Escape from Tarkov beginner's guide: survive your first 5 raids

Quickstart

Escape from Tarkov is the most-bleak extraction shooter ever made. Permadeath, gear loss, 12+ maps, and a steep learning curve that's turned away most players who tried it. The 2026 version is more accessible than ever — the new player experience has a tutorial map, a free loadout reset every 5 deaths, and a much more generous starting stash.

This guide gets you through your first 5 raids alive.

Step 1: Pick the right edition

Tarkov has 4 editions, ranging from $0 to $140:

• Free — limited stash, no secure container
• Edge of Darkness ($140) — full game, biggest

stash, best secure container

Get the free edition first. If you play 10+ raids and you're hooked, then upgrade. Most players who pre-paid $140 and quit in 2 weeks regret it.

Step 2: Your first loadout (budget)

Don't queue into a raid with your best gear. Your first 5 raids should use a budget loadout:

• Weapon: PP-19-01 (SMG) or ADAR (carbine) — both

can be bought from Prapor for ~20,000 rubles

• Armor: PACA (level 3) or none
• Helmet: none (saves weight)
• Ammo: PS 5.45 (cheap, decent pen)
• Medkit: 1 AI-2 (free from Therapist)
• Backpack: Berkut (or none if budget is tight)

Total cost: ~30,000 rubles. You WILL die with this loadout. That's the point.

Step 3: Learn Customs (the starter map)

Customs is the easiest map for new players:

• Small size (~1 km)
• 2 PMC-friendly extract points
• 4 boss spawns (none in the first 5 minutes)
• Most scavs are early-game PMCs

Learn Customs for your first 20 hours. The map has been the same since 2017 — every bush, every door, every angle is documented in 100+ YouTube videos.

Step 4: The extract points

Every raid has 1-3 extracts per side. On Customs:

• PMC extracts (you must survive to reach):
• ZB-013 (south) — underground bunker, requires

zero items

• Crossroads (north) — requires a green

military flashlight

• RUAF Roadblock (east) — requires no items,

but is exposed to sniper fire

• Scav extracts (when you play as a Scav):
• Multiple, simpler

Memorize the extracts. Most new players die trying to reach an extract they've never been to.

Step 5: Play as a Scav first

Before your first 5 PMC raids, run 3-5 Scav raids:

• Free loadout (uses the game's pool of Scav gear)
• 30-minute cooldown between Scav raids
• No penalty for dying
• Keeps your PMC gear safe

Scav raids teach you the maps, the extract points, and the loot spawns without risking your kit.

Step 6: The loot hierarchy

Not all loot is equal. The 2026 loot tier list:

• S-tier: LEDX, defibs, gold chains, bitcoin
• A-tier: GPUs, weapon parts, high-value keys
• B-tier: weapon attachments, modded weapons
• C-tier: ammo, meds, basic mods
• Don't loot: weapons (too heavy), armor (too

heavy), unknown keys

Focus on S and A-tier loot. Skip the rest.

Step 7: The "extract or die" rule

The single biggest mistake new players make is pushing for "one more loot spawn." If you've found 1 S-tier item and you know where an extract is, extract now. Every minute in a raid is risk vs reward, and after 15 minutes, every other player is rushing extracts too.

What's next

Once you've survived 5 PMC raids and extracted with 100,000+ rubles of loot, you're ready for the real game. We have a Tarkov map guides series and a Tarkov quest guide for the 200+ quests that unlock the flea market.

FAQ

Is Escape from Tarkov free-to-play?

Free-tier exists (limited stash, no secure container). The full game is $40 (Standard), $75 (Left Behind), $100 (Prepare for Escape), or $140 (Edge of Darkness). The free tier is enough for the first 20-30 hours.

How long does a Tarkov raid take?

10-30 minutes. PMC raids have a 45-minute timer, Scav raids have a 30-minute timer. Most players extract in 5-15 minutes.

Can I play Tarkov solo?

Yes, fully solo. 90% of Tarkov players are solo queue. There are no matchmaking parties — every player is solo and may be friend-or-foe.

What's a secure container?

A small box (4-12 slots depending on edition) that never loses items on death. The most important feature in the game. Free edition doesn't have one, which is why new players should be very careful with their gear.

When is Tarkov 1.0?

Officially "soon" (Battlestate Games has been promising 1.0 for 2+ years). The August 2026 update was the closest to 1.0 yet — the tutorial is complete, the hideout UI is finalized, and the new anti-cheat is shipping.