Escape From Tarkov’s decade-long early access period is finally ending

Escape From Tarkov has been around so long that people just sorta blindly believe it’s a full game at this point. However, Escape From Tarkov has been in early access since 2016, but the official release date is coming – and a Steam release any day now.

Escape From Tarkov came out as an alpha in August 2016. To give you a better idea of how long its been in alpha (and how old you are), 2016 is also when No Man’s Sky, Stardew Valley, Doom, and the first Overwatch came out. Damn, that was a good year for gaming. The extraction shooter is gritty, dark, challenging, and repetitive, growing a massive following over the years. But up until November 2025, Escape From Tarkov will have been an alpha.

Escape From Tarkov Coming to Steam

Leading up to the November release, Game Director Nikita Buyanov announced that Escape From Tarkov was finally getting a Steam page. However, we were given no release date or details. We were just told “soon” and “later.”

One issue that fans have brought up is the idea of starting over. Some players have been grinding for a decade. Would they have to start over if they downloaded the game from Steam? Said one concerned player: “We want a connection between Battlestate account and Steam. If there are any possibilities, we really want it. Also, it’s better for the statistics of the current player count.”

However, one player said the switch “couldn’t come soon enough.”

The official release of Escape From Tarkov has already faced controversy before the Steam announcement. What is meant to be an exciting update has really shaken up the community. In 2024, Battlestate revealed the Unheared Edition for pre-order, a bundle that would cost $250 and that many felt was “pay-to-win.” It’s also the only way to access a new PvE co-op mode.

Players who already own Edge of Darkness will get $100 off, but that still means they must pay another $150.