[Discussion] The "Last" Wipe for Tarkov?

It's grazing the hairs on the back of his thick, Russian neck.

"Arc Raiders is This! Arc Raiders is That. Arc Raiders Finally Does What X (Tarkov) Couldn't!"

He has to be feeling the hot, steady breath of competition spilling down his back. Ex-DICE studio, developers of The Finals. Makers of what many (if not all) consider to be the absolute golden era of BF—BF2 into BF Bad Company 1/2—making an extraction shooter of their own.

Environment? Engaging, consuming, demanding of more exploration.

Gunplay? Tight, reminiscent of the best Division PvP. Third-person without ever feeling like it rewards the stagnant corner-peekers. Advantage is gained through surprise, ambush, and coordination.

Atmospherics? Get the fuck out. An evolution of gaming. Hallway fights that become too clouded with gunpowder smoke to warrant a flash grenade approach. VOIP that actively analyzes the environment you're in and provides relevant reverb elements to help teammates (and enemies) locate you in realtime.

Progression? Don't say a damn word until you (and likely your whole team) have successfully downed a King.

No, not a Queen. A King. That big bad spider bitch that felt like giving you the GRACE of roaming Buried City free. If they change his attitude by a few slider points, they change your whole approach.

Nikita played Arc. He knows, just like we do.

If Tarkov doesn't come up with something very new, very fast, Embark Studios and every ex-DICE dev in the building are coming for Nikita's lunch.

I won't touch Tark again if just the barebones Tech Test of Arc Raiders promises a fraction of what's to come.

He knows it, we know it, and Hardcore Wipe is just the rattled gasps of the game that made extraction modes our next frontier.

DOTA 1.2 on Warcraft is a game, sure. But everyone plays League of Legends. The most friendly and accessible always wins, even if the Tarkovs of the world maintain something for another decade. Arc Raiders is coming, it's the extraction title many have always wanted, and many more didn't even know about until AR came around.

PC/Xbox/PS day one. Atmospherics out the wazoo. Crossplay with every friend.

Tarkov is toast. Enjoy this wipe friends, it could be the last.