Escape from Tarkov is already one of the most hardcore FPS out there, and with permadeath, it could propel itself as THE hardcore first person shooter.
Among the topics discussed on a BSG Community podcast was the possibility of introducing permadeath to Escape from Tarkov. Nikita said that he is strongly in favor of this feature and that the idea has been on his mind for a long time.
Permadeath would only be possible in some areas of the map, where a player would voluntarily have to go. Those particular areas would be radiation zones that would kill players after a certain amount of time has been spent there.
There would be items such as masks and armors that would give players more time to spend in those areas.
However, dying of radiation would not be just dying and losing all your gear, but you would lose your entire PMC, to the point where you would have to reset the game and start over, from scratch, like you normally would in the beginning of the wipe.
The question arises: Why would anyone risk this much to go those places?
The answer: Legendary loot and quests.
The radiation zones would feature rewards to match the risk taken. They didn't go into specifics but it's imaginable that some top-tier items would only be spawning in radiation areas. Also, some later quests could be happening in those areas with huge XP bonuses or rear achievements if completed.
It is still unknown whether this feature is in development or is just a talking point among the developers, but for sure, it is promising to be a nerve-racking experience.
Escape from Tarkov forum
Global limits, DLSS, Arena, and Streets of Tarkov
Other topics that were discussed on the podcast were Global limits , DLSS, the Arena mode, and the Streets of Tarkov map.
DLSS is ready and being tested at the moment by the BSG developers. It should come with the new major patch. Nikita expects an FPS increase but warns that it will not be a magic solver for every issue out there (like current Lighthouse map issues).
They also talked about the release of Streets of Tarkov, which will be the final map to be released during the beta phase of the game. Even though they have not mentioned any dates, the map is in full development as 90% of the current Battlestate Games developers are working on it.
The Streets of Tarkov map will get released in pieces. Once the base of the map is released, with every new patch a new addition to the map will be added. Nikita is very much hyped up about the release, saying that this map will send all other maps in the background, including the currently most playable maps like Custom and The Lab.
The Arena, Tarkov's equivalent of online deathmatch, is going to be a separate mode and will have to be purchased by everyone except Edge of darkness edition owners. It will also be purchasable by people who do not own Escape from Tarkov base game. The price was not revealed but it should be low considering they are targeting a larger audience to try and feel the Tarkov experience.
It will be suited as a more relaxed, less punishing mode that should attract a younger audience than the main Tarkov game mode.
