Over the past eight years, Escape from Tarkov has made a significant impact on the FPS scene, and the game has now announced a major transition ahead of its 1.0 release. After first releasing a closed beta in 2017, Escape from Tarkov managed to attract a large community with its unique extraction shooter gameplay. To date, it has done so despite lacking a release on Steam, the most popular storefront for the PC marketplace.
Today, game director Nikita Buyanov announced on X that Escape from Tarkov‘s Steam page will be available soon. An image watermarked with the Steam logo offers a glimpse at what the Steam page will look like, including a series of screenshots and a description of the game’s status as a “hardcore first-person extraction shooter where every raid is a risk.”
Buyanov doesn’t reveal any specifics about when to expect the game on Steam, simply noting that “all the details” will come in time.
Escape From Tarkov Will Be On Steam Soon
November 15 Will Bring The 1.0 Release
The news of an imminent Escape from Tarkov Steam release comes ahead of the game’s planned 1.0 release, which is currently slated for November 15. It seems likely that the Steam version will become available on the same day, but it’s not impossible that it could also go live in early access before that point.
Regardless, the page will likely be up in advance of the full release to allow for wishlisting and possibly pre-ordering the game. It’s not clear whether there will be any specific options available to transition directly from the current version of the game to the Steam release.
Escape From Tarkov’s Steam Launch Is A Huge Shift
Launching on Steam will likely bring in a huge new influx of Escape from Tarkov players, shaking up a dedicated, hardcore community that’s been relatively consistent for years now. Those who have been there since the start might have some adjusting to do, but some replies to the announcement express excitement about expanding the player base.
The 1.0 release will also change the game, although many details on how it will do so have likewise not been clarified. Lingering concerns about the state of the game ahead of 1.0 largely focus on issues with cheaters and bugs, which 1.0 seems unlikely to resolve comprehensively. The Steam release has the potential to integrate Steam’s VAC system for bans, which might be one way to partially tackle the issue.
Regardless, big shake-ups are in store for Escape from Tarkov. The game has been quite a journey so far, and the Steam launch will tie a bow on Escape from Tarkov‘s journey to its 1.0 release.
Escape from Tarkov
- Released
- July 27, 2017
- ESRB
- M
- Developer(s)
- Battlestate Games
- Publisher(s)
- Battlestate Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
