Escape from Tarkov: PMC Karma & new boss Partisan explained

Get hands-on with Escape from Tarkov's new boss Partisan, and understand how the interlinking PMC karma system works before you get caught by one of the traps!

Harry Boulton

20th Aug 2024 10:22

Images via Battlestate Games

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PMC Karma has been a feature teased for quite a while in Escape from Tarkov, alongside a boss that specifically hunts players with a less-than-favourable reputation.

Both have now arrived in patch 0.15, so you'd better learn how they work or you'll be in for a rude awakening!

How does Partisan work?

Partisan is the new boss added in patch 0.15, and he functions completely differently from every other boss in the game so far.

Instead of simply going after every player no matter what in a specified location, Partisan instead hunts players with low 'karma' - both on the PMC and Scav sides.

It has been stated that he's more likely to appear in raids with low karma PMCs, although he can target any player if they do get too close.

It's confirmed Partisan will appear in 'forest-type locations', which could include most of the maps in the game. His close link to Jaeger would mean that Woods is a definite, although I'd also expect him to appear on Shoreline and perhaps even Lighthouse too.

Image of a sniper rifle on Woods in Escape from Tarkov

Unique to Partisan's too is his stealthy approach, which is particularly centred around tripwires and traps.

He will largely confine himself to one area, and spend a good chunk of his time laying down various traps for the player to walk into. You'll be lured into these tripwires when in active combat, and Partisan also appears to be able to sneak up on players, similar to the Cultists.

Ultimately he seems like a terrifying boss to encounter, which is more than enough of a reason to keep your PMC karma high!

PMC karma explained

It's stated that your karma will be increased for adhering to a more 'open' playstyle, and decreased for playing in a 'dishonest' manner.

From this, it's not hard to assume that hiding, squatting, and extract camping are seen as 'dishonourable' actions and aggressive play is seen in a positive light.

Image of the Outskirts extraction on Woods in Escape from Tarkov

This is terrible news for all of the 'rats' out there, as your favoured routines now have consequences. It's great that these playstyles are disincentivised instead of downright 'removed', as you can still reap the benefits but you'll just have to watch out for the downsides in the future.

As alluded to, these downsides in question come in the form of Partisan, the new boss. He'll actively hunt any players with bad PMC karma, and I'd expect that one encounter with him will leave you wanting to desperately improve your reputation.

It doesn't seem like there's a way to manually check your current PMC karma, but there will be sound notifications in some cases, indicating that your karma status has changed.

Unlike Scav karma, it's highly unlikely that simply killing other PMCs - especially those of the same faction - will have any bearing on your reputation. It appears to be entirely based on your behaviour in-raid and how you eliminate your fellow players instead of the process of elimination in isolation.

I'm sure we'll see intriguing developments of this system and its mechanics as time goes on, but it'll almost certainly remain elusive as otherwise you'd be able to game the system and avoid punishment.

About The Author

Harry Boulton

Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.