Escape from Duckov, an adorable (but pretty brutal) extraction shooter, will be released worldwide on PC exclusively on October 16. It hits the open market a full month before Escape from Tarkov, the spearhead of the genre, launches as a 1.0 game on November 15.
Dubbed ‘the cutest little extraction shooter’, Escape from Duckov puts players in control of birds and gives them maps to explore, loot to collect, enemies to kill, and quests to complete. It heavily references the obvious in Escape from Tarkov, and it’s just the best and most bizarre shooter you’ll play this year.
Escape from Duckov Release Date Revealed
I got hands-on with Escape from Duckov just a couple of weeks ago, following the conclusion of Gamescom 2025. I poured a few hours into the early access product, enjoying what was on offer even if it’s nowhere close to being as in-depth or comprehensive as Escape from Tarkov.
But that’s not what Escape from Duckov is aiming for.
This lighter-than-life extraction (eggstraction?) shooter will be listed globally on Steam and the Epic Games Store on October 16, available for just $17.99. If you purchase within the first two weeks post-launch, you’ll get a neat 12% discount to boot.
The game’s producer at Team Soda had this to say about the release date announcement for Escape from Duckov:
Team Soda is incredibly thrilled to finally hatch Escape From Duckov into the world, and we can’t wait to see players turn into skilled quack-shots.
The puns simply never stop flowing.
The game’s description gives the gist of this title:
Duckov is a funky and adorable duck-themed single-player top-down PvE extraction shooter. Unlike hardcore tactical shooters, the game features cartoonish enemies, fog-of-war mechanics, and randomly dropped loot. Combined with base-building, weapon customization, and progression systems, it offers high replayability and extensive depth that will keep players coming back for more.
I can attest to how enjoyable the game is, even if it had more than a few issues when I played the pre-release version. You can build a great hideout, the gameplay loop is entertaining, and there are many challenges to ease you into the game’s less-than-forgiving mechanics.
Escape from Duckov will be released on October 16, but will you be playing it? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Arrowhead has addressed Helldivers 2’s performance problems
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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