Escape From Tarkov
goes through a complete wipe every six months or so. This is the perfect time to jump in as a new player, given that your gear and character will be in the same place as everything else. Giving up this gear and starting fresh is the great leveller for Tarkov, and it leads to some of the best firefights in the game as players with busted-up SKS rifles go toe to toe with those clutching cheaply made, half-built submachine guns.
Better yet each wipe chucks a load of new content into the mix meaning that each loop a Tarkov player completes — Groundhog Day style — things will be just a little different.
Usually, Battlestate Games will start teasing a wipe on Twitter, before slowly triggering crazy in-game events for players to enjoy before the rest. In the past we've seen airdrop-heavy events precede a wipe, as well as intense tweaks to enemy AI and boss behavior. Essentially, the game's meta is thrown to the wind, as players fight to stay alive under increasingly ridiculous circumstances. Here's what you need to know about the next Tarkov wipe.
When is the next Tarkov wipe?
We're hot off the heels of a new Tarkov wipe, which was added during a patch that launched at 1AM PDT on August 10, 2023. This followed a particularly long wait between wipes, and arrived around a month later than expected.
These wipes tend to happen every 6 months or so, and the last one took place on August 10, 2023. This means that there won't be a Tarkov wipe until at least mid-February of 2024, though timings have changed a little bit in recent updates. Currently the developer has not confirmed the date for the next wipe.
What is a wipe in Escape from Tarkov?
Every six months or so, an Escape From Tarkov wipe happens. This marks a full reset for players, with progression, quest progress, inventories and reputation with traders all being affected. This means that the period immediately following a wipe tends to be the best time for new players to jump in, as all players are on a level playing field in terms of gear.
Battlestate Games tends to build up to a Tarkov wipe by slowly disregarding the game's meta, adding in events that completely shake up the in-game economy. In the past, this has involved nightmarish weather changes, bosses appearing in huge numbers in certain areas, and even events where air drops are ridiculously plentiful.
For more on shooting games, check out our list of the best FPS games you can play right now.
