Escape From Tarkov is one of the most challenging games online today, boasting intense PvPvE mechanics that are designed to test even the toughest of players. It’s super realistic (to an extent), and it is extremely punishing for newcomers, so much so that many of the game’s newest players enter the fray wondering, is Escape From Tarkov single player, or must they contend with EFT’s most skilled combatants?
If there’s a way to play Tarkov single-player, I’ll detail it below.
Can Escape From Tarkov Be Played Solo?
Escape From Tarkov was first released in a beta state in 2017, and it has remained that way ever since. Over time, it has been expanded, and new maps, modes, weapons, items, and quests have been added to flesh out the base game. It’s widely considered one of the hardest games in the world, boasting unforgiving mechanics that almost make it a ‘milsim’, and players must assume control of everything from inventory and weight management to healing mechanics and even an economy system.
However, despite being a multiplayer-centric title, with players loading into various maps with the core goals of loot, kill, and extract, there are many people wondering, ‘Is Escape From Tarkov single-player?’
Technically, the game can be played solo – but it’s arguably the most punishing way to experience it. There’s no second, third, or fourth set of eyes watching your back, no fire support if you get pinned down, and nobody to cover you while you’re looting a container. When players load into a map on Escape From Tarkov, they can do so completely on their lonesome, if they choose to do so.
However, they’re still playing on a multiplayer-driven server, and they’re almost guaranteed to run into other players. It isn’t single-player so much as it is a solo experience on a multiplayer platform.
With that in mind, can Escape From Tarkov be a single-player game in any way?
How To Make Tarkov Single Player
In 2023, Battlestate Games introduced ‘PvE’ to the Escape from Tarkov ecosystem. This ‘offline’ mode allows players to experience the full game, right down to the core quests, the maps, modes, bosses, and more. They can complete every mission, fight enemy PMCs, and loot to their heart’s content.
As it’s PvE-based, players are competing against 100% AI enemies – but they can still play PvE with friends. However, we’re talking about single-player Tarkov modes here. In PvE, players get an identical experience, from the Flea Market mechanics to the Hideout construction tasks – there are just no human enemies to fight, which makes it much easier.
What is SPTarkov?
There’s one totally detached single-player Tarkov experience, but it’s not official, and it requires a little technical know-how.
There’s a massive mod package for Escape From Tarkov called SPTarkov, and it’s designed to offer a full-fledged single-player experience with everything that the main game offers. It’s not at all supported by Battlestate Games, Tarkov’s developer, and it can be quite complex to get started with.
It basically involves installing a ‘copy’ of Escape From Tarkov, once you’ve bought the full game itself, and twinning it with a mod package and a unique launcher that allows you to host a local game on your own rig with all the bells, whistles, and features of ‘regular’ Escape From Tarkov.
There are AI opponents that replace real-world player characters, and tasks can be completed as normal – plus your progress is saved locally. It doesn’t communicate with Battlestate Games’ servers, so it’s not going to get you banned from the game, but it is an entirely offline, single-player Tarkov experience.
So, is Escape From Tarkov a single-player? With SPTarkov, it absolutely can be – but with PvE, it’s even better.
Escape From Tarkov is available exclusively on PC platforms
You neglected the main reason why people choose to play offline – you don’t have to deal with cheaters that collude to bully legit players. I can’t imagine how many hours I’ve lost because I had to hide in a secluded spot for 30 mins, until the cheaters get bored and leave, only to get the typical “Head, Eyes” death on the home stretch to the extraction point.
At this point Tarkov has become a subscription game. You buy the game from BSG once and you subscribe to cheat vendors to “get good”. It’s disgusting.