Escape From Tarkov dev has "a few tricks up our sleeve" to stop cheaters and "undesirable elements" when 1.0 lands

Escape From Tarkov's big day approaches. One of the most popular and best FPS games for those thirsting for a hardcore, survival-based shooter, it has a chance to ascend to new heights with its debut on Steam and the arrival of its version 1.0 later this month. However, some past controversies may still ring faintly in the ears of those interested in playing it, with cheating being one of the main concerns. Battlestate has been working tirelessly over the years to shield Tarkov from cheaters and dish out bans as firmly and swiftly as it can, but there have still been some notable flashpoints. EFT's game director and COO of Battlestate Games Nikita Buyanov now tells us that it's prepared ahead of the 1.0 update and has "a few tricks up our sleeve" to ensure cheaters don't sully the experience.

The excitement for Escape From Tarkov's Steam release is palpable, and it's been coming on for a decade since it was first publicly playable in alpha. It's evolved a lot, and the 1.0 version aims to celebrate that with an actual 'ending' to the game, but as much as Tarkov's life has been marked by huge content drops and new features, it's also been dented by criticism about cheaters. It's certainly a tighter ship now, but there have been times where things have been really rough.

Alongside putting huge effort into improving game balance and optimization, Buyanov tells us that Battlestate has "worked seriously" on "certain security systems aimed at protecting honest players from, let's say, undesirable elements." In a later answer during our interview, he also says that the studio has "a few tricks up our sleeve for the [1.0] release" to keep cheaters at bay. The allure of a high-profile update, a Steam launch, and lots of new players to terrorize will likely see many bad actors try to attack the game, but it's reassuring to hear that Battlestate is ready for a potential onslaught.

Interestingly, Buyanov also opens up about the community's past criticisms around the topic of cheating. While he's understanding of their concerns and knows how much cheating can impact players' experience, he seems aggrieved at how feedback has been communicated.

"It is truly unfortunate and somewhat upsetting to read all kinds of comments over the years and navigate through waves of hatred, as if we are not doing anything," he says. "We have a huge department working on this, banning players day and night and coming up with new methods. But it's impossible to change the players' opinions. And that can be depressing at times. To be honest, to some extent, this emotional background is very discouraging and frustrating. But we're used to it. It's a never-ending race, and we've never given up and don't intend to give up."

Escape From Tarkov 1.0 and its Steam launch arrive on Saturday, November 15. We'll be posting a lot more from our chat with Buyanov in the build up to the big day, so keep your eyes peeled.

If you're a Steam user wanting to get warmed up for Tarkov, check out some of the competitive shooters on our best multiplayer games and best free PC games lists.

Additional reporting by Jess Bone.