Later this year, the Customs map in Escape From Tarkov is set to receive a major overhaul as part of the Winter wipe patch. Now, a few weeks before that is expected to launch, the first screenshot of the new map has been shared, showcasing a new look for one of the most iconic locations on the map.
A screenshot was shared to social media by game director Nikita Buyanov that appears to show the reworked interior of the new gas station that is found right in the middle of the Customs map in Escape From Tarkov. The screenshot, which can be seen below, shows some improvements over the current iteration, but it’s not the massive change that we are still expecting to see in other areas of the map.
Compared to the current version of the new gas station on the map, there isn’t a massive amount of difference. The layout seems to be the same, and for the most part the interior looks very similar. There seems to be a few different textures here and there, but the most noticeable thing is the new lighting system, which is also an upgrade that the Factory map received when it was updated earlier this year.
Going from what has typically been a very dark Tarkov location at nighttime, it now looks like the lights in the ceiling can actually flood the entire shop floor with light in a much more realistic way. This could just be a rendering trick in the back end software used to get this screenshot, but given the updates similar to his we saw on Factory, I’m thinking this is a proper lighting improvement rather than a fancy trick.
While some fans may be disappointed that this is the first very obvious look at a major location on the reworked Customs map and it doesn’t look all that different, it is worth remembering that new gas was not mentioned on the TarkovTV stream as one of the key areas that was being reworked. Most of the work that was talked about was in the more industrial areas further south on Customs, mainly focusing on the currently unused warehouse near Fortress that links to the mechanic’s shop.
I’m sure over the next few weeks we will get to see more of the new Customs map in Escape From Tarkov, as well as the improvements that the Unity 2022 update will bring and everything else that is set to arrive in the Winter wipe patch in a few weeks, including some very cool new weapons.