Interchange is a massive mall with three huge shop floors in Oli, Idea, and Goshan. As well as the central tangle of smaller shops with plenty of routes to cut through, staircases to creep up, and escalators to stamp loudly down despite telling your team to keep it quiet. The access corridors and warehouses mean that it can be quite easy to avoid contact with players and get lots of loot without a shot fired.
However, the boss of this map, Killa, is a high value target with much of the map’s conflict centralised around his spawn location. Taking out players and Scavs can rely a lot on your ability to hear footsteps, or gunshots, and know how to approach them in the most advantageous manner. With a large underground parking structure, and a strip of outside territory that circles the entire superstructure, Interchange is a varied, deadly, and profitable place to raid.
This guide should help you understand the basics of the map, and how to get the most out of your runs.
Escape From Tarkov Interchange spawns
If you want your best chance at success in Escape From Tarkov’s Interchange map, you need to know the spawns. Where you spawn can determine if you can get to the loot, or the map’s boss Killa, or even to other players faster than others. This also informs your extract location, and while new points have been added in the last update, the main options are still in the opposite corners of where you spawn.
Spawns are divided into two sides, Emercom to the east and Railway on the west. Your extraction points are determined by your spawn and will always be on the opposite side of the map. Interchange spawns orbit the large superstructure in the middle, which has plenty of paths to allow you to cut through the centre of the map if you’re in need of a quick exit.
Emercon side
The Emercom spawn points wrap around the north and west wall of the map. There is a military checkpoint that marks the exfil for those on the other side. There is some cover in the form of busses and cars, but you’ll usually want to move quickly because enemies can engage you early, and from range. This side can give you access to a ramp that leads you quickly into Oli’s warehouses, and some great loot spots.
Railway side
The Railway spawns will put you on the east or south walls. You’ll want to quickly get to the mall as there isn’t a lot of value close to the spawns, and some of the signage towers can be climbed to give snipers a good overview of your approach. Acting quickly will get you into safety before your opponents can get set up.
Escape From Tarkov Interchange extracts
Railway Exfil
Railway is tucked into the southwest corner and is at the end of a long rail track. Getting to it involves either crossing a highway, coming through a small wood, or passing through a construction site. All of these can be dangerous so do not let your guard down until you hit the extraction point.
Emercom Checkpoint
The Emercom Checkpoint is in the northwest and is also alongside a small wood. It is closer to the main structure than the Railway Exfil, meaning that it can be shot into from some outside of the Oli warehouse. The spot you need is between the vehicles by the tents. Be wary of all the bushes around the exit as these are common spots for opportunistic exit campers waiting to pick you off as you get away with your loot.
Power Station
The Power Station exfil is a single use extract that costs three thousand roubles per player. Up to four PMC’s can get out by reaching the SUV at the back of the Power Station in the southwest corner of the map. If the SUV isn’t here, detectable by the audible engine, then it has been used by other players and is no longer available. Be aware of the long extract time.
Hole in the Fence
The Hole is the Fence is an always available extract on the west wall of the map. It is very close to an entrance to the underground car park and is marked by old barrels behind a red shipping container. The catch for this accessible exit is that you cannot extract with a backpack, so you’ll have to decide if your loot or an easy escape is more important. Of course you can prep for this by taking a tac vest with lots of storage space, but you won’t be able to walk away with bigger items.
Scav Camp
Along the east wall there is a series of military tents and cargo containers on the highway. Behind a blue cargo container there is an always available exit that requires you to bring a friendly scav with you. Finding a player controlled Scav who doesn’t want to shoot you can be very tricky, but if the stars align then this can be an exit for you.
Saferoom Exfil
The Saferoom is a complicated single use exit that requires a few hoops to be jumped through. First you need to go to the Power Station in the southwest corner and turn on the power for the whole ULTRA mall. Then you need to head up to the Burger Spot store on the second floor. Here you need to flush the urinal in the men’s toilets which will reveal a control panel. Next you need to swipe the Object #11SR keycard. This will open the secret safe room in the underground parking. Look for a yellow van with some double portable work lights. Inside the safe room is your exfil, as well as a switch to open the object 14 container.
Loot
There are lots of potential loot spots in Interchange. Oli has a lot of high value items dotted about the back shelves that can be sold on the Escape from Tarkov flea market for a good price.
You’ll need to familiarise yourself with the most valuable items in the game so you’re not wasting any time. Oli has plenty of high value junk ranging from tools and motors, to fuel canisters and bolts. There are some very dangerous long lines of sight once you move further into the store, so stick to the shadowy back wall for some safety.
Techlight on the second floor of the ULTRA market has loose pieces of technology, occasionally spawning graphics cards. Techlight is usually hit quickly by players, especially those who come in with a backpack and pistol specifically for a fast run.
More help? Here is the best Escape from Tarkov ammo
Stealth and high mobility are your friends if you’re daring enough to bust into the central stores of Interchange. Take a high pen pistol like the TT-33 so you can at least dish out some significant damage should you have to.
Kiba is a gun shop that is often stocked with loose attachments and scopes, including the REAPIR thermal scope. It also has a back cage often containing rare weapons. To get into the shop you’ll need the Key to KIBA store outlet but be aware that opening the door will trigger an alarm that alerts everyone in the map to your presence. This can be disabled by pressing the alarm switch in a room next to OLI, or by going to the second for and heading to the East most wall, near an escalator. To get into the back cage you’ll need the Key to KIBA Outlet grate door.
Killa Interchange boss
Killa is a very dangerous boss to fight. He has extremely tough armour which is specially decorated for him. His weapons can be formidable and the grenades he throws out can easily end your run. If he spots a player, he will hunt them relentlessly. Killa patrols around the first floor of the ULTRA mall, and usually can be spotted near KIBA. Bring high penetration weapons to cut through his extremely tough armour. The value you get from killing Killa is entirely in his gear, with it all being extremely useful, or valuable.
And there you have it, our guide to Interchange. We also have some advice for the Woods map and Customs map in Escape from Tarkov to help you if you’re just starting out.
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