In Escape from Tarkov, there was recently a controversial update that has nothing to do with the new edition. The developers have removed two fundamental restrictions and are testing how it goes.
Which map is involved? The map “The Lab” is now free to play for all Escape from Tarkov players. For years, all players who wanted to venture onto the map needed a keycard. The developers of Escape from Tarkov have now removed this restriction.
The keycard for the “The Lab” map had to be found by players beforehand, which often took a long time. Alternatively, it could be crafted or purchased on the flea market for in-game currency. Those who entered the map usually brought their best gear to make the expensive trip worthwhile.
The map “The Lab” offers the best loot in the game, but the high requirements for entry previously came with high risks.
You can watch the trailer for the spin-off of Escape From Tarkov, Arena, here:
New experimental update turns the game upside down
What else is in the update? Besides the changes for access to the “The Lab” map, the developers of Escape from Tarkov have removed another restriction. For years, the game had two different labels for loot; either it was “Found in Raid,” meaning found in the raid, or it was not.
Only loot with the “Found in Raid” label could previously be sold to other players on the flea market. With the game’s update, the flea market has also been opened up for items without the “Found in Raid” status.
The status was actually meant to protect servers from players who went out without gear to gather as much loot as possible in a short time. Items received the status only if the player had been in the raid long enough or had earned enough experience points.
What do the changes mean for EFT? The game will likely see a return of the “axe men” – players who want to gather as much loot as possible armed only with a melee weapon. Presumably, the “The Lab” map will attract the attention of “low budget” players, as this is where the best loot can be found.
The game’s economy will probably also waver a bit, as many players can now sell their collected loot much faster.
What does the community say about the update? The community is somewhat divided, as are the developers. While this is a test, players on X (formerly Twitter) already have an idea of how the update will impact the game.
One of the largest content creators of EFT, Pestily, responds to the patch news on X with a GIF on Twitter that shows a man grabbing an axe.
User @BAXBEAST writes on X: “Holy sh*t, is the old Tarkov coming back? Today we’re playing Tarky, boys!”
But there are also critical voices in the community. @Superfkr1 writes on X: “Classic. Change the game so much that it’s unrecognizable. Then revert all your garbage chances as a limited-time event when you screw it up. Cool”
@MzDunk shares their feedback on the loot system on X: “FIR [Found in Raid] is needed. It enhances the heart-pounding need to survive that particular raid with quest items or high-quality flea market items. More loot spawns are [top]”
The developers of Escape from Tarkov view the whole thing as an experiment and want to closely observe the changes. Escape from Tarkov has recently come under pressure; first there were pay-to-win allegations where players weren’t listened to for too long, and then competitors Grayzone Warfare started off well on Steam. Escape from Tarkov’s boss didn’t see the shitstorm coming, gives fans what they want, but it’s not enough
