New ‘Escape From Tarkov’ co-op mode will be available for more players after backlash

29 April, 2024

Battlestate Games has apologised for locking a new Escape From Tarkov PvE co-op mode in a £215 Unheard edition of the game.

Last week, Battlestate Games launched the Unheard edition of Escape From Tarkov which featured a number of items that gave players an ingame advantage, and also offered them exclusive access to a new PvE co-op game mode.

However, the studio faced backlash for the launch, with many unhappy about the pay-to-win elements on offer. Another section of the fanbase was outraged that they weren’t given access to the new game mode, despite previously paying £94 for the Edge Of Darkness edition of the game which was supposed to guarantee them “free access to all subsequent DLC”.

At first, Battlestate Games argued that the new game mode didn’t count as DLC, before offering Edge Of Darkness players a limited-time window to experience the new mode.

But the community continued to push back, with many sharing a message that read: “This is unacceptable. This is selfish. This is disrespectful. You’ve disgraced yourselves completely. You’ve lost loyal players, you’ve betrayed the idea. It’s disgusting. To everyone who feels the same way – don’t be silent. Spam, make memes, spread the word wherever it’s relevant. This cannot be tolerated.”

Following the “dissatisfaction” in the Escape From Tarkov community, COO Nikita Buyanov shared an update on Reddit that promised all Edge Of Darkness owners would get access to the new game mode when Escape From Tarkov leaves beta testing and server infrastructure has improved, though there was no date for either.

The studio also offered a discount for players wanting early access to the PvE co-op game mode but the fanbase still wasn’t happy. In a follow-up post, Buyanov wrote: “We decided to just open [PvE access] for EoD owners for free, but we will do it in waves. We don’t have the server capacity right now, [but] we will start this process as soon as possible.”

He also promised a number of “balance” changes to the pay-to-win items that come with the Unheard edition. “I would like to say that I am very sorry that fans and the game community in general are experiencing these feelings. Unfortunately, I somehow did not foresee the fact of such a reaction,” he added. “Thank you for your time, love and hate.”

In other news, a trio of modders are working on bringing the world of Baldur’s Gate 3 to Stardew Valley with Baldur’s Village hoping to release later this year.

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