Escape from Tarkovhas released an update on the ongoing cheating scandal. It comes after a fan’sEscape from Tarkovinvestigation claimed that 60% of matches had cheatersin the game.
Escape from Tarkovwasfirst released to the public in 2017, and development has remained steady ever since. There were some hiccups along the way, withdeveloper Battlestate Games recently being banned from Twitch, but overall it’s been pretty smooth with a constant stream of content being added to the game. It’s currently unknown when the game is due to exit early access and become a full release, with no date given by the developer.
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The cheating update was posted to Reddit by Battlestate Games studio head Nikita Buyanov on behalf of the entire company. In the post, Buyanov claims thatEscape from Tarkovbans several thousand cheaters a day, and goes on to say that all systems involved in catching and banning cheaters are constantly being updated.Escape from Tarkov’s serious cheating problemis no secret to the gaming community, and it poses a real problem for the game. Due to its wide success, it’s easy to forgetEscape from Tarkovis still an early access title, and to have rampant cheating prior to making it out of beta would be terrible for the game’s long-term future.
Players in the thread were thoroughly unconvinced by Buyanov’s update. Many were quick to point out that several similar updates have been posted in the last three years, with almost identical wording across the posts.Escape from Tarkovplayers had one recurring suggestion throughout the thread - mobile phone verification. This would be a simple but effective method that would deter many people from cheating, with the extra verification proving to be a step too far. It’s a proven tactic, too, with games likeCounter-Strike: Global Offensiveallowing players to go into matchmaking with only players with a verified phone number. While no anti-cheat method is perfect,Escape from Tarkovdesperately needs to try a new approach.
Despite its undeniable popularity,Escape from Tarkovis in a fragile place right now. The game offers a unique, well-executed take on survival-shooter gameplay, with amazing foundations to build upon for years to come. But there’s only so long that players will put up with cheaters, especially in a game that punishes death as harshly asEscape from Tarkov. Despite this, the game is currently only available on the developer’s website, so there is still a whole new audience forEscape from Tarkovto be exposed to with the potential of a Steam release, or even a console debut. So while many players could turn away from the game, there could still be many more to join yet.
Escape From Tarkovis available in early access now on PC.
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