Nikita Buyanov, the creator and head of Battlestate Games, recently gave an extensive interview to the Russian YouTube channel, where he discussed the past, present, and future of EFT.
The interview was conducted in Russian, which is great because Nikita expresses himself more freely and shares much more. However, the English subtitles were inaccurate, making the conversation hard to follow and to properly understand. So, I decided to write a summary highlighting the key points discussed. Additionally, I’ve included the full translation of the interview at the end of this article. I used ChatGPT to provide a more accurate translation directly from the Russian transcript. While it's quite lengthy, it's definitely worth reading as it captures far more details and nuances of what was actually said.
In this in-depth conversation, Nikita covered a wide range of topics, from the game's initial inspiration to gameplay details and the challenges encountered during its development. Below are some of the key highlights (plus the full interview translation at the end).
Following the information-rich interview at TwitchCon, this piece serves as an excellent deep dive into the foundational concepts of EFT, as well as Nikita's vision for the game—past, present, and future.
But let's delve into what emerged in the interview.
The Origin of EFT and the Extraction Shooter Genre
Games like DayZ, Ultima Online, EVE Online, and Rainbow Six inspired various aspects of EFT, particularly in creating a world where immersion and risk are fundamental elements.
The element of total risk and the loss of everything present in EFT was not mainly inspired by DayZ but rather by EVE Online. This mechanic in EVE Online particularly struck Nikita, leading to the idea of a game where you can lose everything you carry with you and a gameplay loop based on "extraction"—a concept that, according to Buyanov, he invented.
Curiosities About Game Development
One of Nikita's first steps into game development was attempting to create maps for Counter-Strike.
Originally, EFT was conceived as a browser game. The shift towards a standalone game occurred after browser technologies became obsolete.
The Tough and Realistic Gameplay
"In the beginning, I wanted the game to be super difficult, even if it meant there were only 2,000 players a day."
EFT is known for its difficulty. The game was designed from the outset to be a hardcore experience, not for everyone. The idea was to have a niche of players who appreciated the challenge and tension characterizing the gameplay. Nikita mentioned that EFT is meant to be an experience for an elite of gamers, comparing the game to the Souls series. However, over the years, EFT has become more mainstream than initially imagined, attracting a much larger audience than anticipated.
Embracing the Suffering: How EFT’s Hardcore Experience Sets It Apart from Competitors
Buyanov also detailed how the success of EFT has driven the emergence of other extraction shooters, although he believes many of these competitors simplify the concept to reduce player suffering. For him, the suffering and the resulting dopamine rush after surviving a raid are what make EFT special.
Despite the rise of extraction shooters, no clear competitor to EFT has emerged because of the game’s complexity and content depth. Developing enough content takes an immense amount of time and resources. Buyanov admits that while the game is nearing completion after nearly a decade of work, maintaining it without a subscription model poses challenges. Modding will be allowed in the future, but it needs to be moderated to maintain the game’s integrity.
Community & Player Mentorship
The complexity of EFT led to the development of a player-driven mentorship system, where experienced players help newcomers understand the game. This is formalized in the Sherpa program, and Buyanov notes that the game’s structure encourages learning from more seasoned players, similar to how people seek advice from experts in real life.
The Philosophy of the Game and the Limits of Realism
EFT is not meant to be just fun but to immerse the player in a complete experience filled with tension and difficulty. Initially, Nikita had thought of an incredibly realistic aiming system, which would have been "unplayable" for most players. Balancing realism and playability was one of the biggest challenges.
A Game to Live, Not Just to Complete
Escape From Tarkov is not a game for everyone, and that's precisely what makes it special. Nikita has always tried to push the limits of realism and create an experience that couldn't simply be "completed" but rather lived, with all its difficulties and complexities. The philosophy behind EFT, that of "risking everything," is what makes this game unique, and the future of Tarkov will be equally deep and ambitious.
The Artisanal Approach in Development
"In the early stages, we gathered with pen and paper, and simply started giving shape to our ideas."
In the early stages of developing EFT, Nikita and his team gathered with paper and pen to bring their ideas to life. This artisanal and informal approach among friends characterized many of the project's first steps, with discussions around a table and hand-drawn maps that were later refined with the team's help.
Many initial decisions on map layouts were intuitive, based on what seemed interesting or fun. Each team member had the opportunity to contribute, transforming and improving ideas into something concrete by adding credible elements like a sawmill in a forest setting or a large warehouse in an urban environment. This creative approach gave life to maps that maintain clear logic and a well-defined environmental narrative.
The Roots of Inspiration and the Lore of Russia 2028
Nikita spoke about the connections between EFT and the Russia 2028 project, a post-apocalyptic universe that includes various conflicts and a rather dark future. He hinted at a "local nuclear conflict" and the idea of a more complex narrative, including the possibility that the story of Russia 2028 doesn't end well but with a touch of hope that players can build. The world of EFT fits into this context, allowing players to influence the experience through their actions and decisions.
Personal Reality Reflected in the Game
An interesting yet serious aspect is the parallel between the events of EFT and current reality. Nikita mentioned that while shaping the world of EFT, he had no idea that some scenarios would closely mirror today's global situation, leading him to reflect on the responsibility and impact of the narrative. He tried to imagine what could happen in a future marked by conflicts and advanced military technology, and many of his suppositions seem to have become reality.
Vision for the Future and the World of Game Development
Discussing the future of EFT and the world of Russia 2028, Nikita hinted that there are still many stories to tell, with projects that go beyond the game's release in version 1.0.
He reiterated the importance of allowing players to choose how to behave at certain moments in the game, with decisions that concern the moral aspects of the story and can influence it.
Modding
"Yes, we will have modding."
Buyanov confirmed that official modding will be integrated into EFT, allowing players to create content without fear of being banned, though a moderation system will ensure mods remain within the game's themes. While unofficial mods have already garnered attention, Buyanov emphasized that creating content for EFT is far more complex than many realize, given the size and scope of the game.
SPT (Single Player Tarkov)
Nikita Buyanov acknowledges criticisms about unofficial Single Player Tarkov (SPT) mods, with some players claiming these mods have done things Battlestate Games couldn’t achieve in years. He finds this frustrating, explaining that while mods can make isolated improvements, integrating such features into the official game is much harder due to the complexity of EFT’s ecosystem. Simply adding modded content isn’t feasible because developers have to ensure everything works together without breaking the game.
Influence of Art & Games on the Future:
Buyanov sees games as more than just entertainment; they can impact people’s lives in meaningful ways. He mentions how EFT has helped players, even aiding in the rehabilitation of veterans with PTSD. He hopes that the game’s positive influence can extend beyond the gaming world and foster better communities.
The Importance of Community
The EFT community is quite unique, composed of both experienced players and newcomers eager to learn from them. Nikita talked about the Sherpa program—experienced players who help beginners adapt to the universe of Tarkov. The community has become a sort of ecosystem where players can translate experience and time invested into significant advantages, much like in real life.
The Nature of the EFT Community
Nikita discussed at length the dynamics of the EFT community, including the conflicts and tensions that arise. Part of the community behaves very harshly, sometimes even cruelly, but this ultimately reflects the deep attachment players have to the game.
Composing Music for EFT:
Buyanov has a long history with music and began composing as a teenager. He has written the soundtracks for Street Wars, Contract Wars, and Escape from Tarkov. He usually composes music when there’s a specific need, like a trailer, and draws from a wide range of musical influences. He finds it comforting to combine music with key emotional moments in the game.
The Role of Creativity and Magic in Development
One of the more surprising revelations from the interview was Buyanov’s belief in a certain “magic” guiding his creative process. He described how 20% of everything he does is influenced by something beyond logic or planning – an intangible force that steers him in the right direction when creating music or key moments in the game. This belief helps him stay focused and motivated in his ambitious projects.
These were the highlights of the interview.
As always, Nikita is a somewhat peculiar character and not liked by everyone. I've seen very negative comments about him online, but despite his uniqueness, I believe this interview, like the one at TwitchCon, is useful for better understanding him and the vision he has for the game and its future.
I personally appreciate Nikita's candid approach to interviews, in which I believe he truly expresses his thoughts and feelings without as many filters as others often use.
Moreover, I admire that Nikita wants to remain as faithful as possible to his original concept for the game, even though he recognizes that certain aspects were too "unplayable" for most players and have been adjusted to a more acceptable level.
All past controversies, linked to undeniably wrong choices or poorly communicated decisions to the community, still remain. However, in my opinion, many steps have been taken in the right direction.
I am optimistic about the future of EFT, even though it remains a human product and therefore cannot be perfect. Additionally, since it's a project originally designed for a niche audience, it will never satisfy everyone, and neither should it.
And now, the real deal if you truly want to know everything Nikita said! The full interview translation!
I highly recommend reading it. It sheds light on many aspects of Nikita's mindset, the creation of EFT, it's future, and why the game is the way it is.
Full interview translation
The interview begins with the interviewer providing an introduction to EFT for those unfamiliar with the game, which I have excluded. The translation is quite literal, and at some points, it may not sound perfect in English. However, I prioritized maintaining the spirit of the conversation over maximum clarity and readability.
The Games That Influenced EFT and Its Origins
Was Tarkov inspired by Day Z?
Day Z wasn’t the main inspiration. Day Z was the catalyst for my split-second decision.
To put it briefly, the story goes like this: At that time, I was already actively working on the pre-production of the Russia 2028 project, a whole universe that Escape from Tarkov is a part of. And essentially, it was a single-player game, not even a survival one, but an action RPG in a large world with survival elements. So, at that time, there were already some preconditions to create some kind of hardcore, militaristic action with survival elements. Back then, I had a game called Contract Wars, and yes, I remember that I started playing Day Z. And it kind of hit me that time was passing, and we hadn’t really done anything yet. Would we ever even start?
At that time, I was playing two games mainly: Day Z and EVE-online. This whole idea of losing everything came to me from EVE-online. There, certain categories of ships you purchase get destroyed if you die in battle, and that’s probably where the whole concept of being able to lose everything came from. I remember that EVE-online was one of the few games I ever spent money on. I think it was just EVE-online, actually. I remember getting tired of saving up for a Tengu. I finally bought it after spending some money, watched a ton of tutorials on how to outfit it properly. I went out to fly it and got baited hard and killed. And I lost everything! I didn’t even know that was possible. I lost the ship, and not just the ship, but the entire fit, all the weapons on it—everything! And that’s probably when the idea came up—there’s a mechanic where you can lose it all, and it already exists in EVE-online. And I decided it was time to start doing it; there was no more time to waste.
The very next day, I gathered the team and said, “Let’s make a mod for Contract Wars.” Contract Wars was a browser-based shooter, and I wanted to make a mod for it. I came up with the gameplay loop, this extraction mechanic, which, of course, wasn’t called that back then. We decided to try it out on the Factory map—starting with nothing, running around the location, gathering guns and items (which already existed in Contract Wars), and after a certain amount of time, you exit the location. But a couple of programmers suggested creating a completely new prototype from scratch. I was like, "Alright, let’s do it." And that’s how it was born.
At one point, Escape from Tarkov was also planned as a browser game. Until all the technologies for that kind of thing got shut down. I thought it would be a browser game too. I reserved the name Escape from Tarkov, and it’s still there in my VK (VKontakte) account. It was supposed to be a browser game. But things changed, and we made a standalone game, a proper one, a separate game. So, in a way, yes, Day Z was the catalyst for the hardcore nature of the project. It had survival elements, inventory slots, and so on—those were the things I always liked. I thought it would be great to finally make something like that. And so we did.
On Hardcore Elements
Was the game always meant to be this hardcore from the start?
I can't say that the initial idea was to crush everyone with harshness, difficulty, or hardcore gameplay. The goal was just to implement this hardcore realism. Initially, we planned it as a very niche game with maybe 30,000 players online at the most. And even that was considered an incredible result, super high. It was supposed to be a niche, hardcore game, not for everyone. Players would understand that it’s hard, and that they’d need to try very hard to make any progress in the game. But they’d know that. However, it turned out that a lot of people wanted to try it.
At some point, maybe 2 or 3 years later, Tarkov became a way to prove something to someone. Like, the fact that you play Tarkov meant you were cool. You were a hardcore player, good job. We never planned this. We didn’t expect it to go that way at all.
Why do you need help from experienced players to understand Tarkov?
The concept of the game was complex, and it was clear from the beginning that you couldn’t just understand the game easily. Especially not in all aspects of it. More experienced players would inevitably help less experienced ones, one way or another. For example, we have the Sherpa program in the game. Sometimes, even if you're just playing with friends, if there's an experienced guy among them, you’d rather go with him. One of EFT’s goals was fulfilled by creating a community ecosystem where people value the hours they’ve put into the game. They transform those hours and that experience into an advantage. They use that advantage in the real world to be cooler than those who have played less. So, they become valuable to the less experienced players who want to learn. It’s like in real life. We all have plenty of questions in our real lives where it would be nice to consult someone with more experience. The same thing applies to EFT.
About Balance
Have you already found the perfect balance in the game?
Actually, to be honest, this balance point happened, I think, about three years ago. And all we did was add various features and things that just made the game a bit more comfortable. At least in the stage of preparing for a raid, getting ready. There was a moment in the game when we had to simplify some things for the sake of not being too harsh on the players. Although, again, I’m always for that. I’d rather have fewer players—it would be more elite, so to speak, to play the game. To be part of this Tarkov community. It’s like being part of the Souls-like games community. Not everyone plays Dark Souls, roughly speaking.
That’s how I wanted it initially: let it be super difficult, let there be, I don’t know, an online player base of 2,000 a day, but it would be something incredible! In the sense that one could be proud of it. Like: "Wow, I play Tarkov!" – "Are you crazy?" – "Yeah!" – "Well then, let’s be friends!" I don’t know, or however it usually happens. Or: "Okay, here’s a loan for you!" or: "Alright, here’s a visa, Schengen!" That would be nice, right? If you were a cool Tarkov player, you’d get a Schengen visa. That would be awesome.
We had to simplify things, and there are moments I regret. Yes, I wanted it to be tough. I wanted it to stay that way. You’d have to install pouches first. Each pouch would give you a specific slot for a specific type of magazine. There wouldn’t be any simplifications like putting a propane tank in a 4x4 slot. In reality, you can’t fit a propane tank in a 4x4 slot. That’s supposed to be a combat bag. You could fit two magazines in there. So, roughly speaking, one by two, one by two. You could put them in your rig or in this bag. So, there are still these simplifications necessary to make it all playable. But overall, yes, you equip yourself, gather ammo, magazines, meds. It all feels real.
But I understood that the game has now entered a somewhat mainstream category. Everyone knows Tarkov. Absolutely everyone. And many players from other categories are coming in. It all sounds so romantic, right? We’ve been making the game for 10 years. Oh, how cool! We don’t have investors. We earn on our own, do everything ourselves. But you still have to work.
When will the player base run out? How many copies need to be sold? How many more copies can be sold? We don’t have a subscription model, we don’t have anything. Almost 10 years! This is a unique thing! Unique! Nobody wants to think about it, and nobody wants to talk about it.
As soon as we make any changes: as soon as we add any skins for sale or new packs for sale, everyone immediately thinks we’re crazy—or I am. Well, me. Obviously, because I’m the face, people immediately try to throw everything at me. Nobody wants to think about, well guys, we’ve been working for 10 years. And all this needs to be economically feasible.**
Interest in Weapons
When did you become interested in weapons, and what do they mean to you?
At first, I didn’t have any weapons at all. We would just go to shooting ranges, to the training grounds. We’d film everything, shoot. Then I realized I needed to get into it myself because I got hooked on weapon modification. I started collecting and looking into how everything works. And based on that, I made some changes to the development plans.
I don’t see weapons purely as weapons, as a tool for causing damage or anything like that. It’s more about aesthetics. I don’t know, it’s just something that lives inside. It seems like every man, boy, has this love for guns. And, I don’t know, in me, it’s just expressed in this way, that I just like it. You just look at it, you enjoy it, touch it, and so on. Now, of course, lately I’m not as into it anymore. But there was a period, yes, for sure. Shooting for 2 hours once a week.
Playing a game is something you can do all evening, progress through it. It can give you more pleasure. I still like narrative single-player games, you play through them like you read a book. You get a kind of artistic pleasure from them. Shooting is a different thing. Shooting is adrenaline, it’s, I don’t know, physical exertion and so on. A different kind of pleasure. So, it’s better to have both, roughly speaking.
Do developers need to know about guns to make a good shooter?
If we look at something more or less professional, we need to look at something like Squad, for example, or Insurgency. There it’s clear that the people involved know their stuff and want everything to be cool. Or like Ready or Not, for example. Specific knowledge is immediately felt, especially in terms of weapons. And now, as a rule, despite the fact that there are now a lot of consultants, a lot of YouTube guides, and games where you can just learn from experience, some shooters still come out, and you immediately understand that it’s unrealistic. Now everyone copies Call of Duty.
They copy all the animations, essentially. Because it’s cool, fast, trendy, fun, youthful, and realistic enough. But again, from the perspective of real combat application of weapons, it’s not very realistic. But who needs it? The main thing is that it looks cool, and that young people play it.
There’s another thing I often mention in interviews: if you’re upset about the games coming out now, I say: "Well, these games aren’t made for you!" Because games are made for young people, for the new generation. They don’t make games for boomers, they make them for zoomers. They’re made to appeal to completely different aspects, so to speak. And we, the old hardcore players, we’ll all be retirees soon. We’re all just waiting for this wonderful time when old school gaming comes back, hardcore. We’re kind of trying to bring it back.
Because for me, hardcore games, old games, aren’t about difficulty, first and foremost, but they are games with so much in them that you can get lost in them and create a personality within the game. Like a second-life experience, something like that. I don’t know, like the old Ultima Online, or the first Deus Ex, or the first RTS games or turn-based tactical strategies, where you just died, and you couldn’t even save. Something like Commandos, that was cool! Or Rainbow Six, the first games, those were cool. That was cool!
Airsoft and Level Design
Do tactical shooting exercises or airsoft help in game design and level creation?
Well, damn, what is tactical shooting: you stand there, shoot at cardboard targets. But airsoft, tactical airsoft, MilSim’s—that’s closer, actually, to these kinds of games.
So, what is tactical shooting? How does it help with development, for example, in EFT? I have different gear, I can touch it, feel it, put it on, understand how everything works. Some new ideas come up. I can understand that, for example, with this type of gear, reloading will be inconvenient. Shoulder switching, how can that be done differently? Do you need slings or not?
Even something as simple as pants and shoes—are they comfortable or not? Or different weapon manipulations, or directly changing body position, like tilting. All of that you can feel. And you can feel all of that dynamically, shooting real weapons. But it’s still a limited amount of information you can get. A lot more interesting information comes from team interactions, orientation in space, and overall tactical awareness.
Ideas about how to create locations came to me when I played airsoft.
When you’re in full gear with ballistic plates, weapons, fully decked out one-to-one (only with airsoft gear), running in a group of three in a semi-abandoned cinema, with flashlights and all the extra stuff—it’s very cool. This gives more information because, again, nowadays airsoft guns are gas blowback, you put this thing in, it imitates a muzzle flash. It feels very similar to tactical shooting, for example, when we trained and shot at various targets or practiced exercises.
If we’re talking about how to improve the quality of developing these kinds of games: airsoft, understanding the gear, shooting real weapons, not drinking, not smoking, listening to your mom. That’s it!
We even have airsoft enthusiasts here who still go to the woods to play “with the balls” every weekend—that’s what it’s called. They’ve got NVGs, thermal scopes—it’s insane! Their gear costs millions, and it's such an interesting hobby. But that’s not the point.
Airsoft, however, is unlikely to have influenced the level design. Because, as a rule, our level design was born from real photographs. We just walked around: our Factory, basically, is a real factory. The Interchange, that interchange—it’s a real mall. The city, Streets of Tarkov—it’s basically a real city! The only thing we did was add narrative to it, and we made sure we couldn’t make all the buildings fully accessible. So we simplified them and created the game flow accordingly to the level design.
We had to think about how to make the player’s paths interesting: so he’d go here, we’d have a quest here, something would be closed off here. We played around with various narratives, including some stories within the level design and environment art.
The task for EFT locations wasn’t that difficult to understand—we just had to recreate reality. The Woods? Great! What would fit here? A sawmill! Perfect, let’s make a sawmill. OK, now we think, what do we do with the sawmill? It’s located here, like a clearing, all open—we need to add more woods around it. I remember I personally made the forest.
It wasn’t something serious, where we sat down and thought about it deeply. It always starts with a simple hand-drawn sketch. And then people start refining it and making their own adjustments. But, as a rule, there wasn’t anything complex in the production of locations, especially in layout, grayboxing, and all that stuff, like, "we need to maintain some kind of crazy balance."
The main thing was to maintain the balance of spawns and extractions so that everything would be more or less good. And practically every map layout started with a super simple hand-drawn sketch on paper! Equally spaced extractions, equally spaced spawns, “here we can have a school, here we can have a police station, and here we can draw something significant.”
That’s it! Everything else came to life during the process.
Head Animator Didn’t Come from Game Dev
Did the head of Tarkov’s animation department, Kiba, work in game development?
No, he didn’t. Yeah, he worked at a factory. He worked at a factory and thought it was a really cool job, he had prospects there. I don’t remember exactly what his profession was. There were some local events, like exhibitions. I don’t remember what they were called, I’ve completely forgotten.
We presented Contract Wars, which was still single-player—we didn’t even have a network. We invited airsoft players, because he’s an experienced airsoft player too. The airsoft players had cool gear, we put them with guns at our booth. I remember he showed me some of his work in Ogre 3D (there’s an editor called that). He showed me his work, making some games. He’s into guns, into all of this.
He liked the game because he played in tournaments for Contract Wars. I thought, we need him. But he didn’t know anything at all, absolutely nothing. I told him: “Come on, let’s go!” He asked his wife for permission, and that’s it, he started working with us.
At first, he was doing modeling—I remember he modeled a PPSH for Contract Wars. Then he started doing animations, and now he’s already the head of the animation department. He understands guns, knows everything. More than I do, I’m sure.
Pleasant Gunplay
Is the pleasant feeling from shooting primarily created by animators?
Well, not just them, because some animations—reloading, all those weapon handling, and switching mechanics—yes, that’s the responsibility of the animator. But the shots themselves, that’s procedural. All that recoil, that’s the programmers. It’s the responsibility of the gameplay programmer, the one specifically working on the recoil and shooting effects. Usually, I’d sit there with the programmer, and we’d work to make it more or less realistic and playable. Initially, the concept of recoil was completely crazy! You had to align the front sight and rear sight first, and then shoot. I even came up with a crazy system where, using the mouse and holding keys, you’d align the sights, and only then fire.
If that were in the game now, I think only about 15 people would be playing it! It would’ve been fun to implement that concept in some real hardcore first-person survival game, where you shoot once every half hour. You’d find a shotgun, aim carefully, and fire manually. Because again, after shooting in real life, I realized that in the game, you aim easily, boom, and your front and rear sights are already aligned.
But in reality, you have to aim, align the sights, and only then pull the trigger. Again, how you pull the trigger matters too. You can jerk it, and it will go left or right. I wanted to implement all these nuances in EFT, but I’m afraid it would have been unplayable. As a result, we introduced auto-recoil compensation and, overall, how long can you hold a machine gun in aim mode while standing? Not long at all! You can’t even lift it! I remember shooting with a PKM—it’s insane! First of all, shooting while standing is impossible, it pushes you back. And secondly, there’s nothing to grab onto! It’s just impossible. You can hold it with outstretched arms for, I don’t know, 10 seconds, and then you have no strength left.
All this understanding of what it’s like in reality and how to make it better in the game came from direct experience. The coolest thing about shooting is when the mechanics work, using the special features installed on the weapon, and the sound. Sounds are a whole separate topic. We recorded all the sounds for real, blasting away in rooms, recording sounds with trauma pistols. We also traveled to shooting clubs, recording there, at ranges. It was interesting. There were no guides at all. Nowhere could you find a guide on "How to make shooting sounds like in Battlefield." You couldn’t! You listen to Battlefield and wonder how it’s done. Later, we figured out how they actually do it. Unity could never achieve what they do. But nonetheless, I came up with a whole system for rendering sounds through FL Studio. People are still using it, by the way. It's a cool thing.
On Tarkov's Competitors
Why are extraction shooters coming out more and more often, but there still aren’t any clear competitors on the market?
I often see in various extraction shooters that are coming out now, they either completely copy us or simplify the concepts of Escape from Tarkov and extraction shooters to make the entry threshold lower or reduce the amount of suffering. But the point is in the suffering, on the contrary. The point is the dopamine you get from winning in a raid, roughly speaking, by surviving in a raid. That’s how it is, more or less. And another thing, we already have so much content, so much stuff in the game. All of this creates such a holistic picture, even though we don’t have an endgame yet. We're working on it right now, preparing various storyline quests and more.
In some other extraction shooters, there’s not enough content. They launch the concept, which might even be a better version of EFT, but overall, it’s very monotonous: few locations, few loot items. To make a game engaging, you need to spend tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of man-hours. We've been making EFT for practically... how long? Dima, how many years have we been making EFT? 8 or 10 years now? The announcement was in late 2015. It's been a long time. We've been developing it for 9 years now. And it’s not that there’s no end in sight. Finally, the end is visible. But the volume of content is crazy! As I sometimes say in interviews, someday I’ll be able to reveal the budget of EFT, and it will be something incredible! Other companies are just trying to rush things, but that usually doesn’t work.
Tarkov Unites Despite Everything
Why, despite the periodic conflicts and disputes around Tarkov, does it still manage to unite players?
I know for sure that Tarkov is important to everyone! Because whenever there’s a scandal, everyone starts talking about it! And to me, that’s a sign: “Damn, people care if they’re doing all this!” And they talk so passionately about me being an idiot?! So many people watched it, saying I’m an idiot. Well, hello?! Our community in Tarkov really loves scandals, loves drama. They have the opportunity to address me directly. Not face-to-face, but they can address it to someone, tag me on Twitter, add me there. Because they think I read all of it. Sometimes, yes! Sometimes they definitely cross the line, honestly. And not even in critical moments when there were some upheavals in the game, but just when someone gets banned. The main issue with haters is that many of them are banned players, and they are ready to do anything to destabilize you. Sometimes, of course, I do want to talk to such people. Sometimes they even want to talk to me too, yeah. They try to call me, and so on. Well, it’s kinda funny. Funny on the one hand, but on the other, of course, it’s not very funny.
It all depends on the situation. If you’re sitting there in shock, overwhelmed, and then some guy starts writing to you everywhere, trying to get unbanned because supposedly they were banned for nothing, well yeah, your nerves can give in at some point. I don’t fully understand our community because sometimes it can be very harsh. Really harsh! Even cruel in some cases. How does it work? For the first five years, I didn’t understand how it worked at all. Because all these business practices, templates, management in game companies, they were never really applied to us. We always did it like this: we do something, something works, that means we did it right, let’s improve it. Let’s make it all more systematic somehow. And it all got better, better, and better. So, trial and error. And everything that worked became the foundation of our management paradigms, some kind of ideology even within the company. Again, if something worked, if it gave results, that means it was right. That means it works. So we won’t question it. We won’t refer to anyone. This is our thing; we’ll keep working this way. Something like that.
Games that influenced Nikita
Which game got you into development?
It was a game that influenced me and led me to start working with modeling, texturing, sounds, and locations. I installed the Valve Hammer editor, the first one. I started making locations for Counter-Strike. I made our administration building, my ninth-grade city school, and another area for Counter-Strike. I remember I reworked the Assault map. When I was building those locations, I automatically started working with textures. Then, again, in order to find some examples of cool textures, I began disassembling, so to speak, unpacking various old, old games, looking at how everything was made. Well, yeah, that really got me into this direction. It was probably my first major experience in game development.
Does being the face of the studio wear you out?
Well, I don’t know. For some reason, I associate it more with, like, it’s my own project, my initiative, so to speak. That I’m responsible for everything that is being done in the company. And with the project, it’s my role and task. Especially in critical moments, to act as the spokesperson. Because, well, it’s hard sometimes, of course, yeah. It can be really tough at times. Even now, for example, I’m almost certain that someone is probably criticizing me harshly at this very second. Right now. And right now! And before, maybe I used to take it quite personally. Now, obviously, after many, many years, I kind of, well, don’t care much about it anymore. About what they think and all that. The haters, so to speak. I think it’s an important part, yes, of marketing too, PR, and all that. Like, I’m even doing this interview now because I saw the questions seemed interesting, and also I thought: "Yeah, it would be good to show up somewhere again." It's fine. Sometimes it bothers me. Sometimes doing streams bothers me because you understand that you need to say something fun in English and generally act like everything is great. But in reality, we’ve got crunches and madness going on here. Well, yeah, sometimes it’s tough, but overall it’s bearable. You can live with it.
On writing music
You write soundtracks for your games yourself. How did you start with music?
Well, it’s a very old story. Basically, I have a musical education, and I was trying to write music back in 9th or 10th grade using all sorts of programs. I remember there was one called Dance eJay, a really ancient one. Music was part of my life in the sense that I was writing music for myself. I liked that I could sit or walk around and listen to music that only I had, music that was written just for me. And that was cool. I never let anyone listen to that music, never spread it anywhere. I just had it burned on CDs, and I would occasionally write new CDs for my Panasonic CD player. It was a long process, from ninth grade—how long has it been? 20 years, I don’t know. Then, at some point, I realized that music is a really good component of a project. I remember writing the soundtrack for "Street Wars," then for "Contract Wars." Then, I wrote the main theme for "Russia 2028," which later became the basis for the Escape From Tarkov soundtrack. And then I started writing soundtracks for EFT. EFT soundtracks are usually written in the same way: we need a trailer, so we need music. [Music] So I never really had a case where I wrote the music before the trailer. They always tell me: "Nikita, we’ve got a trailer. We need music." And I think: "Ah, come on! That’s not how it works! I can’t just sit down and write." So I start postponing it, postponing it, and postponing it. Then, I just sit down. Something takes over my hand, and I start writing. And in two days, boom, it's written. The last trailer track, the one that came out just now, for patch fifteen, I wrote in probably 3 hours, 3 and a half. Just like that—bam! And it's done, cool, I like it.
By the way, I never thought that what I write is something special. It’s more like, I don’t know, just filler. Because all these emotions you're experiencing, you can somehow accumulate them into music. And together with the trailer, it all feels like a whole. It’s cool. I listen to a lot of stuff. If you take my playlist, or rather, Yandex Music or Spotify’s curated playlists for me, there’s everything in there. Rap, metalcore, classical music, jazz, synthwave... My God, indie... What was that? Time’s up? Let’s start over. I’ve got a lot of different music in there: rap, hip-hop, drum and bass, metal, rapcore, classical, jazz. Because I just love music. I love music. I remember writing dubstep when it was super popular. Hans Zimmer, obviously, with Modern Warfare—that’s a no-brainer. Metal Gear Solid, for sure. Unreal Tournament, of course, no doubt. A bit of everything. Music is like that. Especially in music writing, the more genres you’ve listened to, the more it shapes your ideas. Lately, I’ve been really into dance music. That’s why you can start seeing little hints here and there from modern dance music, melodies, or indie dance.
Mods in Tarkov
Will Tarkov become a platform for modding?
We will have modding. We already have an offline mode, essentially. And we will add systems to it later. I don’t know when, but it's a cool thing. Mods are good! Modding is great for any game! Modding in EFT will also be great. Official EFT modding. Amazing! Nobody will ban you, everything will be fine. Mod away. But, of course, there will be some moderation system, obviously. Otherwise, there’ll be ponies running around with shotguns or bicycles appearing. Though, actually, it might not be so bad if bicycles do appear. I’ve seen these kinds of strange things, with these weird anime stuff. In Tarkov?! How did they manage to do that? Nobody knows. But, of course, we’ll be doing it. The modification system will be within the framework of the game’s concept. So, you won’t be able to insert CJ from GTA. Although, honestly, that would be pretty nice.
Mods as Official Content
Can mods become part of official content?
Well, official mods, yes, of course, yes. Right now there are all sorts of mods, obviously not official ones. People often write in the comments: “Hire them!” Or like: “These guys made for free what BSG couldn’t do in 8 years!” I sometimes want to do this! But the specifics of game development aren’t as simple as they seem. People still think that I’m the only one making this game or what? We already have 200-something developers! Altogether, we now have over 350 people, probably. Serious things are happening. It’s not easy, it’s not easy. You can’t just… Some guy disassembled the game, which is actually a violation of the licensing agreement, by the way. He added something, it looks nice, it even works. But that doesn’t mean it will work within the entire ecosystem of the game. Or maybe it will work, but we don’t have time for that right now. We have a release plan, we have story quests. We’ve just added tripwires for you, to make your life even more fun, to make things even more painful for you! A person, of course, has the right to say whether we are doing the right thing or the wrong thing. Honestly, even a person has the right, in principle, to throw crap at me. I honestly don’t care.
But if it makes them feel better, and as a result, they don’t direct that negative energy onto the street, or their family, and they become a little calmer—then I’m all for it, go ahead! Write comments, I don’t know, say whatever you want about me. In general, if it makes you feel better, then okay. But usually, most EFT fans are cool people, they support us. That’s the overwhelming majority of people. They think we’re cool, that we’re doing everything right. We love those guys who support us in every way. Because, again, if, for example, there’s a fan who has been following our work for many years and at least has some critical thinking, they’ll understand that no one has ever done anything like this! Again, because of the specificity of the game. A person who sat down to play in the evening, prepared for a raid for 45 minutes. Entered, got killed by a cheater. He’s like: “Ugh!” Spent another 45 minutes preparing, entered again—got killed by a camper. He’s like: “Ah, you!” Can I curse? Yes. I won’t. Anyway… And when there’s a person, whom you can sort of blame in person, by the way. Actually, no one has ever come up to me in real life and said: “Hey, you! What kind of crap have you made?” That would be interesting! I’d talk to them. I wouldn’t fight them, though. But that’s never happened. It’s clear: you die, you don’t get satisfaction, you spend a lot of time. Something crashes, there are inventory glitches from time to time. Of course, that’s unpleasant. Of course, after that, you don’t want to just relax. You might even want to bash someone’s head in! But then you win, and boom, euphoria! Killed Killa 100 times! And you look and think. What’s stronger? The destructive emotions when you want to dump on the developers and me. Or the positive emotions, when the person is just so happy that their soul rejoices. Of course, the latter! And let there be more such people, of course. But the nature of our game is not like that. Not everyone will leave happy, unfortunately. But for that, there is PvE. In PvE, you can leave somewhat satisfied, because, essentially, it’s a single-player with progress saved. You play, get some pleasure. And a lot of people, by the way, are playing in PvE right now. It turns out that a lot of people really want to play PvE, so that no one bothers them. Which, honestly, I don’t like! I want people to play PvP. Because that is, at least for me, confirmation that: “Wow! Damn, well done! Playing online, not afraid of anyone.”
Battlestate Games Platform
Your distribution platform is built around your own games, similar to how Steam was initially created for distributing Valve’s projects. Do you plan to push projects from other developers through your platform? Is there an idea of becoming a platform for developers from the CIS?
There was no idea to make this platform specifically for developers from the CIS. But there is an idea to make it for the whole world as a platform for games like these! We have such plans. Hardcore games like these, where you suffer… No, not really suffer, but rather, where you can gain new knowledge or use your real-life knowledge to play the game more effectively! Essentially, it’s a platform where indie developers can work.
Some kind of simulator, I don’t know, a hardcore car simulator where tuning is done not in the format of “you added something, and it gives you plus five speed,” but rather like in My Summer Car. Have you played My Summer Car? Something like that, but with cool graphics. A simulator, basically.
"A simulator of something"—there’s going to be that kind of a tagline. These are serious games, which can be very minimalist visually, but, for example, allow you to learn something new or use your existing knowledge and skills. In short, hardcore! The kind of games that not everyone plays, but everyone wants to play. Especially old-school guys who are still waiting for someone to remake the first Deus Ex. Yes, something for that niche. Games for those who want something intellectual and serious.
Your Own Store
Why didn’t you go with other stores?
The main reason was that we didn’t want to give up 40%, plus we had the idea to figure this whole thing out and build our own infrastructure. To be completely independent. At that point, I was already tired of giving money, for example, to VKontakte. I just remember getting fed up with it, and I wanted to create something on my own.
Reality and the World of EFT
Don’t you feel like Tarkov is increasingly aligning with our reality?
Yes, this topic has come up many times. People ask, “How did you know? How did this happen?” Honestly, I didn’t know anything. I just thought a lot about this topic and modeled what might happen in the future, considering the development of military technologies, potential conflicts, and such. How could things develop in the future? What will happen to big cities? For example, if there’s a siege system, a nuclear threat, and so on. I just tried to convey my thoughts through comments and guidance to the development team about what might happen. Of course, with some assumptions and artistic adjustments, so it wouldn’t look too dark and grim.
The idea of simulating further disasters and chaos, which we’re now seeing happen everywhere, was always there. I understood where this could lead. Nothing good will come from it at all. So, we had to stop and introduce some more abstract, semi-mystical, semi-sci-fi elements. But still, there’s a narrative suggesting that things could have unfolded this way, and why not differently? Well, just because!
The story of Russia 2028 doesn’t exist as a whole, written-out plot. The conflicts that will lead to a local nuclear conflict after EFT aren’t set where they are now. But one of them is in the Middle East, damn! And when things started spinning recently, I got a little uneasy because it’s all going to get worse from there. Worse and worse and worse. Nikita, let’s make the next game something positive... Nikita: Something positive, yeah? Well, yes!
Bad Endings and Positivity in EFT
At one time, I loved apocalypses, post-apocalyptic scenarios! I read an unreal amount of books. And post-apocalyptic films, for some reason, always appealed to me. This downfall of humanity, where everyone is equal, and the strongest survive, everyone dies. I don’t know why I liked it, but it always intrigued me. Not in the sense that I was ecstatic about it, but I found it interesting.
When I was planning this world, in my world, too, the only option was: everyone’s screwed! Nothing good will happen! No matter how much you try, things will still go badly. I relied on that narrative for a long time because I knew that nothing good would happen. I love bad endings. I like bad endings. Have you watched the Raid series? There’s a bad ending. Although, we revived it later.
But here's the thing. At some point, I realized that, actually, there is a way out of this situation. There is a way! The idea that things could really get better is something I’m pursuing within the world of Escape from Tarkov and Russia 2028. There is a chance for a good future there.
How do you understand this? Why, Nikita, can’t you just make a happy ending?
The thing is, the world of EFT seems to live by itself. It feels like we are trying to fix this virtual world, this parallel reality. To do something there to create not necessarily a good ending, but some new hope, a beginning to bring something better. At least, now, I understand perfectly well that I can’t just make a happy ending. I have to make it so that it happens there naturally. To lead the story to a point where everything at least has positive prospects.
And the main role in these positive prospects, the main driver of all of this, is the player! The player, through their actions, by escaping from Tarkov, has to create this metaverse where people want everything to turn out well. I’m just curious to see how players will complete the main quest. Because we will have many endings. And I’m just curious to see what people will choose, how they will play.
For some reason, for Escape from Tarkov, this might be super-relevant, super-correct, and truthful information. Because you’ll have to put in too much effort and emotion into the game to just finish it and forget it. A person will try to choose something. Maybe not on the first playthrough, but later, they will certainly choose a path. And this path, in essence, defines you as a person in such a scenario that could happen in the future.
If, in the end, most of the endings are good, then, first, it means that we have good people living in our world overall! And second, it means that in the world of EFT, there can be a good future too. Because sometimes I wonder about how we look at all of this and think, "How can we get out of this? How can we change all of this?" We need some miracle, some kind of miracle is needed. Maybe aliens will arrive, and we will all unite against them. Fight them or not. Or maybe something will happen that makes everyone say, "Oh my God, have we lost our minds? Let's not do this!" I don’t want it to come to that point. I want it to happen earlier.
Games After Tarkov
Will there be something like Russia 2028, or will you continue developing this concept?
I don't know, honestly, I'm very tired of these military games. Specifically, I'm a bit worn out by them. In general, our veterans in the company are also getting tired. We now have fresh blood, they're all enthusiastic, they're all grinding, coming up with ideas. But I just want to release it all, get everything finalized. What's going to be next, I have no idea. I go through phases. Sometimes I have thoughts like, "I don't want to do anything anymore! I'm going to go fishing. I don't know, live in the forest." It all just fluctuates. Sometimes it's cool, sometimes it's exhausting, and I don’t feel like doing anything at all. But still, there are plenty of ideas on what to do, really! For sure, something will happen, 100%! I think about it sometimes, like I won’t do anything anymore, but no, no, no. By the way, a lot of people ask me, especially from the industry, when I start talking about how tired I am. They’re like, "What, you’re done? That’s it? Are you going to stop?" And I say, "No, no! I’m just tired right now. But in reality, of course, I’ll keep doing it, where would I go." I still need to manage to create something else interesting while I'm alive. I would really like to do a single-player game, honestly. Some sort of horror game, probably single-player. Or a remake of the first Deus Ex. If someone writes to me tomorrow saying, "Let's do it," I'll drop everything, goodbye! EFT closed, we’re making it in Unity with the same assets. No, of course not.
The Impact of EFT
Would you like to influence the future through art?
Now this is turning into some kind of Nolan-esque theme here, that I'm trying to influence the future. But yeah, honestly, I would like to! Because when I was sitting and thinking through EFT, and when I'm sitting and thinking about the universe, which actually doesn't end with the events of EFT, it goes further and further, I just can't figure out: "How can we even escape from this situation?" It would take some kind of miracle for us not to destroy ourselves, to put it bluntly! And I'm trying to somehow, I don’t know, maybe redirect part of this into the game, in some way. It's hard to explain, really, what I'm trying to achieve. But I have a certain confidence that the existence of such a product, such a game in the world, is a good thing! Because maybe somehow, some person playing our game will rethink something. Maybe they won't project violence onto anyone as a result. Or somehow, it will play a role in their life simply because they will be enjoying the game, and feeling a connection to some world with certain professional qualities within the game, or something like that. Because I've seen EFT players. They are kind, good, decent people! I haven't seen any shady characters, all of them are solid, all are happy. Soldiers from different countries around the world. They all play, they all get along, shaking hands with each other. It’s damn cool when a game brings people together! There's probably a message in that too. It's very good that the game unites people. We don't restrict anyone at all, and we will never restrict anyone. Absolutely no one! If there was a way to avoid the different pings, it would be awesome if everyone could play within the same infrastructure. And there, for God's sake, if they argue, let them argue! But let it all take place in our world. Let all the violence manifest in the game, and as a result, people will just spend their time in it. That way, when they step into the real world, they'll have a clean feeling. Something like that. You can't clearly explain why and how this happens or what I believe in. But I just like it, at the very least, I've genuinely enjoyed it. When I used to participate in podcasts, I sat there with Americans, we all communicated on equal terms. It was cool! And we were all united by a love of weapons, a love of tactical games. There's no malicious intent whatsoever! We're just making a game, and we’re making it for everyone. And the more people play it, the more people enjoy playing it, and the more positive feedback we get - well, that's awesome. I think it's a success when someone comes up to you and says, "My life changed for the better because of your game." And how did it change? Well, you can listen to their story! Maybe they were depressed. A bunch of people have come up to me and said, "I was depressed, and EFT helped me cure my depression." How the hell is that possible?! I don’t get it, but it's awesome. Or PTSD! PTSD is also being treated: there are whole centers in different cities, in different countries, where soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder play EFT as part of their treatment. Awesome! Incredible! It's just amazing! I never expected this to happen. But it works, it makes a difference, and I feel like it's amazing. It wasn’t all for nothing that we’re doing all of this. For some reason, we've established this paradigm that a game is fun, a game is for enjoyment, a game should bring you joy. "I came home tired from work or school, I want to have fun, just play, because it’s fun-fun, la-di-da." Why this paradigm? I, for example, want to immerse myself in a world and I want to experience things! I remember playing the first Metal Gear. I was so invested, damn! And it was hard, that game was tough. Not because there was a lot going on, but because it was hardcore in terms of gameplay! And there were no saves. You had to reload constantly. Plus, I was stressed out. I played the game and experienced stress! And that was awesome! I finished it. There was a happy ending. Like watching a movie. But the happy ending wasn’t that simple. It depended on how you played. There would either be a happy ending or not. But I played it again! In short, it was a completely different experience.
What’s happening outside of Tarkov?
Everything that happens in Tarkov, does it affect the rest of the game's universe?
First of all, there will be a quest. It will be called "Blue Fire." It will explain this whole thing about the electromagnetic situation. At the beginning of the conflict, the world, in general, is in good shape. The problems are only in Tarkov and the Norvinsk region. The problems started there! The world, in general, is on the verge of something unclear, with some conflicts brewing. There are related events in different parts of the planet. But the destabilization, the first signal, it starts in Tarkov. And there, yes, the electromagnetic explosion occurs, which the cultists call "Blue Fire." And in general, the locals call it "Blue Fire" as well. That’s all I can say for now.
Why doesn't the story of the Russia 2028 universe have a happy ending? Why does it seem like everything is doomed?
It's very simple. We have a very large planet. We have many countries. We have many groups. Many groups of different types. When total decentralization happens, and deglobalization of the world occurs, when any kind of hegemony or control stops existing, people will start to settle their differences. It will be countries, religious conflicts, radical groups of all sorts, old grievances. People will just realize: "Oh! What now? A new world! Now it's once again the rule of the strong. Let's go!" And they will start fighting. Well, the second principle is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That's usually how it happens. And they will fight to the last, until the land is scorched. That's just the unpleasant nature of humanity. People realize too late that they need to stop. But they will probably stop eventually.
But I don’t believe this will be the end, of course. In my world, obviously. In my world, there will be no end. In my world, things are much more interesting. But that's the principle. Humanity is still like that—just give them freedom, and they will start sorting things out. It's simple: we can even take ten people in a room. Leave them to live in a bunker for six months—they'll end up killing each other. Because they will start to get jealous, get angry—someone is better, someone is worse, someone is prettier, someone is stronger, someone has more power, someone just irritates others, smells bad, breathes wrong. Everyone will start fighting!
Who is the main character in Russia 2028?
The character in "Russia" is just a regular guy who is, simply put, trying to survive. His brother is killed. And his brother belonged to a group of people, the Norvinsk brigade, who were doing something like what Jedi did—restoring the remnants of humanity within the Norvinsk region. And all of that was forgotten because they became outlaws. I have direct analogies with the Jedi because I really like the Star Wars universe. And there, things are more complicated. And the main character, to be honest, doesn’t really care about the world, because the Messiah is actually a different character in the story. Again, I can’t say more because that would be weird. The concept is a bit different.
The main character, meaning you, essentially, are just caught up in the whirlwind of events and, so to speak, within the universe you were born into and grew up in. All your ideals start to crumble because you realize that behind simple survival, there is something more. There's a backstory to all of this, and there are certain groups of people who, one way or another, are involved in it. And you, out of curiosity, start to unravel it all. Eventually, yes, you will feel like a hero, thinking, "I can shed light on all of this. I can save the remnants of humanity!" Because you are young, hot-headed, and, essentially, dumb! And wisdom comes with age and time. Wisdom comes through hardship and living through these difficult moments, so you become stronger and more powerful. This will all be presented somehow. If it ever will be, I don’t know. But some of the echoes of all these plotlines are already present in EFT. And they will also be developed in the story quests.
The same unknowns, the Unheard storyline. It's a very, very, very large piece of the story. One that seriously sheds light on everything that's happening. Moreover, it even has some kind of parallels with reality. As I said, much of the story will become clearer with the story quests when they are in EFT.
On Creating Game Worlds
How do you come up with your worlds?
Damn, that's a tough question! I've never had a situation where I sat down and created something step by step. For me, things have always come from something else. For example, I start thinking about a core concept, start working on something for it, and then I realize: "Oh! Got it. Here’s a company that’s been created, here’s a faction that’s appeared." And it all starts branching out and getting more detailed. This is probably the most enjoyable part of game development, or of working in the media industry in general—creating your own worlds.
It’s awesome! But then, when you start processing it and forcing it into the framework of production, whether it’s for a movie or a game, that’s when the pain begins. You can’t do it alone because the workload is crazy. You start bringing in narrative designers, producers, and scriptwriters. And then problems begin, because you need to convey your vision to them in its original form so they can make all the changes you need. And that’s where the pain starts! Because you start clashing with other people’s opinions... they are creative too! They start trying to change things, and you try to limit them. And it's good if they understand you right away! If they don't get you immediately, then all kinds of collisions start, and your idea begins to suffer.
And then the pain only gets worse and worse. Because you need to implement all of it practically, either in the game or elsewhere. And at that point, there’s no pleasure left at all. Because you've already come up with everything, and now your task is to make it all into a visual form, into a game or some kind of product—whether it's a movie, a series, whatever. And here’s where the risk comes in: you can make a mistake! In your head, everything is perfect, on paper everything is fine, but you lack the knowledge or experience to implement it in a product, whether it’s a movie or a game. And this is where most big projects go wrong: you see a great idea, but the execution is crap. Or vice versa, the idea is stupid, but the execution is superb. That’s like 90% of projects in general—both in games and in film.
It’s great if we notice that almost all games and many series nowadays are recycling. Either they are sequels to games that were once interesting, or they are reusing ideas that worked well in other projects. There’s very little originality, very few new worlds that truly grab you and create a new subculture. Very few cool new worlds. Again, for old-school fans—take the Fallout series, for example. Everyone’s like, "Oh, cool, Fallout! I play Fallout! Oh, oh, oh!" What's new? Absolutely nothing.
Battlestate Games' Universal Mission
You mentioned that Battlestate Games has a "universal mission." What do you mean by that?
Of course, we have one. Absolutely. Yes, we have a mission, yes. Everything we do, it's all good.
I believe that everything we do is right for our world. The more people who can play our games, the less negativity there will be. The more opportunities people will have to find energy, talents, and other qualities within themselves.
And it's not at all about the fact that our game is a shooter where you run around and shoot everyone. No, I have a lot of examples of people who have been inspired by us and our project. They’ve found energy to engage in their own activities that have nothing to do with shooting or anything like that. For example, streamers whose lives have improved. Just regular people who want to make games. Or people who are passionate about certain things but lacked motivation—they somehow found the strength to do it all.
And the most important thing, the most important thing is that people get dopamine. And dopamine is exactly the catalyst for all the good things we can do in life. It’s not at all necessary for the game to be about something kind or good. It can be something where you release destructive energy and, in return, feel joy, pleasure, and happiness. And that’s cool. And the more of that happens, I believe, the fewer irritated and angry people there will be in life. On the contrary, it’s actually been proven that even aggressive games make people calmer.
Providence and Creativity
Do you believe that sometimes creativity is guided by something irrational, like a form of providence? Almost as if someone or something gives you signs or guidance?
Irrational providence? It’s as if someone outside of you gives you hints. I pay quite a lot of attention to all sorts of signs, to these subtle matters. I generally believe that twenty percent of magic must always be present.
You can’t just rely on rationality, even if you’re a super professional, even if you are super, super meticulous, precise, a by-the-book kind of person. Meaning, you know exactly how everything should be done. You need to leave twenty percent for magic. It can always intervene. And this magic, you can’t just describe it simply. It’s not magic like, I don’t know, some kind of wizardry. It's something that, in the context of a particular task or along your path, can direct you, shift you, have some influence on you—who knows? Maybe it’s crazy, but I believe in it. When you feel like you’re doing something right, something that’s necessary, maybe for the Universe, for example, then what difference does it make what you believe in?
If you believe in it, and it gives you strength, then believe in it. The most important thing is to believe in something! So I believe in this. And, overall, I’ve had many situations where there’s no other way to describe it but magic. Not that a door closed in front of me, or that I learned to fly. But events sometimes unfold in such a way that it would have been impossible to set it all up. It would have been impossible to foresee the outcome. And in those moments, you realize, "Damn, something strange is happening. It means I’m doing something right." Or someone is trying to explain something to me, to give me a hint. It happens.
Especially when writing music for trailers, or in some important moments or events. You just feel as if something is helping, I don’t know. It’s just more comfortable for me to believe in it. Because again, it’s better for me to believe. I think for any ambitious person, it’s better to believe in something. Otherwise, it would be pretty tough, I think.
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