Arena Changelog

For the main game, see Changelog.

This page contains a collection of official patch notes for the Escape from Tarkov: Arena. It has to be noted that the developer Battlestate Games intentionally doesn't announce every change to keep surprises for the players.

It entered the Closed Beta state on the 17. December 2023 and the current game version is.

Player profile

 * This update features a full profile wipe. As part of the update, the progression of presets as well as player ARP has been reset
 * ARP values have been adjusted as follows:
 * Profiles with less than 2000 ARP rating - ARP is set to 1500
 * Profiles with more than 2000 ARP rating - ARP is set to 2000

Tier system and preset rebalance

 * The new Tier system features the following changes:
 * Removed the Rating presets tab
 * All presets are divided into 3 Tiers
 * Presets have been balanced within each tier. Several class and ranked presets have been removed
 * First 2 presets of each class are free by default
 * Each collectible preset is now attached to a specific class and Tier
 * Standardized the availability and amount of medicine in presets for each Tier and class
 * Significantly reduced the number of frag grenades in all presets

Matchmaking

 * You can now select one of three Tiers when starting matchmaking
 * Unlocking matchmaking in the next preset Tier requires unlocking 5 presets of the next Tier
 * Matchmaking now accounts for player ARP and the selected preset Tier
 * Preset Tiers 2 and 3 will be temporarily locked from matchmaking in ranked games until there are enough players who have unlocked Tiers 2 and 3 respectively

Team limit on picking duplicate presets

 * Players can now select only 1 identical preset per team for more balanced gameplay
 * Your team's selected presets are marked in the presets list

Flexible preset unlock system

 * Added the ability to select 4 presets for unlocking, one in each class
 * Experience to the unlockable preset is gained when playing as any of the available presets of the corresponding class
 * When playing with a collectible preset, it will level presets of corresponding class
 * Preset tree view is available via the button in the bottom menu

Preset price and unlock balance

 * Recalculated the preset purchase cost based on the Tier it belongs to
 * Increased the difference in cash rewards between players who contributed more to the victory and those who contributed less
 * Reduced the amount of experience for unlocking a preset

Location selection

 * Increased the minimum number of locations to start matchmaking from 1 to 4.

Painkillers effect

 * Reduced the color loss effect when using a painkiller.

Custom games

 * Added new settings for custom games:
 * Preset Tier configuration
 * Switching off KillCam
 * Configurable duplicate team preset limit
 * Configurable character skill level
 * Configurable number of rounds needed to win a match
 * Configurable team names

Fire mode

 * Changed the default fire mode for all weapons. Full Auto is now set as default.

Locations

 * Added the new Chop Shop location for the TeamFight mode
 * Fixed the culling issues on all locations
 * Removed the ability to vault out of bounds on all locations
 * Readjusted the logic of frag grenade spawns on all locations for all game modes according to the following rules:
 * Grenades do not spawn on Equator and Chop Shop, and on all ShootOut locations
 * Grenades spawn on Bay 5, Air Pit, Bowl, and Sawmill
 * Added a spot with 100% chance of grenade spawn in the center point of the location
 * Added 2 frag grenade spawn locations at equal distances between teams. Chance of grenade spawn is 100% at one of the two locations
 * All other item spawn points no longer contain frag grenades

Air Pit

 * Slightly changed the geometry of the map. Regardless of the spawn side, players will reach the airplane at the same time.

Bowl

 * Slightly changed the geometry of the map. Regardless of the spawn side, players will reach the helicopter at the same time.

Hitboxes

 * The head is divided into separate simple hit zones that coincide with the protection zones of helmets and masks
 * Three hit zones have been added to the head area: Throat, Neck, and Face colliders
 * Thorax and stomach hit zones are divided into front, back and sides
 * Pelvic hit zone is divided into Groin and Buttocks. Hitting these areas inflicts damage to the Stomach area

Armor

 * Protection of armor and helmets is divided into separate zones, depending on which section this zone covers (in some cases it might be several zones). These are the slots with integrated armor. Integrated armor zones have their own separate durability. For example, you can now reduce your opponent's chest zone armor durability and not damage the durability of other armor zones if you shoot them in the chest. Integrated armor usually has armor class 2 or 3
 * An armored collar that protects the neck hitbox has been added for a large number of body armor pieces
 * In addition, ballistic plate slots and integrated armor slots have been added to body armor vests and plate carriers: for chest section, for back section, and for side sections. Ballistic plates usually have armor class 3-6
 * The dimensions of the ballistic plate zones are the same as the average dimensions of real ballistic plates of that format
 * Body armor protection is no longer uniform. It now depends on what areas the body armor visually protects. For example, no body armor protects the armpit area

Damage and armor

 * Reworked the damage through layers of armor: now when each layer is penetrated, the bullet loses some penetration power and damage depending on the characteristics of the penetrated armor
 * Blunt damage now decreases when there is soft armor behind the unpenetrated component
 * Removed the possibility for bullets to pierce through a character's thorax and stomach

0.1.4.3.28546 (25 Jan 2024)

 * Fixed a number of issues that caused connection loss when connecting to the server or during a match.
 * Added experience multipliers for locations depending on the average match duration. This change is aimed at balancing the experience earning rate for locations with longer match durations:
 * Sawmill - 1.9
 * Bowl - 1.5
 * Air Pit - 1.5
 * Bay 5 - 1.3
 * Equator - 1.0
 * Chop Shop - 1.0

0.1.4.2.28493 (22 Jan 2024)

 * Technical client update

0.1.4.2.28386 (10 Jan 2024)

 * All ranked presets are now free

0.1.4.2.28386 (29 Dec 2023)

 * Fixed the incorrect shoulder transition animation during movement
 * Fixed an issue that in some cases caused the player to be teleported back while vaulting
 * Fixed several issues that resulted in the inability to accept a match

0.1.4.1.28365 (28 Dec 2023)
New content:

Chop Shop

 A new location Chop Shop has been added to the game: a car repair shop in the industrial zone of Tarkov. It used to be the place where stolen cars were stripped for parts to sell, but now it has become a gunfight arena. 
 * This compact location for violent fast-paced battles is available for Shootout 2x2 and Shootout 3x3 modes.

Changes and new mechanics:

Ranked matchmaking changes:
 * Now when searching for players, it matches you based not only on the ARP, but also on the average Meta Points of presets purchased in previous matches.

Vaulting and obstacle interaction:
 * Obstacle vaulting has been added to the game;
 * There are two types of vaulting:
 * Climbing the obstacle and remaining on it. For example, climbing a crate to fire at the enemy from top of it;
 * Vaulting over an obstacle. For example, jumping over a small fence to take a shortcut.


 * Each of these types has different animations for different heights, different parameters of stamina and arm stamina consumption, and different action speeds, depending on the negative effects;


 * During a sprint, you can jump over obstacles without the goal of climbing them (Vaulting);
 * If vaulting is performed while walking, the loudness of such actions will be noticeably lower than jumping and sprinting;
 * For the convenience of overcoming obstacles an option has been added to the game settings: "Vaulting over medium obstacles", where you can choose "Auto" or "Hotkey". If you select "Auto", your character will climb over medium and low height obstacles by himself. If you select "Hotkey" you will need to press the "Jump" key to initiate vaulting, but this way you can control the character's actions more precisely;
 * The character now stops if he hits a wall while walking or sprinting.

'Please note that Arena locations are not fully adapted to the vaulting mechanics yet, so we ask you to report any issues you find. Locations will be finalized early next year.'

Shoulder transition


 * The ability to move firearms from the right shoulder to the left shoulder and back has been added to the game. This can be useful when you want to fire from the left side while behind cover;
 * Shoulder transition is available during walking, crouching, leaning, and other actions;
 * Shoulder transition is not available while prone and overhead and side blind firing;
 * Positioning the weapon on the left shoulder imposes a penalty - the weapon has additional sway when moving.

Controls settings Warning: All controls settings have been reset to default.


 * Added "Shoulder transition" action, default key is "Mouse4";
 * Added "Vaulting" action, default key is "Space", press type is "Continuous";
 * The "Jump" action has been reassigned to "Spacebar" key with "Release" press type. Try these controls settings in-game before changing them.

New recoil mechanics


 * The recoil mechanic has been improved to make it more realistic and comfortable for players. A special emphasis has been placed on improving the feel of semi-auto and short burst shooting;
 * New recoil mechanic now includes a variety of flexible settings, allowing for balance adjustments based on analytical data and player feedback;
 * Recoil parameters have been rebalanced for all weapons available in the game.

Economy changes


 * Cash rewards:
 * The cash reward for winning in all modes has been increased:
 * For matches with starter presets (Meta Points (MP) below 300), the reward value has been increased by 10% compared to similar matches in the last patch;
 * For matches with advanced presets (MP above 600), the reward value has been increased to 47% compared to similar matches in the last patch;
 * In addition, in ShootOut 2x2 and ShootOut 3x3 modes, the reward values have been further increased and are now 15% higher than in Teamfight mode;
 * Reward values in ShootOut 3x3 mode have been balanced relative to ShootOut 2x2.

Experience


 * Experience rewards have been increased for:
 * Kill: from 100 to 250;
 * Headshot kill: from 150 to 250;
 * Double kill: from 100 to 150;
 * Awarded in addition to the experience reward for two kills;
 * Triple (or more) kill: from 150 to 200;
 * Awarded in addition to the experience reward for three or more kills;
 * Objective capture in Teamfight mode: from 150 to 300;
 * Objective capture in ShootOut 3x3 and ShootOut 2x2 modes: from 100 to 200;
 * Defeat in Teamfight mode: from 3000 to 3500.
 * Experience rewards have been decreased for:
 * Teamfight:
 * Victory: from 6500 to 5500.
 * ShootOut 3x3:
 * 1st place: from 6700 to 5500;
 * 2nd place: from 4200 to 3500;
 * 3rd place: from 3200 to 2500;
 * ShootOut 2x2
 * 1st place: from 6800 to 6000;
 * 2nd place: from 4000 to 3500;
 * 3rd place: from 3500 to 3000;
 * 4th place: from 3000 to 2500;
 * 5th place: from 2500 to 0.


 * This change will allow players to gain more experience if they performed well in a match but did not win.

Rating


 * Amount of received rating has been changed for:
 * ShootOut 2x2
 * 1st place: +30
 * 2nd place: +15
 * 3rd place: -5
 * 4th place: -15
 * 5th place: -25
 * ShootOut 3x3:
 * 1st place: +30
 * 2nd place: +15
 * 3rd place: -15
 * 4th place: -30

Balancing changes to presets Balancing adjustments have been made to the following presets:


 * Cobra
 * Hexatac HPC armor has been replaced with NFM THOR Concealable Reinforced Vest.


 * Zenith
 * The durability of the FORT Redut-M armor has been reduced from 80 to 56.


 * Breeze
 * FN Five-seveN MK2 pistol ammunition has been changed from 5.7x28mm SB193 to 5.7x28mm SS190;
 * Added SureFire X400 Ultra flashlight.


 * Cracksman
 * PP-9 "Klin" submachine gun 20-round magazines have been replaced with 30-round magazines.


 * Climber
 * HK MP5 submachine gun 20-round magazines have been replaced with 30-round magazines;
 * Reduced the number of extra magazines from 4 to 2;
 * Added 20 rounds of 7.62x51mm M62 ammunition to the inventory.


 * Click
 * SR-2M "Veresk" now comes installed with Zenit Klesch-2P flashlight with laser
 * Added ELCAN SpecterDR 1x/4x scope to the inventory

List of changes:
 * Game systems have been optimized to increase FPS in systems with weak CPUs;
 * Reduced the loudness of sounds in KillCam;
 * Reduced the loudness of music between rounds;
 * Disabled Killcam after death from a cleanup crew;
 * Fixed the issues with environment culling on various locations;
 * Fixed an issue causing some players to jump out of the spawn area before the gates were open;
 * Fixed the issues causing the Killcam to display incorrectly;
 * Fixed an issue causing scopes on weapons to display incorrectly in Spectator mode;
 * Fixed an issue where a group would start matching without a member who had not left the previous game. The group member would not receive a confirmation notification for the found game;
 * Fixed an issue where a player's character's hands were displayed incorrectly in the spawn area, causing the use of weapons to be unavailable until the end of the round;
 * Fixed an issue in the matchmaker where when a player lost connection to the game, the matchmaker would not reset the match and players could play the match with an incomplete match-up;
 * Fixed an issue where players on the losing team who closed the game on the final statistics screens did not lose rating and money;
 * Fixed an issue that caused players added as friends to not be displayed in the friends list;
 * Fixed several UI issues related to incorrect display of information and text in tooltips.

0.1.3.0.28151 (22 Dec 2023)

 * Adjusted the capture time for objectives in TeamFight mode on the following locations:
 * Equator: from 7 to 8 seconds
 * Air Pit: from 7 to 10 seconds
 * Bay 5: from 7 to 10 seconds
 * Bowl: from 7 to 10 seconds
 * Sawmill: from 7 to 12 seconds

Balancing changes to presets

 * Calamary
 * Added AFAK tactical individual first aid kit to the inventory.


 * Tacticool
 * HK MP5 submachine gun and all magazine ammo changed from 9x19 Green Tracer to 9x19 Luger CCI.


 * Runner
 * Glock 18C pistol 17-round magazines changed to 21-rounders.


 * Plantain
 * Removed the F-1 grenade.


 * Saboteur
 * Added Analgin painkillers with 2 out of 4 uses.


 * Reaper
 * TV-110 plate carried replaced with CPC MOD.1 plate carrier;
 * HK MP7A1 submachine gun 30-round magazines replaced with 40-round magazines;
 * Reduced the amount of HK MP7A1 magazines from 5 to 4;
 * Removed Alu splint.


 * Eraser
 * Golden Star balm replaced Augmentin antibiotic pills.


 * Borealis
 * Rifle Dynamics RD-704: EOTech HHS-1 hybrid sight replaced with ELCAN SpecterDR 1x/4x scope;
 * Added EOTech XPS3-2 holographic sight to the inventory.


 * Pharaoh
 * AK-74: EOTech HHS-1 hybrid sight replaced with EOTech EXPS3 holographic sight.


 * Mouse
 * Added Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 holographic sight to the inventory.


 * Flanker
 * Added EOTech 553 holographic sight to the inventory.


 * Cowboy
 * Springfield Armory M1A: EOTech HHS-1 hybrid sight replaced with Trijicon ACOG TA01NSN 4x32 scope with Trijicon RMR reflex sight on it.

0.1.3.0.28121 (21 Dec 2023)

 * The data centres (servers) selected in the Launcher are now taken into account when matching players
 * If several locations are selected in the matchmaking, the priority will be given to a random location
 * Fixed a bug where a player could not accept a friend request
 * Fixed a bug where the friend list would not change after accepting all friend requests

0.1.3.0.28121 (20 Dec 2023)

 * Changes to improve performance

0.1.3.0.28077 (19 Dec 2023)

 * The volume of announcer has been reduced
 * The Golden star balm has been replaced with Vaseline in all presets that previously had the balm

Balancing changes to presets

 * Agent
 * Eagle Allied Industries "MBSS" plate carrier has been replaced with Stich Profi "Chest rig MK2".


 * Kalter
 * HighCom "Trooper TFO" body armor has been replaced with Hexatac "HPC".


 * Surf
 * Reduced the amount of VSS magazines from 3 to 2
 * Removed tactical flashlight from PL-15 pistol


 * Zenith
 * Removed the tactical flashlight from MP-443 pistol
 * Removed the tactical flashlight from AK-105
 * Added “Perst-3” tactical device to the AK-105


 * Stiletto
 * Upgraded Glock 17 preset
 * Increased the amount of magazines for Glock 17 pistol from 1 up to 2
 * Added SwampFox "Trihawk Prism Scope 3x30" to the inventory


 * Lance
 * Reduced the durability of the 5.11 Tactical "TacTec" plate carrier from 50 to 40
 * Replaced ammunition type in all Desert Tech MDR magazines from 7.62x51M62 to 7.62x51 M80


 * BlackJack
 * Replaced ammunition type in all M4A1 mags from 5.56x45 SOST to 5.56x45 RRLP


 * Tacticool
 * Added a Leapers "UTG" scope to HK MP5 SD


 * Brigadier
 * Replaced ammunition type in primary mags of HK416A5 from 5.56x45 M995 to 5.56x45 М855А1
 * Replaced 30-round magazines for HK416A5 with 40-rounders
 * Replaced ammunition type in secondary 20-round magazines for HK416A5 from 5.56x45 SSA AP to 5.56x45 M995

0.1.3.0.28025 (17 Dec 2023)

 * Beta begins
 * First wave of beta testers are given access
 * NDA lifted

Closed Beta (17 Dec 2023)
Escape from Tarkov: Arena entered its official Closed Beta Testing stage in Dec 2023 with patch 0.1.3.0.28025.

Liste des changements de l'Arène