Escape from Tarkov — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| ETS testing is back! | 2026-04-30 | ETS is now open to all game owners, including Steam users.With the start of this phase, the NDA has been fully lifted. You are free to share screenshots, record videos, stream, and openly discuss new features with the community.This new testing iteration includes: Transition to a new Unity engine version to improve stability and performance, as well as enable new features in future updates.A rework of the aiming system. Our goal is to make shooting mechanics more realistic and immersive, while finding the right balance between weapon behavior and control comfort, so every shot feels fair and effective.Updates to data storage systems: improvem |
| Developer’s Diary: Lighthouse | 2026-04-30 | In the second part of the "Diary" we'll discuss PMC spawn points on Lighthouse - a topic that has long interested the community and is regularly discussed on our social media.First, let's set the context. Lighthouse differs from other locations in that a significant portion of it is occupied by the water treatment plant controlled by Rogues - and the fire zones of their stationary weapons cover an even larger area than the plant itself.Furthermore, the water treatment plant is one of the main points of interest on the map. It has valuable loot spawns and a lot of tasks lead there.We approach the placement of player spawn points with the follo |
| New in-game survey | 2026-04-24 | A new in-game survey is now available for Escape from Tarkov players, focused on gathering feedback after Patch 1.0.4.5. You will receive a participation reward in your in-game messages after completing the survey. Every opinion is important — thank you for helping us make the game better! |
| Patch 1.0.4.5 | 2026-04-20 | ChangesImprovements aimed at optimizing off-raid screens;Increased the FPS limit in menus and added an option to adjust it in the game settings ;Several changes to the animation system and audio engine to improve PC resource usage;Reworked the architecture of post-raid systems to further reduce the time required to exit a raid and return to the menu;As part of optimization efforts, an updated player culling system has been implemented on Lighthouse, Shoreline, Woods, and Ground Zero. The system will be introduced to the remaining locations in future updates;Implemented an iteration of environment object and geometry optimization for Streets o |
| Classic clothing sets are available on Steam | 2026-04-15 | Bundles of classic clothing sets are now available for purchase on Steam. From a battle-worn jacket to a light summer shirt, this is a wardrobe for any occasion.This offer is exclusive to Steam and includes a 20% discount. If any of the included clothing sets were purchased on Steam beforehand, the overall price of the bundle will be reduced accordingly.Time to embrace the ageless classic! USEC Legacy Apparel BundleUSEC ScadiUSEC Day offUSEC Urban ResponderUSEC Woodland InfiltratorUSEC Night PatrolUSEC AC Ranger GreenUSEC VanguardUSEC Deadly FrogUSEC Special OpsBEAR Legacy Apparel BundleBEAR VacationBEAR ClassicBEAR CycloneBEAR G99BEAR Instru |
| New clothing sets are now available! | 2026-04-13 | Time to grab your bomber beanie and sport shades - the perfect accessories to match the drip of BEAR Three Stripes and USEC ScavTac. New clothing sets are already available on Steam. Dress sharp, move loud, and let the Scavs fear you. |
| A new in-game survey is now available | 2026-04-10 | A new in-game survey is now available for players, focused on the Prestige system. Your responses will help us better balance new Prestige levels, their difficulty, and the value of rewards, as well as improve the current system.You will receive a participation reward in your in-game messages after completing the survey. Every opinion is important — thank you for helping us make the game better! |
| Developer's Diary: Anticheat | 2026-04-09 | With the 1.0 release we decided to slightly change our approach on how we communicate our efforts taken towards combating the cheater situation in Escape from Tarkov as well as the way we report the amount of users banned. What will change? We will step away from posting the lists of the cheaters banned and instead will try answering most hot topics surrounding cheater combating as well as provide more in depth statistics regarding the amount of bans issued within a certain time frame. Myth bustingBan waves are not frequent: Since we started posting the lists of the users banned there was an ongoing myth that those users are only getting bann |
| In-game survey and reward are now available | 2026-03-28 | A new survey is now available for Escape from Tarkov players, focused on gathering feedback about the story tasks. This is the second part of a survey series dedicated to the game's story.Your responses will help us determine the future direction of story tasks and improve your gameplay experience.You will receive a participation reward in your in-game messages after completing the survey. Every opinion is important — thank you for helping us make the game better! |
| Patch 1.0.4.0 | 2026-03-27 | Changes Multiple improvements aimed at optimizing client performance across all locations. The impact of these changes will depend on the player’s hardware configuration and in-game settings;As part of optimization efforts, an updated player culling system has been implemented on Customs, Interchange, and Reserve. This system has already been active on Streets of Tarkov. Implementation on all locations is planned in future updates;Improved the responsiveness and smoothness of main menu tabs and dialogue loading;Added the ability to play as a Scav solo in PvE Zone on a local client to reduce raid matchmaking time;Added further improvements aim |
| Save up to 25% on Escape from Tarkov on Steam | 2026-03-19 | The Steam Spring Sale has begun! Escape from Tarkov: Standard Edition is available for purchase at a 25% discount, while upgrading to Left Behind and Prepare for Escape is 15% off.A 10% discount is also applied to PvE Zone and clothing sets available on Steam. This special offer is active until March 26th, 5:00 PM GMT / 1:00 PM EDT. Now's the perfect time to expand your library or gift a friend! |
| Patch 1.0.2.5 | 2026-03-05 | ChangesAdjusted the game server launch mechanics to speed up the process of the creation of rooms for matches and getting players into the raid; Adjusted the raid completion mechanics and the display of post-raid statistics to speed up the process of leaving the raid after its completion;Optimized the launch speed of the game client and menu loading;Added a permanent display of the Zubr boat departure timer to the final part of the Terminal;Updated the DLSS to version 4.5, and added support for new Presets. Changes to weapon attachmentsAdjusted the stats of most weapon attachments, i.e. muzzle devices, magazines, grips, and buttstocks. Our go |
| Tarkov Art creative contest | 2026-03-01 | Thank you to all participants of the Tarkov Art creative contest! We received a huge number of unique and atmospheric artworks — it was truly a difficult task for the jury to make their choice. It’s time to announce the winners! 1st place: SO4_xx; 2nd place: ArkticW; 3rd place: meltyrice; 4th place: Kolticor; 5th place: SO4_xx; 6th place: MAW_pixelart; 7th place: 0spr2y; 8th place: Alexey Beltsev; 9th place: GnW8z2; 10th place: IsThisIceCrem. Prizes for 1st–10th places:Limited edition commemorative artbook featuring contest submissions;Escape from Tarkov: Prepare for Escape (Steam version);PMC outfit set for BEAR and USEC.Delivery dates for p |
| In-game survey and reward are now available to players | 2026-02-20 | A new survey is now available for Escape from Tarkov players, focused on the armor system and its role in gameplay.We want to better understand what criteria you use when choosing armor, how useful it feels during raids, and which aspects of the current system need improvement.Your responses will help us fine-tune balance and improve the character protection system.You will receive a participation reward in your in-game messages after completing the survey. Every opinion is important — thank you for helping us make the game better! |
| Preliminary roadmap for Escape from Tarkov for the first half of 2026. | 2026-02-18 | |
| Happy Lunar New Year! | 2026-02-16 | The Year of the Fire Horse is upon us according to the Lunar calendar - a time that symbolizes momentum, ambition, and bold action. We wish you boundless energy and courage to try new things - both in our games and in life!This Lunar year promises exciting changes, which should also be expected in #EscapefromTarkov and #TarkovArena. We’re actively working on new content and events and plan to spend the year fully embracing the spirit of its symbol.And as a pleasant bonus, we invite you to claim your gift in the Battlestate Games account center. Simply log in to your profile to receive it. |
| Escape from Duckov Bundle on Steam; Unheard Edition Discount | 2026-02-10 | A bundle featuring Escape from Tarkov & Escape from Duckov at a 20% discount is now available on Steam. Don't miss out on an opportunity to expand your library and try out two different approaches to the extraction shooter genre!The bundle combines the hardcore tactical PvPvE experience of Escape from Tarkov with the action-packed PvE gameplay of Escape from Duckov. Similar in concept, yet very different, these games are each worth trying.Also, a special offer is available now: a 25% discount to the upgrade to The Unheard Edition. Please note that the permanent 50% discount for upgrading from the Edge of Darkness edition to The Unheard Editio |
| Patch 1.0.2.0 | 2026-02-10 | Changes: Temporary collaboration event with Escape from Duckov: Players can take part in an in-game duck hunting task in Escape from Tarkov. After completing the task, players will receive a set of exclusive rewards in both PvP and PvE mode;Added Steam Rich Presence support for Steam players, displaying current in-game activity;Improved the game room startup algorithm to reduce game server launch time. We will continue working to speed up and improve matchmaking in future updates;Added a visual effect to optical sight lenses;Improved the grenade throw synchronization to reduce cases of grenade position desync during throws;Improved the AI beh |
| New Regional Pricing for Players in Mainland China | 2026-02-06 | February 10th will mark the introduction of regional pricing for users from Mainland China. This new pricing will apply to both Escape from Tarkov and EFT: Arena, allowing local players to join our games’ community with greater convenience.Prices in Mainland China will be adjusted in the players’ favor in order to better reflect local economic conditions. The updated pricing policy will apply to purchases made via the official website as well as on Steam.The list below reflects the updated pricing for all general game editions in Mainland China:EFT Standard Edition: ¥199.00;EFT Left Behind: ¥330.00;EFT Prepare for Escape: ¥445.00;EFT The Unhe |
| Tarkov Art Creative Contest | 2026-02-01 | Don’t miss your chance to submit your entry for the Tarkov Art contest by February 15, 2026! Details are available here: https://www.escapefromtarkov.com/news/id/376In the meantime, we’re happy to share the creativity of the contest participants! See more artworks on social media under #TarkovArt2026. |