EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
PvP or PvE?
In April 2024, Battlestate Games introduced a highly anticipated and requested feature for Escape from Tarkov: the PvE mode.
While an unofficial mod created by EFT fans called Single Player Tarkov (or SPT) was already available, an official PvE mode had never been released before.
PvE mode is included in the more expensive editions of EFT, specifically the controversial Unheard Edition and the older, highly regarded Edge of Darkness (no longer available for purchase).
For other editions, it is available as an expansion for $20.
The PvE mode allows players to play solo or in co-op mode with other players, using either their PMC or SCAV characters.
Differences Between the Two Versions
At the moment, the game is practically identical in both versions. PvE mode was introduced due to high demand from the community, without significant adaptations or changes compared to the PvP version, as the development team is focused on the final release of EFT in PvP mode.
However, given the significant success of the PvE version, it's expected that it will be further developed in the future, with more adjustments to tailor EFT to the PvE experience.
The main differences currently observed in PvE are:
-
No Wipe: At the moment, PvE is the only mode in Escape from Tarkov that does not include "wipes", meaning the periodic reset of player profiles that erases all game progress except for achievements and a few other elements. While BSG has repeatedly mentioned the possibility that the final release of the game may include a no-wipe option for PvP as well, as long as the game remains in beta, there is no certainty that this will actually happen.
-
Local Hosting = No Queues but Worse Performance
When playing solo, raids are hosted on your machine instead of BSG servers, resulting in shorter wait times to enter a raid. However, this also leads to worse performance. PvE, being hosted locally on your computer, is more demanding in terms of hardware requirements to run smoothly because EFT was originally designed to use remote servers that handle part of the workload. Keep this in mind when deciding to play the PvE version. This applies to all maps except Streets of Tarkov, which is too performance-intensive to be hosted locally. In co-op mode, joining a PvE raid with a team, all raids are hosted on BSG servers.
-
A little secret. One notable aspect of local hosting is that if you ALT+F4 during a raid, you’ll return to your hideout when you log back in, with no consequences—everything resets to how it was before the raid began. While this is a kind of cheat, it’s a convenient feature if things go south, you forget to bring something in raid, or life unexpectedly calls—be it your boss, spouse, children, or pets. Just do it before you die or it will be too late.
-
100% chance to get back insured gear when playing solo: If you play solo and die, the raid ends immediately, leaving no time for AI to loot your items. This guarantees you’ll receive your insured gear back (the only exceptions are those in which insurance is not intended to work and in case a map is not hosted locally, like Streets of Tarkov). However, in PvE co-op with other players, the raid is hosted on BSG servers and continues as long as other players are alive. This means they or the AI could loot your gear, and you may not get it back through insurance.
-
Increased AI presence: To compensate for the absence of other player antagonists on the map, more Scavs spawn, and the number of AI PMCs encountered is higher than the number of PMCs (other players) typically encountered in PvP. This is also due to the fact that players often avoid confrontation, while AI PMCs usually attack on sight.
-
Increased loot availability: Since there are no other players collecting loot, it’s much easier to find items scattered across the map, especially high-value ones.
-
Higher probability of encountering Bosses: Bosses seem to spawn with a higher probability, and since there are no other players to kill them, it’s easier to come across them. AI PMCs sometimes fight and manage to kill them, but this usually happens with solitary Bosses like Tagilla and Killa. It’s rare for AI PMCs to kill Bosses that have bodyguards.
-
Difficulty completing quests requiring PMC kills in specific areas: Because AI typically roams only certain parts of the map, completing these quests can be challenging. Currently, it is often necessary to bait them into the correct areas. This mechanic is one that clearly needs improvement.
-
No cheaters in raids: While there are still players who use exploits or cheats in PvE, their impact on others is limited to the in-game economy, as the Flea Market is the only point of interaction with other players. While there have been cases of duping and temporary prices fluctuations, in all honesty, I haven’t noticed any significantly negative effects.
Why Play PvE?
Although the true EFT experience—the toughest but also the most rewarding—is in the PvP version, PvE is still an excellent option, especially for players who are not yet veterans of EFT or have limited time to play.
Local hosting for solo raids eliminates the need for matchmaking with other players and results in faster loading times, as everything is hosted directly on your machine.
At the moment PvE is also the only EFT mode that doesn’t wipe, allowing players to get to the endgame at their own pace. Many PvP players started playing on PvE for this reason, after many wipes that caused them to lose everything and start from scratch the whole questline.
In PvE, it’s also much easier to earn money and find rare and useful items for upgrading the hideout since AI enemies don’t loot containers or scattered items on the map. In PvP, you’re competing with other players, who often rush to high-loot areas, grab the best items, and extract as quickly as possible to avoid being killed.
PvE as a tool to learn EFT and get to PvP
PvE is still quite challenging, particularly for newcomers, but being significantly easier, it’s an excellent tool for learning EFT in preparation for PvP.
The main reason is that battles against AI, while they may seem difficult at first, are much easier than those against other players (some of whom may have hundreds or even thousands of hours of gameplay experience). This allows players to learn at a lower difficulty level before stepping up to PvP once they're ready.
PvE is great for learning combat because firefights are much more frequent. In PvP, many players adopt stealthy strategies and often avoid confronting others because they might be completing a quest or have found something valuable they want to bring home safely. It's quite common to play an entire raid and only kill a couple of Scavs, if anything. In PvE, however, AI enemies are much more easily encountered and are always aggressive. This provides much more combat practice (aim, shooting, recoil control, stress resistance, etc.), and while it is simplified because it's against AI, it’s still excellent training for beginners.
Additionally, in PvE, it’s easier to explore maps because AI movements are more predictable, and their presence is usually limited to well-defined areas. This means the empty parts of the map allow for faster movement with less tension.
Transitioning from PvE to PvP
Once you’ve honed your skills, learned one or more maps, and achieved a high percentage of successful extractions in PvE, it might be time to transition to PvP to experience EFT in its most challenging yet rewarding version.
However, keep in mind that in PvP, you’ll face real players, which means dealing with opponents who use much more complex and sophisticated strategies and tactics, taking advantage of all the possibilities the game offers.
Examples include fast and unpredictable movements that AI enemies will never perform, unusual ambush spots, traps, using grenades to cover movements or avoid detection, and actions designed to disorient the opponent using game mechanics that AI cannot utilize.
For these and other reasons, you’ll need to shed certain “bad habits” you might acquire while playing PvE, where it’s easier to rely on the predictability and limitations of AI.
You must also be prepared for a greater level of frustration, which will be offset by an even bigger dose of dopamine and excitement when you successfully extract.
My Thoughts
I see a lot of people thinking or reacting as if you have to choose between playing either PvE or PvP.
In reality, I play both and enjoy both. The emotions of PvP can't be replicated in PvE, but PvE is still fun, and I'm also using it as a way to improve in PvP. I explore maps more, get more combat opportunities, and complete more raids because I die far less often. And even if I do die, my gear always comes back with insurance. So less downtimes.
Sure, AI enemies are repetitive and more predictable compared to PvP players, but you still have to hit your shots, move efficiently, react quickly, heal, reload, and perform all the actions you need in PvP. In short, it's good practice while also being good fun.
Arena is great for practicing aim and pure combat.
PvE can be a more well-rounded training experience.
Notes
-
This tutorial was designed for the PvP version of EFT but, with the necessary distinctions, also works for the PvE version.
-
I’ve seen people asking whether playing in PvE mode has any downsides or negative effects on PvP mode. The two accounts are completely separate, and playing PvE does not affect PvP directly. The only drawback, as mentioned, is that you might develop bad habits due to the AI being easier and more predictable compared to real players. You’ll need to adapt your combat skills when transitioning to fights against real players.