Escape from Tarkov apologises for PvE mode misstep, saying it "did not foresee such a reaction"

Escape from Tarkov developer Battlestate has released a second statement after it u-turned on a decision to lock an “exclusive” PvE mode to its €300 Unheard Edition following player feedback, saying it is “very sorry that fans and the game community in general are experiencing these feelings”.

In the statement posted to Reddit, COO Nikita Buyanov said that they “somehow did not foresee the fact of such a reaction” and has now “decided to just open [the controversial PvE mode] for EoD owners for free”.

On Friday (26th April), Matt reported that Escape from Tarkov developer Battlestate had drawn fan ire after unveiling a €250 (€300 after tax) special edition that, alongside some controversial special advantages, contains an exclusive co-op PvE mode that won’t be made available to those that bought a previous edition.

It was this inclusion of an exclusive new co-op PvE mode that’s caused the most consternation as Tarkov’s previous Edge of Darkness Edition – now discontinued – promised purchasers would get “free access to all subsequent DLCs”.

After a considerable backlash, Battlestate insisted that it is was not reneging on its promise to give End of Darkness edition owners “all subsequent DLCs” because “PvE gamemode is not DLC”, but did then confirmed yesterday that, in light of players’ “dissatisfaction”, the team said it has “decided that the functionality of the PvE mode will be available for free to all owners of the EoD version at the release of the game, when the server infrastructure will be improved to the required capacity”.

Now, Buyanov is going even further.

“Let me continue my feedback on the current situation,” Buyanov posted earlier today. “First of all, I would like to say that I am very sorry that fans and the game community in general are experiencing these feelings. Unfortunately, I somehow did not foresee the fact of such a reaction and now I have drawn conclusions for my future decisions.