Tarkov Wipe Sparks Strong Fan, Developer Reactions

Server wipes have been a core part of the MMO shooter Escape from Tarkov since its 2017 launch, but the latest one has sparked significant player frustration.

Dubbed the "Hardcore Wipe," this update brought major changes that increased the game's difficulty by removing certain quests and maps. With slower progression and a more brutal challenge, players are finding it much harder to regain their former status and inventory.

While developer Battlestate Games is "monitoring player feedback closely" and plans to adjust balance issues following the July 9 wipe, fans have taken to social media to voice their complaints—prompting a strong reaction from studio head Nikita Buyanov.

After one player commented, "you destroyed your game, bro," in Buyanov's mentions, the studio head fired back: "Oh, shut the f**k up." He later tweeted that he was "joking" and that "every opinion matters," but the community remains divided over both his response and the wipe's impact.

"Unless they tweak some stuff fast, as in 1-3 days fast I think most of the playerbase will quit this wipe," one player said. "They have gone too far hardcore and removed most of what makes Tarkov... Tarkov." Buyanov disagreed, replying, "I totally disagree with you. Seems like you never played early Tarkov."

On Reddit, a post featuring a screenshot of someone uninstalling the game has garnered hundreds of upvotes.

"Finally the true 1.0 update, escaping from Tarkov IRL," said one user. Another added: "Turned on the PC. Saw that they actually implemented transit only, no tasks, and everything is dummy expensive. I actually turned off the PC and went and built outdoor furniture for the wife in the 92° heat. That's more fun than playing the wipe rn."

"Load into customs, wait 30 seconds, transit to interchange, have to wait and load interchange, see zero loot and then die to silent killa because 100% spawn rates. no quests either btw. Awesome wipe, Nikita," commented someone else. A user on X/Twitter said: "Your game lost identity cause you tried to please everyone. Listening to streamers ruined this game for you."

To Battlestate's credit, Buyanov has been clear that there won't be quests "for some period of time"—though they were restored on July 10—and confirmed the team is "addressing" problems with broken Transit mechanics.

Other players are taking the changes in stride. "Some people do nothing but constantly complain," noted one, while another responded: "Ignore the haters."

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore MMO that blends first- and third-person shooter action with RPG elements. Players must find a way out of the isolated city of Tarkov, survive its deadly threats, and uncover its mysteries. Death in the game means losing everything you were carrying, including all loot, weapons, and equipment.