Scammer makes ‘Escape From Tarkov’ Steam page to rip off players

24 January, 2023

Escape from Tarkov

A scammer has created a fake Escape From Tarkov Steam page, in an attempt to rip players off.

As it stands, Battlestate Games’ Escape From Tarkov is only available through the developer’s own website. However, earlier today (January 24) fans noticed a Steam listing for the tactical first-person shooter.

And it looks convincing enough, with screenshots, video gameplay and the official description all included in the listing, which is selling the game for £37.99.

However, Battlestate Games have made no official announcement about a Steam version of Escape From Tarkov. According to the listing’s history on SteamDB, it seems as if an existing Steam listing has been heavily edited to make it look like players will be purchasing Escape From Tarkov.

Earlier today, the title of the game was changed from EFT to Escape From Tarkov while the store description was edited from “Start escaping from Tartarus prison where you are imprisoned!” to “Escape From Tarkov is a story-based experience that challenges all comers to escape the city with their lives. Matches are session-based and inhabited not only by human players but AI-driven Scavs to fill the world – ensuring a constant air of danger.”

Elsewhere, screenshots showing a plucky, 2D adventurer have been removed from the listing and replaced by official Tarkov images while the existing tags “cute” and “top down” have been replaced by ones promising a “3D platformer”.

“Cute 2D platformer” ‘EFT’ whose Steam listing was edited to scam ‘Escape From Tarkov’ players. CREDIT: Steam

The PC requirements for the Steam version of Escape From Tarkov are massively different to the official ones, while the listing also ignores the fact the game is currently in Beta.

SteamDB also reports that the Steam version of Tarkov will only launch the Battlestate Games launcher, rather than the actual game.

Neither Steam nor Battlestate Games has commented on the fake listing yet, though the handful of reviews are calling out the listing for being a scam. The listing also confirms that “Steam is learning about this game” meaning it’s not “currently eligible to appear in certain showcases on your Steam profile”.

Last month, Battlestate launched the patch 0.13 for Escape From Tarkov, bringing with it several new weapons, the Streets of Tarkov map, several new stims and even a crafting and repairing function that will allow players to apply enhancements to their gear using repair kits.

In other news, a lead developer on World Of Warcraft Classic was reportedly fired by Blizzard Entertainment after protesting an employee evaluation policy.

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