Escape from Tarkov finally left early access in November 2025 after a decade of development. It marked the most monumental milestone in Battlestate Games’ history, and it was the defining moment of Nikita Buyanov’s life. As the face of Escape from Tarkov, Buyanov has faced adoration and abhorrence from fans and haters over the years, which is something that weighs on him.
In a recent interview, the head of the studio at Battlestate Games reflected on ten years of Escape from Tarkov. He explained that the game was never made to please everyone, that he doesn’t understand why people challenge the title’s status in the extraction space, and that making the game playable was an unreal challenge.
Escape from Tarkov Isn’t For Everyone
In a recent interview with GamesRadar, which comes days after we sat down with Nikita Buyanov on the latest episode of Access Granted, the Tarkov frontman divulged ten years of tidbits from his time at Battlestate Games.
When the talk turned to the situation with cheaters, which has plagued Escape from Tarkov for many years, Nikita was open about the difficulties in simply bringing the game to market:
It’s super-hard to make this game playable. I think it’s a miracle that we’ve made it playable with this level of complexity.
Buyanov is often considered the stalwart face of Escape from Tarkov. Battlestate employs more than 400 developers, but none of them have the profile of the charismatic and at times controversial creator of the core concept of extraction shooters. That’s something Buyanov openly acknowledged:
I feel like it’s my duty to be right on the front. I think it’s a good thing for Battlestate. They see that I am the lead officer, the tip of the spear. We made the game to get people together. But then they fight. They play to let the pressure out, to hate the game and to hate me. That maybe is the essence of Tarkov. It’s not a gaming project. It’s not something for fun. It’s a social project which combines all of that.
Nikita went on to explain that his life has been impacted so heavily by Escape from Tarkov that he has spent ten years doing nothing but making it. He’s had no time for himself in the last decade and has often felt like he, no pun intended, cannot escape the game.
My life is Tarkov, basically. I can’t imagine myself without it. I lived through a lot of things as a developer, as a businessman and as a person. It didn’t give me joy, really. I just realised that life is hard. That’s how it will be for as long as I’m breathing. Always in the battle state.
Escape from Tarkov is considered the most pioneering title in the extraction shooter space. It has defined the genre and been the subject of replication by many over the years. The game has effectively paved the way for the success of other games, like ARC Raiders, and it still continues to sit at the top of that table.
Are you an Escape from Tarkov fan? Let us know your fondest memory from the last ten years of the game on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out Shroud’s insanely hot take about ARC Raiders
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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