Developer Battlestate Games has released the patch notes for Escape From Tarkov update 14.1.0, which adds microtransactions to the game for the first time, as well as fixing some issues with armor and lots of other bugs.
While the 14.1 patch notes are a little lighter than many hoped with little in the way of new content, they do add microtransactions to Tarkov for the first time. While that may sound somewhat scary on the surface, these additional extras that you will be able to purchase with real money are actually features that are already in the game and have only been available to those who purchased the Edge of Darkness edition that was removed a few weeks ago.
The microtransactions won’t go live at the same time as the patch, with a “near-future” timeline given for their release, but the tech to make them work has been added with this update. Soon, from the profile page on the Tarkov website, you will be able to purchase access to the practice co-op mode and extra stash storage for real money. Obviously, Edge of Darkness edition owners will still keep these perks as part of their game every wipe, but for newcomers who now cannot purchase that version of Tarkov, this is a way to get some of the more useful perks. No prices for these microtransactions have been revealed.
When it comes to actual in-game changes that are part of the 14.1 patch notes the biggest talking point is more tweaks to the armor system that was overhauled last wipe. The system has mostly been a hit, but a few bugs have left some players frustrated. Now some of those are being addressed, with some further tweaks to the system in general.
Bullet penetration through armor has been reworked, with a bullet losing some penetration power every time it goes through a layer of armor, and blunt damage being rescaled depending on what it hits. This should hopefully make amror a little more consistent compared to recent weeks.
Some balance changes have also been implemented to armors, with the WARTECH TV-110 and TV-115 plate carriers now being able to hold Granit Br4 and Br5 plates, and there is a quality-of-life update that adds text to tell you if a plate fits in your currently equipped rig.
Further balance changes come to the recoil of pistols, shotguns, and the SKS carbine but no specific values have been given so we have no idea if this is a nerf or a buff to recoil for these weapons. As someone who is still stuck on the impossible Setup task, I’m hoping for a nice buff to shotguns.
The full patch notes also include a massive list of bug fixes that should make life a lot easier for players, inducing a fix to stop the BTR from shooting you as soon as you leave. While there is no official change in the patch notes, it is also expected that snow will be removed from Tarkov with the patch.
