This is a very common question asked among the Tarkov community. Here is our take on it.
If you're generally wondering which edition of Escape from Tarkov to buy, we covered that in a separate article in more detail as this article will cover the most expensive EOD Edition only.
Edge of Darkness is the ultimate edition of Escape from Tarkov that gives players the biggest stash size (10x68), a gamma container (3x3), vastly better starting gear, a good starting reputation for all Traders, and free access to all subsequent DLCs.
Players also get a unique user ID that is reserved for them, unlike in other editions where the names can be changed between wipes.
Edge of Darkness edition usually costs 109.99€ which is a big increase compared to the Standard edition which costs 34.99€. Both editions have a couple of yearly discounts of up to 30%.
For a total beginner, who hasn't experienced the game yet, we suggest buying the standard edition first, to see whether you like the game or night, does it suit your style, and does it hold your attention. There is no need to purchase the most expensive edition blindly without testing the game first.
Once you experienced the game, you can upgrade to more expensive editions at any time.
As for players who have done a couple of wipes, it depends on how much you enjoy the game and have time to play it.
For casual players who play the game couple of hours a week, among other games, we suggest staying with the Standard edition, as you will not utilize the EOD as much, and the Standard edition has just enough to get you going and to offer you a casual Tarkov experience. The price difference of 75€ is not neglectable if you're only playing a couple of hours a week just for fun.
For players who enjoy the game a lot outside the casual spectrum and want to level-up, but don't have that much time to play, we do recommend purchasing the EOD edition if you have the spare 75€. It will save you some time and will ease up the steep leveling up curve, as you may not have additional spare time at the beginning of the wipe to play, unlike the younger player base.
Having a bigger stash size is important at the beginning of the wipe, both for space and for avoiding spending resources on Stash upgrades. And it will save you literal time in rearranging stash items to fit after each raid.
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Additional slots in the Secure container will mean a huge difference in Raid's success and takeout. With the EOD edition, you will skip a couple of starting steps and the game will have a less grindy feeling.
Take into account that Tarkov functions on wipe cycles, where you start from scratch every six months. If it were once in a lifetime start-up boost, then the EOD wouldn't have the same lore as now. But considering the game resets every six months, having a jumping-off point really comes into handy, especially for players whose free time is limited and valuable.
For hardcore players, we would say that the EOD edition is a must-have. If you started Tarkov with the Standard Edition, you know how long the path is from level 1 to Bitcoin farms, and once you experienced that couple of times, there is no need to keep doing it. And if you're invested in a game couple of hours a day, then EOD is the only choice and worth your money.
The only case in which we wouldn't suggest the EOD is if you enjoy the challenging, grinding part of the game more than the endgame. Then we suggest sticking up to the Standard edition, as some players have been reported quitting the game months after switching to the EOD edition.
There are other editions in between the Standard and EOD, but most players choose one or the other, and we support that choice as they are the best selections on the spectrum
