The excitement of Tarkov’s ‘pre-wipe’ event dissipated quickly in the absence of proper testing and preparation before launch. Players were plagued by a multitude of issues, from invisible walls and crashes to inventory loss and energy drinks that insta-killed you.
The lack of a testing phase before going live became painfully obvious, as the servers were quickly overwhelmed with players. Performance was further impeded by an influx of cheaters, rendering the playing experience abysmal and turning PvP into a frustrating game of rock-paper-scissors.
Even though the developers have been working diligently on patches and hotfixes, many of these issues remain unresolved and unsatisfactory. The only real progress has been the release of the first sand-box-style raid, which is a basic, albeit enjoyable, distraction from the janky gameplay.
It’s worth noting that there have been some bumps in the road, but mainly due to the length of time needed to test new content and balance changes. All in all, players can expect a much more stable game-play experience post-launch, as well as the return of some of the more fun features of pre-wipe.
The launch of Tarkov’s ‘pre-wipe’ event was a prime example of how not to go into a major overhaul of a game, and, as a result, the experience has been mostly underwhelming. Although patches and hotfixes have improved the game, there’s still a long way to go before Tarkov can be considered a polished and enjoyable experience.
