We recently sat down with Nikita Buyanov, the head of the studio at Battlestate Games, creator of Escape from Tarkov. Amongst other things, we took a dive into the concept of Escape from Tarkov coming to consoles, which is something that the developer teased at the recent Tokyo Game Show event.
In his own words, Nikita has stressed that an Escape from Tarkov console port wouldn’t be made ‘easier’. In fact, it would be ‘the same frustrating experience’ that players have been experiencing on PC for many years, retaining that hardcore, unwelcoming vibe.
It’s his mission to make players break controllers.
What Would Escape from Tarkov on Console Look Like?
Many have surmised that Escape from Tarkov on PlayStation or Xbox would represent a slimmed-down, ‘lite’ version of the tough-as-nails extraction shooter. But after catching up with Nikita Buyanov on the most recent episode of Insider Gaming’s Access Granted, we have gathered a different picture entirely.
I’m not sure that it would be a ‘lite’ version of EFT. The main goal is to create the same experience for the consoles, so there won’t be any kind of aim assist, any simplifiying of the gaming features.
I really want to get the same frustrating experience for the consoles, to bring on this hardcore feeling to a wider audience.
We don’t plan to conquer something, we just want to create something new for the consoles, something new, a new experience, because they’ve never had that before, I mean the true hardcore experience that will break their controllers.
It’s worth stressing that Nikita made the ‘frustrating experience’ comment with a chuckle!
Nikita explained what the challenges are. It’s a discussion mostly centered around the complexity of Escape from Tarkov, which features inventory and health management, survival mechanics, and most importantly, stacks of keybinds that only a keyboard and mouse player can realistically handle.
It won’t be something simplified or a casual version of EFT. It will be the same EFT, but of course it needs to be optimized for the current-gen consoles.
The main challenge will be to put in all the controls. It will be the main challenge for us, but in general, I think it will be pretty interesting to do.
Given that Escape from Tarkov only hit ‘full release’ in November, it might be ambitious to believe that Battlestate Games will muster up a console version any time soon. The only thing to go on is Nikita’s mention of ‘current-gen consoles’ for any kind of a timeline.
If you want to check out the full interview with Nikita, you can do so on the Insider Gaming app, available now on Android and iOS. It’s available exclusively for Insider Gaming Premium subscribers.
Do you think you’d play Escape from Tarkov if it were to launch on consoles? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Fallout Shelter might be getting a TV show
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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