In April 2026, Escape from Tarkov players started finding items in their raids called ‘TarCoins’, mysterious little tokens with no real purpose. As time went on, it became clear that they were an all-new in-game currency, destined for greater things. And then, in May, Battlestate Games revealed the incoming ‘Expansion Hub’.
The Expansion Hub is an all-new storefront in Escape from Tarkov that’s launching in July 2026. It was supposed to be added on July 3rd, but issues with a patch prevented that from happening. Now, players are wondering what TarCoins are, how they work, and what the deal is with the Expansion Hub.
Read on to learn everything you need to know.
What Are TarCoins?
Put simply, TarCoins are a kind of digital currency in Escape from Tarkov that you can both buy using real money and earn while playing the game. You can find them in your raids in certain locations, but there are a few rules to their existence:
- TarCoins are not available in PvE (and might never be)
- TarCoins can not be placed in a secure container, nor can they be brought into a raid
- TarCoins operate as a separate economy from your usual money sources: roubles, dollars, and euros
- TarCoins are used exclusively in the upcoming Expansion Hub
They’re classified as Valuables in-game, and they typically have a very low spawn rate, almost always appearing behind locked doors, particularly in Marked rooms.
As you find them and get them out of the raid, you can save them up and use them to purchase things that would have previously been obtainable exclusively with real-world money.
- RELATED: When is the Next Tarkov Wipe?
What’s the Expansion Hub and How Does It Work?
In Escape from Tarkov, the Expansion Hub (or ‘Expansions Hub’) is an incoming and centralized menu that allows users to spend their accumulated TarCoins. It’s here that users can purchase all kinds of things that would have otherwise forced them to break out their credit cards.
In the Expansion Hub, you can buy TarCoin bundles, account upgrades, in-game apparel, stash expansions, voices, and access to the PvE Zone. It’s a way for users to upgrade their experience without spending real money, but it sounds like it’ll be notoriously difficult to earn TarCoins.
Here’s a screenshot of what the Expansion Hub looks like, based on a post made by Battlestate Games on June 24th:
How Much Do TarCoins Cost?
In a post from LogicalSolutions on social media, the prices for TarCoin bundles were shared, based on what I assume is a datamining effort of sorts.
Here’s the full breakdown:
| PACK | CONTENTS | PRICE | EFFECTIVE RATE |
| 500 TarCoins | 500 TarCoins | $4.99 | ~100 TarCoins/$ |
| 1,100 TarCoins | 1,000 TC & 10% Bonus | $9.99 | ~110 TarCoins/$ |
| 2,300 TarCoins | 2,000 TC & 15% Bonus | $19.99 | ~115 TarCoins/$ |
| 6,000 TarCoins | 5,000 TC & 20% Bonus | $49.99 | ~120 TarCoins/$ |
| 12,500 TarCoins | 10,000 TC & 25% Bonus | $99.99 | ~125 TarCoins/$ |
| 20,250 TarCoins | 15,000 TC & 35% Bonus | $149.99 | ~135 TarCoins/$ |
| 2,000 TarCoins (Special Offer) | 1,000 TC & 100% Bonus | $9.99 | ~200 TarCoins/$ |
It was claimed that the last offer in the table, the ‘Special Offer’, is accessible only once by each account.
Fans have raised their concerns about the appearance of TarCoins in Escape from Tarkov. Firstly, because it adds another layer of complexity, and many don’t understand the point of TarCoins, but also because it’s a microtransaction angle, and that never sits well with gamers.
Are you going to grind TarCoins in Escape from Tarkov, or would you rather ignore their existence? Let us know your thoughts about the addition on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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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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