developer Battlestate Games has repeatedly stated that server and client performance is one of the top priorities in development.

Now the old problem with the servers shows up again. Escape from Tarkov has seen an increase in the number of players recently, probably driven by a successful promotion and increased viewership on Twitch. This could be one of the reasons for the renewed trouble for which the players are now being compensated by the Tarkov developers.

Escape from Tarkov Roadmap - These features are coming in 2020

 Escape from Tarkov has big plans for 2020 and beyond before the survival shooter can finally fulfill the developers' vision. A few features are still missing to complete, including five maps and a mode that connects all locations into one large game world.

In the short term, the Russian studio Battlestate Games published a roadmap in the official forum in mid-January, which gives you a pretty detailed insight into the current construction sites and upcoming content for Escape from Tarkov. We summarize below:

The next updates at a glance

The developers at EFT divide the update roadmap into different categories.

Next big update and wipe: A wipe will not take place in the next few months. The next wipe will be linked to storyline quests when they are finished developing.

About the new map: The developers do not want to need eight or nine months, as with 0.12 Patch, to complete the new location. They want to do their best to finish as soon as possible.

The release of the new map should therefore be planned for 2020. According to the developers, the new map is the eagerly awaited city map Streets of Tarkov.

Streets of Tarkov is the next card in the development cycle.Streets of Tarkov is the next card in the development cycle.

Minor updates: In the next five months, minor updates should be added to Escape from Tarkov. Battlestate Games plans to make various content and feature updates as well as bug fixes during this time. The main new features on the agenda are:

Revision of the weight system in the game

Addition of the new audio engine Steam Audio

More detail in gear customization

In the course of 2020 you should have more options for customizing your equipment in Escape from Tarkov. Among other things, the possibility of exchanging the armor plates in your west, which are also new, if they have been shot.

Upcoming armor plates in Escape from Tarkov can show different degrees of destruction.Upcoming armor plates in Escape from Tarkov can show different degrees of destruction.

In this way, you will be able to think carefully before a raid in the future about which type of projectile you want to arm yourself against. Because you can choose from various materials for the armor plates in the depth of detail known for Escape from Tarkov, each of which has specific properties.

The developers also want to make it possible to attach tactical magazine pouches to your vests at will. So you can fine-tune your loadout and decide more easily whether you want to take small or large magazines with you into the raid.

More features in the pipeline

What else is currently in the development process at Escape from Tarkov is summarized in brief. However, it is not clear which of these will appear in 2020 or possibly later:

An AKM assault rifle that is extremely lightweight shows that there is no end in sight when it comes to weapon modding at EFT.

Extreme modding: With this AKM, lightweight construction is written in bold.Extreme modding: With this AKM, lightweight construction is written in bold.

Bastion helmets with aramid protective panels. It is a modern, high-performance plastic (known for example as "Kevlar") that offers strong protection against bullets.

Armor with armor for the legs to address the issue of frequent deaths from shots to the unprotected legs. Until the system is fully implemented, the vest could initially appear without leg protection.

Escape from Tarkov has new ways to protect your legs in the long run.Escape from Tarkov has new ways to protect your legs in the long run.

A new grenade launcher

A box for storing grenades in the inventory to save space

New gadgets such as a hybrid device with night and thermal vision

A new animation to lean to one side while lying down

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A new medicine item to heal serious injuries

New, expensive clothes for USEC Group PMCs

A vest that can hold 14 magazines

The ability to make and trade clothes yourself

Escape from Tarkov: No playable women, development is "too complex"

 There are currently some controversial discussions about Escape from Tarkov. On Twitter there are numerous reactions to a tweet from developer Battlestate Games, who talks about female characters in the hardcore shooter.

The developers reject the possibility that there will be female playable characters in addition to the male soldiers in the MMO shooter. The reason: The modeling is too time-consuming - and moreover, playable soldiers would not match the background story of the game. There are women in the game in the form of traders and other NPCs, but no playable soldiers.

The developers do not explain how the lack of female soldiers from the cart is explained. In the wikis and homepage entries published so far, we did not come across any specific indications that could classify the statement. We have asked the developers and will add this message as soon as we receive an answer.

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The discussion has been going on since 2016

There is more to this discussion than meets the eye. Many critics refer to a 2016 interview where one of the developers of Escape from Tarkov has already responded to the question about female characters. At that time, the reason sounded different than in the current tweet: Women could not bear the burden of war, it said at the time.

"We thought about it, but then decided that women are not allowed in war. I agree [that women are active in real military, editor's note] and we discussed it extensively, but came to the conclusion that women can not handle that kind of stress. There's only room here for die-hard men. "

The developers are now distancing themselves from the statement made at the time. The employee was reprimanded for his statement that they respect women in the military and in wars and do not want to reduce their performance.

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The more recent justification that women are too difficult to model can therefore be seen as a reaction to the statement at the time. Battlestate Games are not the only developers to express themselves in this way on this question, by the way.

Because there were similar discussions with Assassin's Creed Unity. Another example: The developers of Hunt: Showdown, who promised female characters for the future, but nevertheless emphasized how complex it is to integrate a second body type into the game.

Escape from Tarkov is the most popular game on Twitch right now, why is that?

 Escape from Tarkov is skyrocketing on Twitch. At times, almost 200,000 viewers watch channels on which the hardcore shooter is streamed. This makes Escape from Tarkov the most popular game on Twitch - not a bad performance for a game that's been in Early Access for three years.

While EFT has always generated a certain amount of interest on Twitch, the heavy jump is still a specialty. While some of this may be due to increased audience interest, the bulk of the surge is more from targeted marketing.

Escape from Tarkov is suddenly enjoying huge success on Twitch. (via twitchmetrics.net) Escape from Tarkov is suddenly enjoying huge success on Twitch. (via twitchmetrics.net)

Great streamers play Tarkov

Developer Battlestate Games is beating the drum for the three-year anniversary of the early access start of the hardcore shooter. The Russian studio has apparently targeted streamers on board. Big names like Anton, DrLupo, Sacriel, MrGrimmmz, Pestily and Cohh Carnage have been streaming Escape from Tarkov more and more for days. At the same time, they attract a large audience that is enthusiastic about the hardcore shooter.

At the same time, the developers are distributing Twitch drops: Here viewers of certain streamers receive gifts for the game, such as weapons and equipment, at the turn of the year. To do this, you have to connect your Twitch account to your Tarkov account and watch one of around 200 participating streamers.

The fact that viewers come and stay is certainly also related to the twitchability of the gameplay. On the one hand, Escape from Tarkov can seem overwhelming for players, especially at the beginning. It takes a lot of time and dedication to play successfully. On the other hand, this also means that Escape from Tarkov occasionally makes exciting video and streaming material, especially when someone plays who has mastered the game.

This is how Escape from Tarkov plays

Read our latest preview if you want to learn more about Escape from Tarkov's gameplay. In a nutshell: Tarkov is a hardcore shooter with survival and role-playing elements for multiplayer, which is heavily designed for realism and authenticity. You carry out raids in instanced areas in order to get hold of as much valuable equipment as possible. To be able to keep the stuff, you have to come out alive, which is made more difficult by changing exits.

Other players try the same thing as they try to get your expensive stuff off your hands. Sometimes this goes faster than you would like, as Escape from Tarkov simulates complex injuries and an aimed shot can mean the end of you. If you die and no helpful friend takes your equipment with you, it is lost. The high entry barrier and the tactical demands make Escape from Tarkov a risky and intense game experience. And this makes streamed gameplay potentially entertaining.

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Escape from Tarkov - view screenshots

Why now?

The question of why developer Battlestate Games is starting an offensive marketing now of all times could be related to the open beta, which has been postponed several times. In our interview, Chief Developer Nikita Buyanov stated that the postponements were made because they wanted to ensure that Escape from Tarkov makes the best impression on new players.

So it is conceivable that the Open Beta is imminent. However, this information is not official. We have asked Battlestate Games for information and will update this message if we respond.

In any case, the timing would match the developers' earlier statements. Accordingly, the Open Beta should take place after the long-awaited player hideout has been integrated. This has happened with the latest update 0.12 for Escape from Tarkov. We will keep you informed about further developments on this topic.

Escape from Tarkov - Hardcore shooter suffers from a big lag problem in beta

A situation could not be much more frustrating: The opponent shoots us because of connection problems, even though we jump behind cover in good time. Or a fatal shot catches us before we spot the enemy. Especially in a survival shooter like Escape from Tarkov, in which we are punished with the loss of loot for every player death, the technology should not cause any problems.

In the current beta, however, this is anything but the case, as the YouTuber Battle (non) sense discovered in one of his well-known network code analyzes of the hardcore shooter. The video can be found below the message.

Despite a communication rate between client and server that is actually good for a multiplayer shooter, massive lag occurs in the game. The client speaks to the server about 68 times per second, the server in turn sends information at 93 Hertz (for comparison: Battlefield 1 has 60 Hertz for standard servers).

YouTuber Battle (non) sense shows in its graphic the massive delays players have to be prepared for.YouTuber Battle (non) sense shows in its graphic the massive delays players have to be prepared for.

In firefights between two players, the transmission of information can take up to almost a second, the slightest delay was still a whopping 159 milliseconds. Again Battlefield for comparison: In his tests of Battlefield 1, Battle (non) sense only achieved delays between 45 and 72.5 milliseconds.

Wrong server choice, developers react

The server selection also turned out to be crude in the network test: The matchmaking does not automatically look for the fastest server for the player, but bases the server selection on the player's WAN IP address.

Since the Internet provider of Battle (non) sense had just bought addresses from Australia and assigned the YouTuber a corresponding value, Escape from Tarkov suspected the YouTuber in Australia and assigned him servers in Downunder and Asia. After a conversation with the Internet provider, the YouTuber's WAN IP address was changed and the matchmaking was looking for servers in Germany.

For normal players, however, a call to their own Internet service provider should not be necessary, just to get a suitable server assigned to Escape from Tarkov. The developers have already spoken out and promised updates for the beta version of Escape from Tarkov.

Escape from Tarkov - That changes in New Years Update 0.5. & Pictures of the new map

 As announced, the hardcore survival shooter Escape from Tarkov has received a major update. Version 0.5 finally inserts the second half of the huge shoreline location and also makes numerous balancing adjustments to the gameplay. For example, weapons with certain modifications, such as extended magazines, now require more space in the inventory.

Also included are new access and extraction points on the maps that can only be selected if the game character has a location map in their luggage. We also have a number of new screenshots of the upcoming Map Interchange for you.

New weapons

Furthermore, a batch of new weapons and equipment arrives in Tarkov, for example the AKMS and AKMN assault rifles, the REAP-IR infrared visor and the customizable Ops-Core helmet. Newly added dog tags can be salvaged from the corpses of defeated players and if you succeed, you will also find a list of the poor guys on the final screen. Adjustments to the AI ​​and the mandatory bug fixes round off the huge package. A list of the preliminary patch notes and hotfixes can be found on the next page.

Meanwhile, the New Year event is running in Escape from Tarkov. In the period from December 28th to January 4th Battlestate Games are granting a 25 percent discount on all editions of their title. The developer is also giving away 7-day trial versions of EFT to players who have registered on the official website. These can only be activated during the event, after which the keys expire.

On the subject: Escape From Tarkov - Open Beta starts in early 2018, preparations for the New Year event

Pictures from »Interchange«

Have you always wanted to fight for survival at IKEA? Then go shopping there on a Saturday or just play Escape from Tarkov after one of the future updates. The hardcore survival shooter is getting a new map called Interchange, on which a branch of the Swedish furniture store giant is represented in addition to a go-kart track. You can see the new screenshots of the map below.