Escape from Tarkov players are on the edge of their seats, awaiting the July hardcore wipe which will make the extraction shooter much more challenging ahead of its 1.0 launch. Now, thanks to a slight tease from Battlestate Games and a surprise EFT sale, we may have a better idea of when the hardcore wipe will roll out - and it could be sooner than expected.
Battlestate Games revealed an unexpected Escape from Tarkov sale beginning on Monday July 7. While a surprise 20% off one of the best FPS games is exciting in itself, the wording the developer uses in its post is much more intriguing.
"Summer. The last chance to prepare for escape. In anticipation of the hardcore wipe, take advantage of the discounts on Escape From Tarkov." BSG then confirms that the current EFT sale will end on Monday July 14.
While we've seen Battlestate Games issue wipe during a sale, for example, in December 2024, the wording of the post - "in anticipation of the hardcore wipe" - implies that the studio is giving fans one last chance to grab the extraction shooter for a discount before the hardcore wipe, suggesting it may roll out shortly after the sale ends. With that in mind, the Escape From Tarkov hardcore wipe could come as soon as Tuesday July 15, although it would likely happen closer to the weekend. Maybe Thursday July 17 instead.
BSG has already confirmed that this "extra challenging" hardcore wipe will be "wave-like," with restrictions gradually being implemented as players progress. While a release date for the wipe hasn't been officially confirmed yet, we do know it'll come this July, ahead of the Escape From Tarkov's 1.0 release date, which we could see roll out around September.
For now, we can only wait for Battlestate Games to confirm the hardcore wipe release date and prepare ourselves for the spike in difficulty that's coming our way.
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