A gloomy weather forecast by Escape From Tarkov’s Ministry of Emergency Situations may be the indicator that a rumoured wipe is coming.
A weather update, translated from Russian on Future Game Releases, was the cause of much speculation in the Escape from Tarkov community.
The forecasts predict a gloomy, dense fog and rainy showers lasting for around 2-5 days. Fog coming from the northeast will reach St Petersburg in-game and possibly trigger a wipe, resetting players inventory and currency.
A wipe in Escape From Tarkov resets the progress and items of all players in-game. This is to keep the game fresh, as it puts every player – including many who have already accumulated massive wealth and powerful gear – back on the same playing field.
Recently, players received $100,000 USD – a valuable in-game currency – for extracting from a raid with a scav player. This could be seen as a way of letting players build up a massive inventory before taking it all away. A wipe will also provide an ideal jumping on point for new players.
Battlestate Games are currently offering 20 per cent off pre-orders on the Escape from Tarkov website.
A note on the site reads, “In anticipation of the release of the new patch, we have added a discount on all pre-order editions and upgrades of Escape from Tarkov. Hurry up to make you and your friends happy, because the cost of all pre-orders has been reduced by 20%!”
Battlestate games wipe Escape from Tarkov twice a year, with the last one occurring on December 24, 2020.
When asked about a possible upcoming wipe on The Team Podcast (May 16), game director Nikita Buyanov said: “Wipe is not planned. I can’t tell you more, but wipe is not planned right now. We don’t plan to do it in the next weeks or months.”
When asked the same question at E3 2021 (June 13), he reiterated, “I can’t tell you.”
In other news, Dota 2‘s The International won’t be going ahead in Stockholm.
Valve is looking to relocate the event after the Swedish government refused to classify the tournament as an elite sporting event, which potentially prevent competitors from entry to Sweden due to COVID restrictions.
