The latest update for Escape from Tarkov, version 0.16.2.0, has hit the servers, and it’s not just a minor tweak here and there; we’re talking about some serious upgrades to the game’s artificial intelligence that could change how you approach every raid. If you’ve been feeling like your encounters with Scavs or PMCs have been a bit too predictable, this patch aims to shake things up significantly.
Battlestate Games had teased these improvements following feedback gathered through an in-game survey, and now they’ve delivered on their promise with a host of adjustments aimed at both PvP and PvE experiences.
AI Changes
The new AI improvements are extensive, affecting various enemy types including Scavs, Rogues, Raiders, and Bosses:
- All Sniper Scavs and regular Scavs of any difficulty now have 30 head HP.
- Increased the chance for AI PMCs to perceive an AI Scav as hostile to 80%. Other chances of faction relationships remain unchanged across all locations.
- Bots will turn their heads towards presumed targets for better visual tracking.
- The detection speed for Hard difficulty bots is now equal to that of Normal difficulty bots.
- Adjusted detection speed settings for AI PMCs; they can detect enemies 20% faster than regular bots now.
- AI PMCs switch to single fire at long ranges but will use full auto at close range if possible.
- No longer will regular bots take cover in vegetation; visibility through foliage is also restricted unless enemies are very close by.
- Bots’ vision diminishes when inside vegetation zones as well.
- A boost has been applied to both current and maximum durability of all AI PMC weapons.
Battlestate Games didn’t stop there—they’ve made several tweaks specifically related to Player Scav mechanics:
- The spawn time for Player Scavs is adjusted so they won’t appear until at least 17 minutes into most raids (with exceptions for Factory, Reserve, and low-level Ground Zero).
- If players maintain a high standing with Fence, there’s an increased chance they’ll spawn with superior equipment as a scavenger!
This patch also brings optimizations aimed at improving overall stability within the game environment—particularly noticeable on Customs—and memory consumption adjustments across all maps while tweaking shadow quality settings suitable even for lower-end PCs. It seems Battlestate is trying hard to improve gameplay and accessibility!
A slew of bug fixes accompanies these updates as well—addressing issues such as pesky bots teleporting through doors or missing rewards during Cultist Circle redemptions—a welcome relief considering how frustrating those bugs could be during intense moments!
