Battlestate Games COO Nikita Buyanov took to the official Escape From Tarkov subreddit to provide an update on the firestorm created by the developer’s choice to release a new $250 Unheard Edition of the game that provides exclusive access to a new co-op PvE game mode and 'pay-to-win' bonuses.
It’s been a bit like watching The Simpsons’ Sideshow Bob stepping on rakes the last couple of days as BSG bumbles through the situation of its own making by continuing to irritate players with inadequate solutions and now with this latest announcement, which doubles down on its stance that the edition's exclusive PvE mode is 'not DLC.'
In the update, Buyanov continued to reiterate the developer’s stance that the new co-op PvE game mode doesn’t constitute as DLC, which would make it freely available to all owners of the now delisted $150 Edge of Darkness edition, that was advertised as giving its owners access to all future EFT DLC:
"First of all, PvE gamemode this is not DLC. DLC in our understanding is the major additions to the game, including various functionality and content that are released after the official release of the game as a themed DLC pack (Scav Life DLC for example, which will add a lot of new mechanics and content for Scav gameplay and leveling).”
Buyanov also explains that the studio doesn’t have the server infrastructure or resources to support all EoD edition owners gaining access to the not-DLC, but promises to offer the game mode to all EoD owners upon the game’s official 1.0 release, which is targeted for sometime this year.
Until then, BSG is providing EoD owners with a generous 50% discount if they decide to upgrade to the Unheard Edition.
