Escape from Tarkov has drawn the fury of the community with a new edition. Now the developers have responded multiple times to the criticism – but it hasn’t changed anything.
What’s going on with Escape from Tarkov right now?
- Escape from Tarkov (EFT) released a new edition, the Unheard Edition, on April 25, 2024. This edition costs 250 euros.
- The new edition includes a new PvE co-op mode, which is meant to feature persistent progress and no wipes.
- The new PvE mode was originally intended to be permanently available only through the new edition – this led to criticism from the players.
- Players criticized: The price of the edition is too high and the PvE mode should be available for free to owners of the expensive “Edge of Darkness” edition. The edition was marketed with the promise of receiving all future DLCs.
A detailed summary of the drama and why the players of Escape from Tarkov were extremely angry at the developers Battlestate Games can be found here:
Interview with Nikita worsens the situation
Here are the initial reactions from the developers: Battlestate Games (BSG) has responded multiple times to the topic and the criticism from players.
- First, the lead community manager explained why the new mode is not a DLC and stated that it is a feature of the new edition (04/25/24).
- Then BSG COO Nikita Buyanov announced that the studio wants to “honor” EOD owners and will therefore add various “new features” to the EOD version.
- New features include, for example, increased base charisma, increased base PMC karma, and 6 months of access to offline PvE. (04/26/24)
“No one is forced to buy the new edition”
Interview with the studio head adds fuel to the fire: On April 26, an interview with Nikita Buyanov was leaked on Reddit, which was supposedly conducted on the same day. In the interview, Nikita also discusses the current situation. The lead community manager has since confirmed the authenticity of the leaked interview. (via Reddit).
In the interview, Nikita states that they made no mistakes regarding the new edition and the PvE mode and that no one is forced to buy the edition. Now it shows who really believes in the game. He also says that the studio has no financial problems and everything is going according to plan. He is currently as confident as never before.
Furthermore, Nikita was also confronted in the interview with the allegation that BSG had supposedly removed the statement that EOD owners would receive all future DLCs from the description of the EOD edition.
He responded: “We did not remove that.”
Many players criticize Nikita’s responses in the comments on Reddit and make it clear that the interview did not help improve the community’s mood. One user writes: “You have betrayed us. I will never open this crap [EFT] again. Hope GZW [Gray Zone Warfare] crushes Tarkov to bits.”
Developers respond, change price and availability for EOD owners
This is the current state of the drama: On April 27, a Reddit post from Nikita followed, announcing several changes and explaining the studio’s decisions.
In the post, he explains among other things why the PvE mode is not a DLC according to Battlestate Games:
- BSG only considers “extensive additions” as DLC. This includes content such as the “Scav Life DLC,” which is published after the official release of the game (EFT is still in beta).
Nikita also explained why not all EOD owners currently have access to the PvE mode. It is located on its own network infrastructure, and BSG simply does not have the resources needed for it right now.
Nikita also announced some changes affecting the EOD version:
- BSG has decided to make the PvE mode available for free to all EOD owners once the game is fully released.
- Additionally, the discount that EOD owners receive when purchasing the Unheard Edition has been increased by 50%. Players now only pay about 48 euros.
Players are angry despite changes
What does the community say about the changes and explanations? A user summarizes the mood of the community on Reddit succinctly and concisely, receiving over 1,800 upvotes: “Wrong, try again tomorrow.”
Many statements from the announcement are criticized by the players. Especially the assessment that a new mode, which expands the main game as additional downloadable content, is not considered an “extensive addition” and therefore not a DLC is sharply criticized.
Many players are still angry because EOD owners still have to pay for a mode they consider a DLC and believe they should receive for free. Promises regarding the full release of the shooter are also met with skepticism – after all, Tarkov has been in beta for years and there is no release date in sight.
If you want to discover new shooters that are planned for release in 2024: The 10 most promising shooters scheduled for release in 2024
