Battlestate Games has announced that Escape from Tarkov’s ‘softcore changes’ are coming ahead of the 1.0 release on November 15th. The team wasn’t able to give a specific date, but has stressed that the update will ‘most likely’ drop on October 8th.
This is the pre-wipe period that will see players gain easier skill progression, reduced AI difficulty, expanded trading options, and more. It’s all in preparation for the ultimate event: the grand launch of Escape from Tarkov, graduating from eight years as a beta product.
Tarkov Softcore Update Incoming
Nikita Buyanov, the head of the studio at Battlestate Games, posted a message on social media confirming that the long-awaited softcore update is coming to Escape from Tarkov this week. It’ll most likely arrive on October 8th, a little more than a month before Tarkov launches in a 1.0 state.
It’s also arriving several weeks before Escape from Tarkov goes live on Steam, leaving the proprietary launcher provided by Battlestate Games for the first time in a decade.
Nikita also mentioned that the list of changes coming is ‘pretty big’.
It was a couple of months back that Battlestate Games applied hardcore mechanics to Escape from Tarkov, putting players into the grinder in a hardcore wipe that pushed even the most talented gamers to their limits. Since then, things have changed, with the hardcore mechanics being pulled from the game piecemeal.
The softcore update is something of an experiment for Battlestate Games ahead of the full launch, even if the version of the game landing in 1.0 isn’t the same as the one we’re playing now. We can’t say for sure what the 1.0 release will look like, gameplay-wise, but Battlestate has been previewing the build at events worldwide, most recently at the Tokyo Game Show.
Aside from other changes, we know that 1.0 will bring about an intense story-driven campaign that will end with players finally, ultimately escaping from Tarkov. It’ll also unlock a new map, Terminal, which has been on the board for several years.
Let me know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if you’re looking forward to softcore mechanics in Escape from Tarkov ahead of 1.0.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that the Red Dead Redemption 2 enhanced version might be close
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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