The Long Wait Ends: Battlestate Games Signals Imminent Steam Launch, But Not Without Controversy

In a move that shattered years of speculation, Escape from Tarkov (EfT), the notoriously hardcore extraction shooter from Battlestate Games, is officially confirmed for a release on the Steam platform. The news, which overshadowed the already high-value announcement of the game’s official 1.0 release date, was delivered in a famously oblique and slightly bizarre fashion: a social media post featuring a picture of a random man seemingly satisfied with pressing the “steam” button on an iron.

This cryptic announcement from Battlestate Games’ Head of Studio, Nikita Buyanov, was quickly followed by a direct confirmation, ending an early access period that has stretched across nearly a decade—a timeline almost as long as that of No Man’s Sky‘s post-launch updates.

Full Release Imminent: The 1.0 Launch Date

The highly anticipated full release of Escape from Tarkov, designated as Version 1.0, is officially scheduled for November 15, 2025. This date was cleverly teased to the community through an in-game event and a text-based game called ‘TarGrad Tales,’ following a recent patch. The 1.0 launch marks a significant milestone for the game, which has evolved through over 400 updates since its closed alpha debut in 2016.

The Steam release is expected to coincide with, or immediately precede, the 1.0 launch, ensuring a massive influx of new players onto Valve’s platform and significantly broadening the game’s market reach and revenue streams.

• Release Date: Escape from Tarkov 1.0 will launch on November 15, 2025.
• Platform Expansion: The game’s Steam page is expected to go live soon for wishlisting.
• The Ironing Tease: The initial, viral hint was a GIF of a man pressing the ‘steam’ button on an iron, a classic piece of Battlestate Games’ unique, often cryptic marketing strategy.

The Loyal Player Controversy: A Price to Pay for Steam Access

While the Steam announcement is major positive news for the long-term health and growth of Escape from Tarkov, it has sparked significant controversy among the game’s veteran player base—those who purchased the game directly through the Battlestate Games (BSG) launcher.

A recently published Steam FAQ confirms a contentious decision: existing owners will be required to repurchase the game on Steam if they wish to access it through Valve’s platform.

Key Details for Current Owners:

• Mandatory Repurchase: To play Escape from Tarkov via Steam, users must buy any edition of the game on the platform, even if they already own it through the BSG launcher.
• Account Linking: Players can link their existing BSG account to their new Steam purchase to carry over all their progress (character level, stash, etc.). The game will use the highest-tier edition purchased across both platforms.
• Community Backlash: This decision has been widely criticized as “scummy,” with long-time fans pointing to precedents like Path of Exile 2 or the Bethesda Launcher shutdown, where free Steam keys were provided to existing owners.

This requirement for a second purchase has created a sour note amidst the excitement, leading some players to threaten a protest by buying the game on Steam, leaving a negative review, and then demanding a refund—a plan that could severely impact the game’s initial review scores on the platform.

The Future of the Extraction Shooter Genre

The full launch and Steam debut will undoubtedly catapult Escape from Tarkov into a new phase of visibility, pitting its hardcore realism and unforgiving mechanics against new and old rivals in the FPS market. As the undisputed progenitor of the popular extraction shooter genre, Tarkov’s shift to a more accessible platform solidifies the genre’s mainstream standing, inviting a massive wave of new users to brave the dangers of Norvinsk. The timing of the full release is strategically aligned to capitalize on the holiday shopping season, potentially yielding massive sales despite the current player acquisition cost controversy.

For gamers seeking the ultimate test of survival and tactical first-person shooting skill, the streets of Tarkov will soon be open to a whole new audience—provided they’re ready to deal with the occasional absurdity of the development team’s announcements and, for veterans, the price of a second entry ticket.