An Escape From Tarkov Competitor Is Taking Off On Steam, But There’s One Huge Catch

While backlash to recent decisions from extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov has caused some players to jump ship, even popular alternatives have pressing issues of their own. Released in 2017, Escape from Tarkov, developed by Battlestate Games, was one of the original pioneers of the popular PvPvE extraction shooter genre – which continues to grow with big names like Bungie reviving its Marathon series in the space – and swiftly gained popularity for its unique gameplay and unforgiving mechanics. Despite several controversial decisions and ongoing problems, however, the game has mostly managed to retain its relative popularity.

While Escape from Tarkov is one of the most popular and well-known extraction shooters on the market, the game has also garnered a somewhat mixed reputation. Common player complaints, such as technical issues, poor performance, and Escape From Tarkov‘s infamous hacker problems, have become part of what the game is known for in some spaces, and the developer’s response to criticism has, at times, been combative, including the repeated copyright striking of notable content creators covering the game on YouTube.

Escape From Tarkov’s $250 Special Edition Draws Backlash

Escape From Tarkov Unheard Edition Costs $250 & Adds Exclusive Features

More recently, a new, $250 special edition of Escape from Tarkov has caused some players to seek out other games, with one relatively popular alternative being the newly released Gray Zone Warfare – which, unfortunately, seems to have problems of its own. Introduced as the new premium version of the game, Escape from Tarkov‘s Unheard edition replaced the previously discontinued Edge of Darkness edition (priced at $150), including new features such as pure PvE modes, exclusive equipment, and the ability to call in friends mid-match.

Almost immediately after it’s unveiling, the Unheard edition proved massively controversial for a number of reasons. Many of the benefits that came with the edition, such as additional resources and the ability to make progress in a PvE mode, were seen as pay-to-win features by the larger playerbase, giving massive in-game advantages to players who bought the Unheard Edition. Additionally, Unheard was seen as breaking the promise that players who had purchased Edge of Darkness would receive all future DLC content for free, as EoD players would still have to pay an additional $100 to upgrade to Unheard.

Not long after the initial reveal of the Unheard edition and its pricing, massive backlash from the playerbase has prompted some concessions from the developers, in that EoD owners will also be granted access to the Unheard PvE mode (albeit in waves), and other players will be able to purchase the mode separately. Unfortunately for Battlestate, however, backlash and criticism has persisted, with many players still upset over pay-to-win features and the locking of PvE behind an additional purchase – and as a result, a sizable portion of Tarkov‘s audience is looking to other games.

Escape From Tarkov’s Newest Competitor Has Its Own Problems

Gray Zone Warfare Competes With Escape From Tarkov, But Has Early Access Woes

As some Tarkov players have begun to flock to a new alternative in Gray Zone Warfare, developed by MADFINGER Games, problems with the newer game have also become apparent. At the time of writing, Gray Zone Warfare sits at around 65% positive reviews on Steam, giving it a “Mixed” rating on the platform with around 17,000 reviews, and while reviewers have plenty of praise for it, it’s also clear that the game is having a troubled Early Access launch, with several common issues bringing down the game’s launch.

Although reviews praise Gray Zone Warfare‘s open world, visuals, and mechanics, many have also noted that some of the game’s features are unpolished, or, at worst, completely broken. Notably, some bugs can lead to players losing gear, a vital part of extraction shooters, and many players who have purchased enhanced editions of the game have reported not receiving their rewards. Other issues include poor performance, crashes, gameplay bugs, and players being sometimes unable to connect to the game.

While Gray Zone Warfare has launched at seemingly the perfect time to take advantage of Escape from Tarkov‘s missteps, it’s clear that the game could’ve used more time to iron out some of its more pressing issues. Despite its various launch problems, however, the game is off to a promising start, garnering plenty of praise for its gameplay mechanics along with criticism for its issues. Given time, the Early Access period for Gray Zone Warfare could make it into a genuine competitor in the extraction shooter genre, and a good option for players seeking an alternative to Escape from Tarkov.