Escape From Tarkov Lead Pokes Fun At PvE Controversy By Asking Fans If It Should Be Free Or Deleted

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Escape from Tarkov’s lead, Nikita Buyanov, has responded to the paid PvE controversy by jokingly asking fans whether the mode should be deleted from the game or made free to play.
Although Escape from Tarkov is generally considered to be one of the best extraction shooters on the market (right next to recent contender Arc Raiders), it’s far from free of controversy. One of the biggest sticking points for a lot of fans is the Player vs Enemy mode, PVE Zone, which was added to the game in 2024.
Adding a PvE mode sounds like an easy win, but Tarkov developer Battlestate Games ended up making the long-requested mode a $30 add-on, which resulted in a lot of controversy. Even though it’s been a while since PVE Zone kicked up such a fuss, Battlestate Games’ head has recently brought it back up again in a post poking fun at the backlash.
Escape From Tarkov Lead Wants To Know If You re Still Annoyed About PVE Zone
It Sounds Like He s Just Poking The Bear, Though
The poll gives fans three choices about what should be done with PVE Zone: “delete pve”, “make pve free”, or “ты че, пёс, ебанулся?”, which translates to “What are you doing, dog, are you f***ing nuts?”. In case that last entry didn’t tip you off, Buyanov is clearly joking about the whole thing and just trying to wind fans up.
It’s not clear why PVE Zone has suddenly become a talking point again, but it could be because Tarkov recently moved over to Steam, introducing a whole new platform of players to the paywall.
Even if the poll is just taking the mick (at least, we think it is), the results do speak for themselves. As of the time of writing, nearly 55 percent of responses say to make PVE Zone free, while 28 percent want it deleted from the game. Then, of course, 16 percent of fans are in on the joke and went for the rude third option.
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In case you needed more proof that the poll is just a joke, Buyanov responded to a comment saying that he’s “joking actually”, before telling another fan that “maybe you will go somewhere else”. As funny as the post might be to some, PVE Zone has certainly continued to ruffle a lot of feathers for Tarkov players, as its Steam page currently sits with Mostly Negative reviews for being pointlessly “overpriced”.
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