New Year Special Revealed in Escape from Tarkov's Latest Wipe

The highly anticipated wipe for Escape from Tarkov was initially slated to occur before the New Year, primarily to introduce a special, less challenging quest for the Kappa container. However, the developers have now set a confirmed date and time for the update. The wipe will take place on December 26 at 7:00 AM GMT / 2:00 AM EST, and following the maintenance, the game will be updated to version 0.16.0.0. Additionally, Tarkov Arena will see an update to version 0.2.5.0.

As with previous updates, the game will be unavailable for approximately 8 hours, although past updates have occasionally taken longer. To keep the community engaged during this downtime, Battlestate Games has planned a New Year Special to be streamed on Twitch at 4:00 PM GMT / 11:00 AM EST. While the specifics of what will be featured remain under wraps, fans can look forward to some additional content to enjoy.

What’s New in Update 0.16.0.0?

The update to version 0.16.0.0 signifies that Escape from Tarkov is not yet ready for its full release, suggesting that players might have to wait until 2025 for the complete version. Let's delve into what this update could bring to the game.

Firstly, a significant change expected is the transition to the Unity 2022 engine. This upgrade has been on the developers' roadmap for quite some time, and given their plans for 2024, this switch was anticipated to occur, though not all planned changes happen as scheduled.

Secondly, an overhaul of the weapon recoil system is on the cards. This update is crucial as it can dramatically affect gameplay, influencing the success or failure of players in combat scenarios.

In terms of new content, we're looking forward to the introduction of new weapons like the RPG-26. The Customs map is also set for a rework, promising some exciting changes to the environment. Alongside these additions, several bugs are slated for fixes, and quality of life improvements are expected. However, it's worth noting that the engine upgrade might introduce new challenges that the developers will need to address.