After eight years in early access, Escape From Tarkov is getting a last-minute ‘softcore’ wipe ahead of its full 1.0 launch on November 15th. The tweak package increases loot, eases carry penalties, lowers Flea Market barriers and speeds up character and skill progression. Dubbed the ‘softcore’ wipe by game director Nikita Buyanov, the changes are expected to go live around tomorrow. The reaction seems to be a response to the ill-fated hardcore cycle that began in July, and some players are debating whether softcore matches meet community expectations.
Loot abundance will go up, carry weight limits will be larger with lighter movement penalties, Flea Market requirements will drop, and both character and skill progression will speed up. Quick runs and looter playstyles stand to benefit the most, while PvP-focused squads might notice a different rhythm to raids. Emojis and heated takes on socials are already popping up. At the latest, many of these tweaks could be temporary. A full patch and the official 1.0 update are planned for November 15th alongside its Steam release, so some adjustments might change again when the game exits early access.
Although players have been riding balance changes since the first beta in 2017, tension is higher now that the release date is near. Wipes used to be Tarkov’s reset button, allowing everyone to start fresh and giving developers a clean slate for extensive balance adjustments. Extraction shooters became tightly linked to the live service model, and Tarkov leaned into wipe cycles to reset power curves and test new patches. Wipes delivered an early-game rush, with many players running similar starter kits and grinding quests together for the first few weeks.
Wipes are likely to remain part of Tarkov’s DNA, but massive reworks at launch are less likely after 1.0. Whatever version of Norvinsk ships on November 15th will probably be the one that sticks for a long while, and balancing for both looters and PvP specialists will be tricky. A worst-case scenario would see Tarkov’s almost decade-long run as the benchmark extraction shooter continue without much evolution. Still, the hope is that 1.0 nails the balance and keeps things interesting for years to come. Escape From Tarkov is available in early access on the BattleState Games website and will be available on Steam after its 1.0 release on November 15th.
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