Escape from Tarkov technical patch removes invisibility, fixes sound, and buffs armor and progression

Escape from Tarkov’s most recent numbered update, patch 0.13.0.2.21703, brought with it a slew of changes to how armor affects your character. An additional technical client update addressed some of the issues affecting the community and that they were most concerned with. Chief among them was the ability for you and other player PMCs to load into an activity completely invisible but still able to interact (read: shoot) with other players.

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Details on the technical patch come from the official Escape from Tarkov Twitter account.

Being invisible in a game as punishing as Tarkov is obviously something the developers need to fix much sooner than later, and unfortunately, this update only addresses the easier of the two issues: unintentional invisibility. There is a somewhat hacky method to force yourself invisible; addressing that problem will take more time.

Sound is also an ongoing pain point for the community since patch 0.13 and the release of the Streets of Tarkov map. The game’s recent switch to a system called Oculus Audio is causing no end of grief for players new and experienced. With the new system, it’s effectively impossible to tell where someone is if they make any noise. They might be above you, behind you, or around three corners — in the current state of Tarkov, there is no way to know.

The changes from the technical client update are a good start, standardizing what actions make which noise, so even if you aren’t sure where they’re coming from, you can use other context clues to figure that out.

Atop the sound and invisibility fixes, the numbered patch brought over a hundred updates across many of the different armors and provided a significant buff to player progression. You’ll find a complete list of changes from the larger patch on the community website Tarkov Changes, but everything here is a buff. From reducing penalties to everything from speed, weapon ergonomics, and mouse turning speed, playing Escape from Tarkov should feel more fluid and active than previously. There was also a 40% increase in player skill point gain, making the grind for some of the game’s more demanding stats much nicer.