Escape From Tarkov is already punishing enough, whether you’re a seasoned Shroud-like survivor or a new gun on the block. But no matter where you turn in the land of Tarkov, there is likely a cheater ready to snipe you from the shadows. The rise of cheaters is higher than ever in EFT but developer Battlestate Games is clamping down on them big time with the help of Battleye anti-cheat, with nearly 1000 players ridden from the game in just one day.
The cheater issue in Escape From Tarkov is out of hand, but there is hope on the shores of Tarkov yet for returning players. According to a new social media post on the official EFT account, developer Battlestate Games says that “with the support of BattlEye anti-cheat more than 700 cheaters have been banned in Escape from Tarkov lately.” The post is accompanied by a Google Docs list of banned players. Hopefully, none of your friends have made the list.
Previously, cheating problems had become so unhinged that players manipulating the game were fighting other cheaters, as opposed to unsuspecting players on the battlefield. Unlike other shooters like Modern Warfare 2, Escape From Tarkov doesn’t feature gameplay aids like kill cams. That means a bullet with your name on it can arrive at any time, at any place with no indication of how to retaliate. So, when an untimely death arrives, it’s all the more infuriating if you’ve been decimated with exploits.
Developer Battlestate Games is seeking to communicate these issues with the playerbase. Speaking with the EFT community via the game’s subreddit, the developer says “every time for a long time, unfortunately, one way or another, a problem with cheaters pops up. And people immediately start blaming us for not caring. They begin to bury the game, us and generally say things that are sensitive to us.”
Hackers, cheaters and other related scum of the earth from EscapefromTarkov
Rather than opting for a “1000 word” essay, the post clarifies “key points” that are intended to rectify future cheating problems. Furthermore, the developer claims “right now we ban several thousand cheaters a day and usually most of them are blocked after playing a little […] Battleye anti-cheat continues to improve […] it’s an eternal race to see who can get past each other’s defences the fastest.”
According to Battlestate Games, Escape From Tarkov has seen four Battleye updates “in the last week alone.” However, players are waiting for more definitive answers when it comes to defeating cheaters in the game. The developer promises “an update soon” as it undergoes work to “improve the overall quality and speed of cheater detection […] the reporting system is also being improved by adding a notification if the one you reported has received a ban.”
There might be a silver lining on the horizon just yet for EFT. Until further updates arrive, this is a good time to reacquaint yourself with these Escape From Tarkov maps that detail every vital area of the environment. With every area mastered, that’ll make the next Escape From Tarkov wipe less brutal.