Escape From Tarkov has struggled with cheaters since its inception. Despite vocal efforts from developer Battlestate Games to combat this issue—often calling cheaters the “scum of the Earth”—some players remain sceptical about the studio’s commitment. However, a new anti-cheat initiative in the latest patch might change that perception: Battlestate Games now offers in-game currency as compensation for reporting cheaters, effectively placing a bounty on them.
New Anti-Cheat Measures: According to the 0.14.9.5 patch notes (via GamesRadar), “Players will receive in-game currency compensation after the report that led to the blocking of the violator. Compensation comes with an in-game message informing of a successful report. Compensation for several successful reports will be combined.”
Details and Implications: While specifics are sparse—no information on payout amounts, reporting thresholds, or handling multiple reports on the same cheater—this move is a step in the right direction. The program’s effectiveness will depend on Battlestate’s actions following the reports, but it promises to reduce cheating.
Community Response: This concept isn’t new; a Redditor suggested a similar bounty program over a year ago, referencing Yager’s initiative in The Cycle: Frontier. Reactions were mixed, with doubts about Battlestate’s capability or willingness to implement such a system. Given that The Cycle: Frontier shut down in September 2023 partly due to cheaters, there’s hope Battlestate’s approach will yield better results.
Additional Patch Highlights: Beyond anti-cheat efforts, the latest patch has introduced significant changes to NPC AI, garnering attention. AI-controlled PMCs are now more aggressive, reactive, and communicative. They can travel anywhere in a location, sprint across open terrain, and respond to nearby bot sightings of players. While many players see these changes positively, some worry the AI might be too effective, as one Redditor humorously noted, “Excited for this but PMCs wandering around with aimbot on scares the shit outta me.”
The patch also enables offline play for the controversial PvE mode, announced in April to widespread backlash. Battlestate Games tweeted that this mode will be available for purchase for all Escape From Tarkov owners “within 1-2 weeks after the game’s infrastructure is stabilized and proven ready.”
Stay tuned to see how these changes impact the game and whether the bounty on cheaters helps create a fairer, more enjoyable experience for all players.
