Tarkov Creator Rejects 'Casual' Approach, Vows Fragmentary Order Will Deliver Ruthless, Unforgiving Experience

Tarkov Creator Rejects 'Casual' Approach, Vows Fragmentary Order Will Deliver Ruthless, Unforgiving Experience

Nikita Buyanov, the mastermind behind the notoriously difficult extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov and lead developer on the upcoming sci-fi title Fragmentary Order, has made clear that his team has no interest in following the more accessible path taken by rival extraction shooter Arc Raiders.

In remarks to GamesBeat, Buyanov dismissed Arc Raiders as "an extraction shooter for casual people," emphasizing that Battlestate Games and Rant Gaming are charting a fundamentally different course. "It's not an option for us," he stated bluntly. "We want to have the most painful, most challenging, and most rewarding experience."

Doubling Down on Difficulty

When asked whether his studio might reconsider its approach given Arc Raiders' explosive popularity—which introduced many players to the extraction shooter genre after Tarkov developed a reputation for being intimidating and unwelcoming—Buyanov remained unmoved. He similarly dismissed suggestions that Fragmentary Order should cultivate a more welcoming community environment.

Instead, Buyanov emphasized that the upcoming title will continue Tarkov's philosophy of simulating harsh reality. "We're trying to simulate reality," he explained. "Tarkov is the same. We simulate reality. But in the future, it will be even richer than that. You'll have a lot to do, and not just fighting people. You'll need to survive dynamic events in the location. You might need to work with others to find shelter."

PvP Will Prevail

While Buyanov acknowledged that players won't be forced into combat, he recognized the inevitable outcome: "people will fight, of course." This stance mirrors the design philosophy behind Marathon, Bungie's recently launched extraction shooter, which actively encourages aggressive player-versus-player encounters through its bounty system and spawn mechanics.

Marathon's developers have attempted to soften the game's harsh edges in recent updates, introducing mercy kits for reviving downed opponents and rewarding cooperative extractions. However, players responded by reviving enemies only to kill them immediately after—a far cry from Arc Raiders' collaborative spirit.