Escape from Tarkov: Should you pick USEC or BEAR?

As the start of every new wipe in Escape from Tarkov you'll be greeted by a screen asking you to choose between the USEC and BEAR factions - but which one is best?

While the choice isn't as impactful as it might initially seem to a new player, it's still important to understand what each faction brings, which I've outlined in full below.

USEC or BEAR?

As a bit of a boring answer, it doesn't really matter whether you pick USEC or BEAR, but generally, players prefer to pick USEC for a number of different reasons.

Voice

In anglophone countries, players often opt for USEC as their characters speak English and offer familiarity - especially for those situated in America.

You are able to select English-speaking BEAR voices though, so don't feel limited to USEC if that's your primary deciding factor.

Lighthouse & Rogues

From a gameplay perspective, the only real difference you'll find between the two factions is how you interact with the USEC Rogue AI enemies on the Lighthouse map.

These enemies, situated at the Water Treatment Plant, are immediately and automatically hostile towards PMCs in the BEAR faction, and have been known to aggro you from over 100 metres away.

USEC PMCs, however, won't draw aggro unless they get too close to the Rogues, or fire at them first. This makes a lot of the Lighthouse-based quests a lot easier to deal with, as you can largely ignore the Rogues if you don't want to fight them.

There currently are no BEAR equivalent enemies to the Rogues in the game, although it has been mentioned as something that's coming in the future multiple times. There is no point at which this is scheduled to arrive and only a few hints that the designated map will be Streets of Tarkov, so I wouldn't worry about it at the moment.

Starting gear

You'll also receive different starting gear depending on what faction you choose, but the differences are largely immaterial - and you'll likely have lost it all within a couple of days anyway!

Boiling it down to the basics, USEC players start with Western equipment like the M4A1, MP5, and 5.56x45mm ammo, whereas BEARs start with Russian equipment like the AK-74M, PP-19-01, and 5.45x39mm ammo.

I find the BEAR equipment easier to use in the early stages, especially now that you're unable to get a gas block for the M4A1 from the start, but the 5.56x45 M855 rounds that you get with USEC are super strong in the early wipe when combined with an AUG.

Ultimately, I wouldn't put too much stock into the equipment itself as like I mentioned you'll quickly lose it, but if you aren't bothered by any of the other differences then you might as well just pick the faction that has your preferred early wipe weapon and ammo.

Quests

The only faction-unique quests at this point in time are Our Own Land from Prapor and Counteraction from Peacekeeper. These are two versions of what is essentially the same quest, with the former requiring you to kill 20 USEC PMCs on Lighthouse, whereas the latter requires 20 BEAR PMCs on the same map.

Prapor's quest is, of course, unique to BEARs and Peacekeeper's is exclusive to USEC players, so there is no way to complete both on a single character.

While they are both the same, the increased number of USEC players makes Counteraction 'harder' to complete, as you're far less likely to encounter BEARs, especially on a map like Lighthouse where they're significantly disadvantaged.

Clothing

Perhaps the most impactful difference of all though is the range of clothing options unique to either faction. Sold by Ragman as a service, players can unlock and purchase new attire for their PMC, and your available wardrobe depends on your initial faction choice.

Many consider the BEAR wardrobe to be better, especially when it comes to the Telnik jumper. I'm a lover of the Urban Response USEC hoodie myself, but I'd definitely recommend taking a look at the contrasting options before you make your decision.

Ultimately though, your faction choice is reset alongside everything else with the arrival of a new wipe, so if you're not happy with what you chose you don't have to wait long for the opportunity to switch sides.

Can USEC and BEAR play together?

Your faction choice has no bearing on who you can play with, and there are no restrictions in place when it comes to grouping up with USEC and BEAR players.

This is fantastic news as it'd be very frustrating not being able to play with your friends simply because you chose the 'wrong' faction. Thankfully that's not an issue at all, and you can queue up with whoever you like.