The developer of Escape from Tarkov, Battlestate Games, defended the new PvE mode being locked behind a $250 paywall as only players who own the Unheard Edition have access to the content.
The company doubled down on its decision, noting that the new PvE mode is a unique feature that will only be available to people who have the Unheard Edition. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the developer said that they keep players updated on new features that will be exclusive to owners of the Edge of Darkness.
Escape from Tarkov's New PvE Mode
(Photo : Battlestate Games / Screenshot taken from official website)
Escape from Tarkov, an iconic extraction shooter, is also being criticized for its $250 Unheard Edition for alleged pay-to-win features. The official pre-order page lists what players can get for paying an exorbitant amount of money.
These include an enhanced stash, expanded PMC pockets, more slots on the in-game flea market, a unique melee weapon, and many others. The gaming community has criticized the exclusive access on the new PvE mode in particular, according to GamesRadar.
The $250 Unheard Edition will give players access to the new game mode with persistent progression, which means that it will not be reset with wipes. This is something that marks a significant shift from the game's typical lost-it-all PvP formula.
So far, it is only the $250 version that mentions the new PvE mode at all, and the others, down to the $50 standard edition, do not mention it all. On the other hand, the latter provides "guaranteed instant access to closed beta."
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A lot of the criticism is regarding the fact that owners of previous editions of Escape from Tarkov will seemingly not get the new PvE mode without upgrading or making a new purchase. This is despite the Edge of Darkness edition bundling in a lot of previous content and DLC such as access to the Tarkov Arena.
The lead community manager of Battlestate Games, apple3z0r, argued that the new PvE mode is not DLC. He noted that it is a unique feature that was added in the new edition, later doubling down that it is a new feature and not a DLC, said Forbes.
Widespread Community Backlash
There have been so many negative comments regarding the new $250 Unheard Edition that all but three channels in the official Escape from Tarkov Discord server have been silenced. This meant that users were not able to post in them at all.
Moderators on the game's sub-Reddit also waived the rule that prevents multiple posts about the same topic. They said that they are "just as livid about this situation as you." However, Battlestate Games has not yet officially responded to the negative comments about the issue.
The anger among the community is being fueled by a general discontent about Escape from Tarkov's overall state. These include complaints regarding the prevalence of cheaters and the perceived slow progress toward full release.
There are also a few Escape from Tarkov players who have also theorized that Battlestate Games will ultimately give in to player demand and open up access to the new PvE mode. However, there has so far been no indication that this would be the case, according to PCGamer.
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