Escape from Tarkov is arguably the most popular and prolific extraction shooter in the world, but it has earned that status without ever having landed on Steam. This is where most PC games build their audiences, but Escape from Tarkov has managed to grow while being hosted exclusively on Battlestate Games’ proprietary launcher.
That’s all well and good, but is Escape from Tarkov coming to Steam, and if it is, when will it be released on Valve’s flagship PC platform?
Read on to find out everything we know about Escape from Tarkov on Steam.
When is Tarkov Coming to Steam?
It’s not yet known when Escape from Tarkov is coming to Steam, but we do know it’s slated for release on the platform. This is based on a reveal made during a stream in April 2024, when Battlestate Games made the public promise that Escape from Tarkov would come to Steam after the game’s 1.0 release.
The 1.0 release for Escape from Tarkov is now scheduled for November 15, 2025, which means that the game’s Steam release could be dated in the months following that – potentially landing before Summer 2026.
Why Has Tarkov Never Been on Steam?
In 2025, Escape from Tarkov: Arena, the spin-off multiplayer shooter, was released on the Epic Game Store. This was the first time that an Escape from Tarkov product appeared on a third-party launcher or storefront, but it set a powerful precedent for the world’s most popular extraction shooter.
Many have theorized why Battlestate Games has never released Escape from Tarkov on Steam. On one side, it could be because the developer doesn’t want to share revenue with Valve, which takes a portion of the profits from every game sold on the platform.
On the other hand, it could be because of Steam’s lenient refund policy, which allows users to claim a refund with less than two hours of play time on almost any game, without reason.
Whatever the reason might have been, the situation appears to have been resolved as Battlestate Games once again teased a Tarkov Steam release in August 2025.
Will you buy Escape from Tarkov if it launches on Steam? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
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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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