Escape from Tarkov is in a weird spot right now. On the one hand, recent updates to how gun recoil works, movement and stamina buffs, and other improvements have put the gameplay in one of its best-ever positions. On the other hand, the new Oculus audio system is unanimously derided by the community, preventing any ability to gauge where another person might be based on the sounds they make. In a Twitter thread from the game’s official account, developers outlined what’s changing in upcoming hotfixes, and things look promising.
The audio improvements, along with fixing the widely-reported invisibility glitch, are two of the biggest ticket items coming down the pike. In a game as hardcore as Escape from Tarkov, you need every advantage to outplay your opponents, and if you can’t tell if footsteps are behind, in front, to the side, or above you with six feet of concrete in the way, that’s a problem.
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The invisibility issue has several causes, one seemingly based on server connection and the other purposefully done with network and game mechanic manipulation. Hopefully, upcoming hotfixes will address both.
While not as immediate a concern for less invested players, skill progression has nonetheless been an annoyance, making Tarkov’s already significant grind even more punishing. Loot visibility changes will be welcomed by everyone, especially as more players make their way deeper into the more difficult quest chains where they need to find the most valuable loot quickly.
There are also fixes to DLSS, which has done little to nothing to improve performance since the 0.13 patch. Grouping up has also been buggy, and while it functions in most cases, any streamlining there will also be good. Animation fixes are also positive, as are reputation changes to interactions with Zryachiy, a powerful sniper NPC on the Lighthouse map.
In short, everything in these upcoming updates sounds positive. Whether they actually fix anything remains to be seen, but with the string of wins Escape from Tarkov has racked up so far, the odds look good.
