Battlestate Games has confirmed that Escape from Tarkov will receive its long‑teased softcore changes this week, with the update most likely landing on October 8 as a pre‑wipe tune-up before the game’s 1.0 launch on November 15. Nikita Buyanov, head of Battlestate, posted on social media, stating that the softcore changes are coming next week and provided an approximate date of October 8. The studio hasn’t pinned an exact timestamp yet, but it stressed the update is imminent.
What does “softcore” mean here? It’s a pre‑wipe period that will make skill progression easier, lower AI difficulty, expand trading options, and more, all running ahead of the final 1.0 release after eight years in beta. Buyanov also said the upcoming list of changes is “pretty big.” These softcore adjustments follow a period where hardcore mechanics were reintroduced and then partly removed, so this feels like Battlestate experimenting with how Tarkov will play leading into the full launch.
softcore changes on the next week!
approx on 8th of october— Nikita Buyanov (@nikgeneburn) October 5, 2025
This change will affect all players of Tarkov currently. It’s the kind of pre‑wipe adjustment that reshapes progression and combat feel, so expect some noticeable differences when the patch goes live. Please share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X and Bluesky.
