By Cameron Koch

Copyright gamespot

Escape From Tarkov, the first-person shooter that popularized the extraction genre, is finally coming to Steam, albeit with a catch. Those who already own the game will have to buy it again if they want to launch it through Steam. In a Steam FAQ that went live alongside the Escape From Tarkov Steam page, developer Battlestate Games explained more details about how the game will work on Steam, what Steam functionality it will support, and whether or not players who already own the game will be able to launch it through Steam. The short answer is that those who already bought Escape From Tarkov, which until now has only been available directly from Battlestate Games’ own launcher or website, won’t be able to start using the Steam version. Instead, existing owners who want to play on Steam will need to purchase an edition of the game on Steam itself. After buying Escape from Tarkov on Steam, players who already own the game can link their Battlestate Games account to then get access to whatever edition of the game they previously purchased, their profile, and their character data. All players, regardless of whether they are an existing owner or buying Escape From Tarkov for the first time on Steam, will be required to have a Battlestate account in order to play. It’s disappointing news for existing owners. Some had hoped they would simply be able to link their Steam and Battlestate accounts in order to gain access to the Steam version, something other developers that allowed players to buy their games directly from a website, like Dark and Darker and Path of Exile 2, have done in the past. Instead, Battlestate Games is charging for the privilege of launching Escape From Tarkov on Steam. How much Escape From Tarkov will cost on Steam is currently unknown, but the game’s standard edition currently sells for $50 on the game’s official website. Considering there are editions of Escape From Tarkov that sell for $100 or (controversially) $250, Battlestate Games trying to resell the Steam version to existing owners isn’t going over well with the game’s community. Battlestate additionally revealed in the FAQ that Escape From Tarkov will support Steam achievements and Steam friends but won’t work on Steam Deck. It also won’t support Steam Workshop or Steam Family Sharing. Escape From Tarkov is slated to arrive on Steam November 15, when it will officially leave beta after eight years and release its 1.0 update. The game currently unavailable for preorder on Steam, but those interested can currently wishlist it. A pre-download for Escape From Tarkov prior to launch is not planned.