Escape from Tarkov’s 1.0 update is here, and fans worldwide are enjoying it – or those who can access the game are, anyway. It’s the dawn of a new era for the stellar extraction shooter, which has grown over the last decade to become a staple of the industry and a leader of the genre.
The 1.0 update brings stacks of changes, and one that players are struggling to contend with concerns the game’s Flea Market mechanic. It has been discovered that ‘categories’ of the Flea Market are locked until you progress to a fairly high level.
Flea Market Locked Down Again
The latest changes to Escape from Tarkov have been a mixed bag. On one hand, the new map, faction, weapons, and 1,000 bug fixes are welcome, but the shattered servers that are having issues hosting the hundreds of thousands of players trying to get into the game, we can do without.
One change that’s proving to be divisive is the alteration made to the game’s Flea Market, the peer-to-peer trading solution that allows users to buy and sell gear they find, craft, or steal.
With 1.0, players are now being forced to hit minimum level requirements to open up sections of the Flea Market, with certain categories remaining under lock for quite some time. The base Flea Market unlocks at Level 15 as always, but there are higher restrictions now in terms of levels.
Here’s what we’ve seen so far:
- Bolt-action rifles – Level 20
- Assault rifles – Level 25
- Marksman rifles – Level 25
- Backpacks – Level 25
- Foregrips – Level 20
- Light and laser devices – Level 25
- Muzzle devices – Level 20
It gets a bit more extreme in some places:
- Barter items – Level 30
- Gear components – Level 30
- Injectors – Level 30
- Keycards – Level 30
And some high-tier ammo will remain locked for a very long time:
- PS12B – Level 40
- M80 – Level 35
- Blackout CJB – Level 40
(Thanks to LogicalSolutions for the spot)
This is believed to be an effort to counter cheaters trying to participate in RMT (real-money trading), but it has rubbed some fans the wrong way.
Do you think the Flea Market changes in Escape from Tarkov are good? Let me know on the Insider Gaming Discord server what you’re thinking.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that MoreFun Studios mocked Battlestate Games
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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