Escape From Tarkov patch notes nerf enemy aim across scavs, raiders, and bosses

New Escape From Tarkov patch notes finally take aim at its brutal enemy AI. It's been two months since Battlestate Games dropped its hardcore wipe, and while the intensity can be rewarding, overly punishing 'aimbot' foes have proved a serious frustration. There's almost nothing so likely to make me walk away from my computer as being beaned by a sniper when I thought I was out of sight. Fortunately, Battlestate's latest Tarkov update has just arrived, and it's finally addressing these frustrations - but will it hit the spot, or swing the pendulum too far in the other direction?

We've finally had confirmation that Escape From Tarkov 1.0 will arrive on Saturday November 15, and Battlestate studio head Nikita Buyanov's recent teases suggest we can expect the Escape From Tarkov Steam launch at around the same time, or perhaps even on day one. For now, however, the studio's focus is on its ongoing hardcore wipe, which has split opinion with its ramped-up difficulty and focus on realism. There's no question in my mind that lethality is a big part of why Tarkov earned a spot as one of the best FPS games around, but that only goes so far.

One of the biggest frustrations with this wipe has been just how vicious non-player enemies are. Not only could they take you out in an instant with a perfect headshot, but they also felt so disconcertingly aware of their surroundings that it seemed almost impossible to escape their gaze - at times even when you felt you were behind objects that should have blocked their vision. The latest update promises some major nerfs for computer-controlled bots, and it should make them dramatically less intimidating.

The time AI soldiers take to detect enemies has been increased, both initially and in repeat instances after losing track of you, and their aiming has also been slowed. Detection angles have been adjusted, and Battlestate specifically calls out a fix for "the AI detection system through non-transparent obstacles in certain conditions." They'll also no longer aim for the head if they haven't seen you for at least 15 seconds.

These changes are pretty broad, affecting "regular bots of any difficulty, sniper scavs, raiders, rogues, PvE PMC botts, boss guards, and most of the bosses." There will still be some deadly threats to watch out for, however; Battlestate notes that "certain bosses like Zryachiy and Goons will still have the old, wider field of view and old reaction time."

The team has also made a handful of other balance adjustments. It's increased the maximum offer slots at the Flea Market to two, returned the full item range for the Peacekeeper and Jaeger LL4, and increased the experience multiplier when you finish a raid with the 'Killed in Action' or 'Missing in Action' status.

Tarkov always feels like a tight balancing act - when you're aiming for a certain measure of realism, you face difficult choices about how lethal AI-controlled opponents should be. In theory, I want to feel like bots are a serious threat and that a single slip-up could prove fatal, but there comes a point where suddenly being one-tapped by a non-human opponent feels unfair to the extent that the experience tips over from fun into frustration. Only time will tell if Battlestate has struck that balance correctly here.

For the time being, we'll keep you up to date on when you can expect the next Escape From Tarkov wipe. Want to get a step up on your opponents? You can't go wrong with the best gaming headset for PC to ensure you can pick out footsteps and pinpoint your foes.

How are you finding the enemy AI changes? Or have you abandoned the wipe altogether to wait for 1.0? Let us know in the PCGamesN community Discord server, where you can chat with staff and other readers.