Battlestate’s Chief Operating Officer expressed regret, stating, “I’m sorry that fans and the game community in general are experiencing these feelings.”
After facing fan backlash over a new $250 version of Escape From Tarkov featuring exclusive PvE content, developer Battlestate has yielded, pledging PvE access to players who previously purchased the $150 Edge of Darkness edition promising access to “all future DLC.”
In a statement on the Tarkov subreddit, Battlestate COO Nikita Buyanov expressed remorse, stating he was “very sorry that fans and the game community, in general, are experiencing these feelings,” with this reaction influencing his future decisions.
Buyanov provided the following concessions and assurances in the company’s response:
- $150 Edge of Darkness purchasers would get access to the PvE mode with no further payment or time limit during early access. They will still be allowed access “in waves” due to server capacity concerns.
- The PvE mode will get mod support on Tarkov’s 1.0 release.
- Battlestate will continue to sell the $250 Unheard Edition and upgrades to it from other packages.
- Battlestate will iron out a new list of additional benefits for $150 EoD players while removing the controversial “preferred matchmaking” proposal
- “We will continue to work on patches, new content, events, and the game release itself no matter what.”
While these adjustments somewhat tackle the main grievances of Tarkov players, they may be seen as insufficient given the extensive period of six days marked by widespread discontent and disruption on the game’s official Discord. Additionally, the phrasing of Buyanov’s apology, “I’m sorry you felt this way,” rather than “I’m sorry we did this bad thing,” has drawn criticism from many commentators.
The prevailing sentiment on the Tarkov subreddit currently revolves around discontent with Buyanov’s statement, sparking concerns about the possibility of future similar actions from Battlestate. Numerous users advocate for Battlestate to shift towards cosmetic monetization rather than introducing increasingly tiered game bundles with mechanical advantages and exclusive modes.
This may serve as a concession by Battlestate to ease tensions and restore a semblance of “normalcy” in the Tarkov community, but the company has undoubtedly incurred significant reputational damage over this misstep—how many Unheard Edition customers will Battlestate manage to retain? After all, a $250 early access videogame purchase is an expression of trust, and given recent events, it’s unlikely that many Tarkov players are eager to place their trust in the studio.