As we enter the sixth month since the last wipe, many maps have a different vibe during this time of the wipe than in the beginning.
The late wipe can be a difficult time in Escape from Tarkov as players finish most of their tasks and upgrades, while the player count drops heavily while players eagerly wait for the new wipe cycle to begin.
Some maps have a longer life and amusement level during the wipe, and some don't, especially those that are only populated because of people running tasks on them.
So if you're stuck not knowing which map suits you the best at the moment, here are some map suggestions for every type of player out there.
Customs
One of the oldest Tarkov maps is still the best late wipe map altogether. Map's design with choke points always delivers tense situations and players packed in a few places across the map. The loot on the map is decent if you're fast enough, and most players you kill will have good enough gear to turn the profit in.
New players can also research and do tasks in preparation for the next wipe, as most early on tasks are done on Customs, and even though most players will be armed to the teeth, the last 15 minutes of the raid are mostly quiet, and an opportunity to roam the map and finish the tasks.
It is also the most played map among the players, so you will have no problem getting a session, or finding a squad to raid on Discord.
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Woods
If you're looking for quiet and peace, to loot and roam the map without a lot of action, Woods or Shorelines are the maps for you.
Both have low-to-mid-tier loot, and as most people completed tasks on these maps, they are mostly ghost maps or are populated with low-ranking players or players who want to be left alone.
We prefer Woods as it has more Scavs so it can be a good balance for beginners as they can enter fights with A.I. without triggering a lot of PMC attention.
Players can practice both their close encounter skills in places like Scav town and Sawmill, or sniping skills in the mountains. And if you're feeling powerful enough, you can always take a shoot at Shturman, the boss located in the Sawmill on Woods.
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Factory
Players who wish to practice their PvP skills, burn their gear, or just have mindless fun, Factory is the map to be at.
This tightly packed map has 6 PMCs and is a deathmatch Tarkov way. It has a lot fewer cheaters than the Lab and players don't need top-tier gear and ammo to be competitive as you can use maps advantages in your favor.
When the PMCs are dead, there is a good amount of Scavs to shoot around, both A.I. and players who are entering the map last ten minutes to pick up the scraps from the previous fights.
The only downside to having such a small map is that after a few runs, you will know where your enemies will spawn, so the first couple of seconds the match is basically either running towards the enemies or away from them, depending on what type of player you are.
One thing is for sure, your adrenaline will be pumping.
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Lighthouse and The Lab are also fun maps to play at the moment, however, both have their caveats.
Lighthouse still suffers performance issues with major frame drops with frequent freezes, especially with those players running the game on sub-optimal computers or on hard drives.
The Lab has a crazy amount of cheaters. New RMT measures have reduced amount of cheaters but their presence is still noticeable on a high-tier loot map like The Lab.
