Escape From Tarkov is ready to be your new obsession

Escape From Tarkov has just had its latest wipe with the release of patch 0.13.5, which means, among other things, say goodbye to anyone you know that’s a truly devout player. Because chances are you won’t get to speak to them much for the next few months. At the very least you can kiss the chance goodbye that they’ll join you in any other multiplayer games. That is unless that game is Tarkov. In which case, get ready comrade. Because Escape From Tarkov is ready to be your new obsession too.

What is Escape From Tarkov?

If you’re new to Escape From Tarkov, it’s an extraction shooter that was no doubt part of the inspiration for Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0’s DMZ mode. It’s also a game that can be a tough as nails gameplay experience. As I was once told, there’s not just a learning curve to this game. There’s a learning wall. And it’ll take you some time to climb over it. That much is true more than ever with the game’s latest wipe.

As the developers Battlestate Games have added in new features, new areas, and a new boss for you to contend with. That’s if you can either defeat or sneak by the dozens and dozens of other players you might run into along the way. Who would also be more than happy to kill you and take all your stuff.

Outside of the first-person shooter elements, Tarkov has other goals. An element of base building where you’ll need to upgrade parts of your hideout to where it resembles something other than a dirty hovel. That means constructing a lavatory, turning on power, setting up a med station and even propping up security measures. Doing all of these things will take time. You’ll need to scrounge the city for parts, then extract with them safely.

The problem is Tarkov is a dangerous place. Thankfully, you can more easily find what you need by using the ‘Rat playstyle.’ A risk averse playstyle that focuses on getting in, finding loot, and getting out with as much as you can, without running towards danger. Like a rat, your job is to sneak around and pickup anything that might be of value. There’s a whole lot more to Tarkov than this admittedly very brief introduction. With that said, here’s what’s new in the latest patch.

Escape From Tarkov patch 0.13.5 – what you’re in for

There’s a huge list of patch notes for everything that was added, so we won’t go over all of it. But here are the cliff notes so to speak. Basically, the biggest takeaways. Also worth noting is that since this is the beginning of a wipe, everyone is on a more level playing field. So, if you’re going to dive in, now is the time. You’ll have a much better chance of getting to a point where you aren’t overpowered by everyone else. Here are some of the biggest changes.

New boss Kaban

Kaban is a new boss in the game that you can find in the Streets of Tarkov map expansion within the city. He’ll be holding out in a car repair shop in this map, but don’t go strolling in thinking you can just take him down without a fight. Kaban is heavily guarded with plenty of defenses. And he’s not someone you should take lightly. You may also want to consider avoiding him for the time being until you get yourself some decent weapons. And it’s not a bad idea to bring a friend or two for the extra firepower.

He is a huge target (literally) and is equipped with various heavy machine guns. Which means he can lay down some pretty devastating assaults and if you’re not careful, you’re done for. This also means he’s slow and is less likely to move around. So you will want to use that to your advantage. Additionally, he wears body armor for more defense, and nearby scavs (scavengers – bot players) will help him in the fight.

Improved bot groups

This wipe sees AI scav groups become smarter and more organized. Now operating like “small gangs,” these groups of bot players will spawn at certain chance locations and work as a more tightly knit team.

Swapping to holstered weapons is now quicker

You might not always have ammo for your main guns. So in this case, your sidearm becomes your best friend. As it could be the only thing saving you from certain death. This wipe implements a faster swap to your holstered weapon when you press the hotkey for it twice. This does take up some of your arm stamina though. The good news is you can counteract this by training your weapon mastery for your sidearm. Which will not only take up less arm stamina when using the quick swap, but also make the swap faster.

Containers now spawn at random points

Containers can be full of useful stuff if you can manage to get to them before others. These now spawn at random locations and there are now more of them to find as they spawn more often. These are also different from large wooden crates, file cabinets, and large cash registers etc. which will spawn at respective locations.

New weapons have been added

There are quite a few new weapons in the game now that you can find or buy. Those include SVT-40 and AVT-40 rifles, the AK-12 assault rifle, PKM and PKP light machine guns, and Ryzhy’s sawed off. Both the PM and PB pistols have also been updated. To pair with all the weapons the game has to offer, you can also find or buy new ammo including .300 Blackout CBJ, 12/70 Piranha, 7.62x39mm PP gzh and more.

Balance changes

As with any live game, balancing of the many different mechanics sometimes has to be implemented. With that said, there’s quite a few balance changes that have been made with this patch. You can find out more about those in the official Escape From Tarkov patch 0.13.5 patch notes.

Kit presets are here

If you’ve ever played a game that doesn’t have kit or gear presets, you know how much of a pain it is to swap stuff. It becomes a chore. But you do it anyway because every situation has a right tool. Tarkov is no different. Only now, Escape From Tarkov has kit presets.

You can create a preset kit of all the gear and weapons you want to take in with you. You can also easily view everything that kit contains as well as see its overall weight. Yes, weight plays a role in this game and can affect how fast you move. You can even name your preset kits for easy organization and compare them to other kits you’ve created. You can also have a maximum of 50 kit presets.

And with that, you’re at least a little more prepared for the new Tarkov wipe. As mentioned earlier, you can find the full list of change with this update in the official Escape From Tarkov patch 0.13.5 patch notes.