Escape from Tarkov has been around for nearly a decade, and with its gritty mix of survival and extraction shooting, it’s built one of the most dedicated communities in the genre. But as Battlestate Games prepares to launch the title on Steam this November alongside Version 1.0, longtime players are facing a snag that has them crying foul.
When Tarkov hits Steam on November 15, existing owners who bought the game through Battlestate’s launcher will not receive a free Steam copy. To play on Valve’s platform—with all its quality-of-life perks like achievements, playtime tracking, and native friends list integration—players will apparently have to buy the game again. Progress, items, and edition status can carry over through linked accounts, but the Steam license itself will remain locked behind a fresh purchase.
Obviously, the decision has struck a nerve because Steam and Battlestate launcher players will still share the same servers. Whether you double-dip or stick to the launcher, you’ll be raiding the same maps with the same community. To many, that makes the extra paywall feel less like a technical necessity and more like a cash grab.
Battlestate has defended the move by stressing that progress will sync between platforms, and that any mismatch in edition entitlements will grant the higher tier by default. But fans argue that such concessions don’t justify charging loyal players a second time. Adding to the frustration, the Steam version won’t support family sharing, the Steam Workshop, or even the Steam Deck—limiting the supposed benefits of jumping platforms.
For a game that’s been funded and stress-tested by its community since 2016, the idea of rebuying it just to access Steam features feels especially galling. Unless Battlestate changes course, Tarkov’s long-time supporters are left with a choice: stick to the launcher they’ve always used, or pay full price again for what is essentially the same experience. After nine years of loyalty, that’s a bitter pill to swallow.
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