Tarkov’s Edge of Darkness Players Snubbed Again in Latest Update

Battlestate Games has just rolled out a minor Escape from Tarkov update that has had a major impact on the community. The 1.0.4.9 update takes the concept of a permanent experience bonus and spreads it across the game’s multiple editions, including the now-unavailable Edge of Darkness version.

Basically, players now get a permanent XP boost based on their edition of the game, but Edge of Darkness, the original top-tier package of Escape from Tarkov, seems to have been snubbed yet again, prompting online backlash.

Edge of Darkness Pales Alongside The Unheard Edition

It was a couple of years ago that Battlestate Games introduced The Unheard Edition, the top-flight version of Escape from Tarkov, the gruelling extraction shooter. This version, which runs up a price tag of around €250, includes PvE, Escape from Tarkov: Arena, and a staggering array of benefits for the base game.

Following the latest Escape from Tarkov update, it now also includes a massive 20% experience point bonus that applies to your entire squad when you play. By comparison, Edge of Darkness, once the topmost edition of Tarkov, has a 12% XP bonus that doesn’t apply to the wider team.

Left Behind players get a 7% bonus, and Prepare for Escape players receive a 9% bonus.

Additionally, The Unheard Edition players now have the option to equip any item of clothing, regardless of their faction. This means that USEC players can wear BEAR clothing, and vice versa. This has been seen as another kick in the face of Edge of Darkness owners, who were once regarded as the game’s most die-hard fans.

In the comments under a social post revealing the update, players were quick to lambast Battlestate Games.

One wrote, ‘I don’t understand why you’re still sh***ing on EOD lol, we’ve been here since day one.’ Another said, ‘Treating EOD like 2nd tier edition… You’re some c***s, those are the people that made your game big. Shows how honorless you are.’

In one comment, an Unheard Edition user demanded that Battlestate Games rescind the experience bonuses and keep the editions purely cosmetic. It falls back to the old argument that The Unheard Edition is pay-to-win in nature, and it’s easy to see why so many people think that.

Do you think this latest Escape from Tarkov change is a huge misstep from Battlestate Games? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.

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