New Escape from Tarkov map Streets of Tarkov is a little one-sided

There’s a new Escape from Tarkov map and players are enjoying exploring the survival FPS game’s Streets of Tarkov, though some feel the balance favours one side

Escape from Tarkov - a man in yellow coat and beanie holding a rifle in an abandoned urban city centre

New Escape from Tarkov map Streets of Tarkov recently arrived in the multiplayer FPS survival game, letting players explore one of its most intricate locations so far. With the success of Call of Duty Warzone 2, many players are taking the opportunity to check out (or return to) the game most frequently cited as the inspiration for its DMZ mode. However, while players are enjoying making big money runs among the urban warfare of Streets, some express worry that a slightly one-sided design gives an advantage to certain spawns.

The empty, devastated streets and highrises found on the Streets of Tarkov map make for a fantastic hotspot to engage in the tense, high-octane loot runs and shoot-outs that make Escape from Tarkov one of the most heart-pounding thrills in PC gaming right now. It has a real feeling of a warzone, with plenty of distinct locations around the ruined city streets to scour for gear and loot.

However, it’s not all good news – along with reports of notable performance issues on the map, some players are a little disappointed that for how much verticality and interactivity the map promises, a lot of doors that seem like they should be interactable are actually not, making a lot of the map feel somewhat flatter and more full of dead ends than its initial appearance. Likewise, most attempts to move upstairs stop at the second floor, being blocked by locked doors or furniture and rubble-filled staircases.

In addition, players on the Escape from Tarkov Reddit seem to be largely in agreement that the map feels a little too one-sided. Many report finding much better loot drops on the Chakannaya Street side, which houses the grocery store, Concordia, and shopping quarter, along with handy extraction points on the same side. On the other side, the Pinewood Hotel and abandoned factory offer pretty unremarkable rewards, with spawns around the damaged house and theatre offering less accessible extraction points.

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It’s not all entirely one-sided though; some players do report finding good drops in the Pinewood hotel compound, so don’t write them off completely. Developer Battlestate Games has already said that this form is just “the first part of the work on the city and later the location will be expanded,” so hopefully we’ll see it evolve and fulfil the promises that its design suggests.

In other news, the latest Escape from Tarkov patch also introduces a nerf to AI-controlled Scavs, giving them a little more weapon spread and hopefully making them feel a little less overwhelming to go up against. So if you’re looking to jump in and explore the Streets of Tarkov, you should have a slightly easier time tackling things.

If you’re wondering what Tarkov is all about and want to try it, check out the Escape from Tarkov system requirements to see how it’ll perform on your gaming PC. We’ve also got more of the best battle royale games on PC, if you just can’t get enough of that all-or-nothing tension that comes from putting it all on the line.