The Escape from Tarkov wipe was originally scheduled before New Year's Eve, featuring a special streamlined questline for the Kappa container. Developers have now confirmed the update will launch on December 26 at 7:00 AM GMT / 2:00 AM EST. Following maintenance, the game will upgrade to version 0.16.0.0 (with Tarkov Arena updating to 0.2.5.0).

As with previous wipes, expect approximately 8 hours of downtime—though earlier updates have taken longer. To engage players during maintenance, Battlestate Games will host a New Year Special broadcast on Twitch at 4:00 PM GMT / 11:00 AM EST. While specifics remain undisclosed, the event promises fresh content.

Table of Contents

What’s coming in update 0.16.0.0? 0 0 Join the discussion

Key changes in update 0.16.0.0

The 0.16.0.0 version number confirms this isn't the full release—players may need to wait until 2025 for that milestone. Here's what to expect:

First, the planned migration to Unity 2022 engine appears imminent. Though developers targeted this upgrade earlier in 2024, game development timelines often shift.

Second, anticipate major overhauls to the weapon recoil mechanics—a gameplay-defining change that could reshape combat dynamics.

New additions include weapons like the RPG-26 and a Customs map rework. While numerous bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements are confirmed, the engine transition may introduce temporary issues we'll need to monitor.