Escape From Tarkov players must buy the game again to play version 1.0 on Steam

Escape from Tarkov players won’t be getting free game upgrades – Developer confirms

Last month, Battlestage Games announced that Escape from Tarkov is coming to Steam. The studio has now confirmed that existing players will be able to retain their in-game progress on Steam through their Battlestate account. However, the company also confirmed that owners of the game on the Battlestage Games launcher will not be receiving free upgrades to the Steam version. If they want to play the game through Steam, they will need to repurchase it.

This move isn’t an unexpected one, after all, Battlestate Games has no plans to retire their game launcher. Why should they give existing Escape From Tarkov players free Steam codes? With the release of version 1.0, Escape from Tarkov will become available on Steam. Existing players can continue to play the game as normal on the Battlestate Games launcher.

Escape from Tarkov players will need to buy a new copy of the game to play on Steam

Confirmed by their FAQ https://t.co/o5dfpIQjeQ pic.twitter.com/giOt7bFJZH

— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) September 16, 2025

While some gamers may repurchase the game on Steam to remove the Battlestate Game launcher, it’s worth remembering that using multiple game launchers is a common practice among PC gamers. Having one extra launcher isn’t a problem, especially if it is for a game that they play frequently. While having all your games through one launcher is handy, it is limiting. Sometimes the best deals are only available on specific launchers. Furthermore, there are still many PC games that are exclusive to specific launchers.

You can join the discussion on Escape From Tarkov’s planned Steam support on the OC3D Forums.