Escape From Tarkov Is Tanking Because Of Russia
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has decimated Battlestate Games' Escape from Tarkov, with the in-game economy crashing due to the rouble.
04th Mar 2022 11:02
Battlestate Games
Escape From Tarkov Is Tanking Because Of Russia
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has decimated Battlestate Games' Escape from Tarkov, with the in-game economy crashing due to the rouble.
04th Mar 2022 11:02
Battlestate Games
The gaming industry is going to war against Russia, and as Vladamir Putin refuses to pull out of Ukraine, his vendetta against the country is having widespread effects around the globe. As the rest of the world unites against Russia, there's an adverse side effect that is tanking Battlestate Games' Escape from Tarkov.
Set in the fictional Norvisnk region, you play as one of two factions in Escape From Tarkov and duke it out in online raids. Part of Escape from Tarkov's USP is its in-game economy that lets you buy and trade. You can use real-world money and even Bitcoin, but with Battlestate Games being a Russian developer, things have been turned upside down.
What's Going On With Escape From Tarkov?
According to The Loadout, the crash of the Russian rouble has led to Escape from Tarkov's own economy crumbling. As part of sanctions and seizure of assets, the rouble has lost 30% of its value in a matter of days and is at its lowest point ever. The site reports that the in-game rouble has lost nearly as much as its real-world equivalent.
One Reddit thread pointed out the crashing rouble and asked: "Should we be doing anything about this in terms of selling? Should I be hoarding USD over rubles? I guess the weird thing is I cant really convert the USD back into rubles." As with any shortage of food, fuel, or money, there are those looking to take advantage of the situation. If you sell to the traders Peacekeeper or Skier (the only that deal in euros and dollars), you can actually walk away with more than usual.
Although the advice is to sit tight and not panic, others have suggested that you should start selling your Escape from Tarkov loot in dollars. Others mentioned how Elon Musk's role in the inflation of Bitcoin last year led to similar chaos, which resulted in Battlestate nerfing the currency in-game. Still, those with Bitcoin farms are set to make a small fortune, with its price rising by 31% in the past week.
The Industry Unites Against Russia
Sanctions are hitting Russia hard in the pocket, and although the concept of pop culture trying to end the war might seem ridiculous, it hasn't stopped everyone and anyone pulling the rug from beneath Russia. As well as the country being removed from The Eurovision Song Contest, Warner Bros. has confirmed Matt Reeves' The Batman won't play in Russia. In the realm of video games, we've also seen a united front.
As well as the DOOM co-creator adding new DOOM II levels for the first time since 1994, Electronic Arts announced that teams from Russia and Belarus will be removed from FIFA games. Ukraine's Prime Minister of Digital Transformation has asked Sony and Microsoft to cut off PlayStation and Xbox in Russia, and finally, The Pokemon Company has donated $200,000 to humanitarian organisation GlobalGiving. None of this is likely to get Putin to pull a U-turn, but it's an interesting commentary on what the world has to say about the invasion of Ukraine.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
