“We will never have NFT or pay-to-win donations in our games”. EFT creator Nikita Buyanov on game balance and feedback from streamers

In a revealing discussion with Igromania.ru, Battlestate Games CEO Nikita Buyanov provided unprecedented insight into Escape from Tarkov’s development direction. The conversation covered critical topics including streamer influence, game balance methodologies, and the studio’s firm stance against emerging gaming trends.

Game balance discussions consistently generate intense debate within the EFT community. Many players express confusion about the development team’s approach to making gameplay progressively more challenging and their specific nerf implementation strategies. The underlying principle is straightforward: developers intentionally steer players away from treating EFT as a conventional PvP shooter focused primarily on eliminating opponents. The team views rigid adherence to “metas” as fundamentally restricting the intended gameplay experience.

Our development team dedicates significant resources to addressing meta-gaming and predictable player behavior patterns. We maintain a comprehensive vision for the final release version, including planned mechanics, intended difficulty level, and overall balance framework. However, players frequently discover methods to simplify their experience through metabuilds, exploiting map design flaws, physics inconsistencies, incomplete features, or outright bug abuse. We systematically counter these approaches.

We aim to prevent players from approaching EFT with a traditional shooter mentality focused on kill counts. Whenever players uncover dominant strategies within the game ecosystem, we implement balancing measures to restore intended gameplay dynamics. I fundamentally oppose players following established metas, as this severely constrains the diversity of gameplay experiences.

Practical Insight: Advanced players should regularly experiment with unconventional loadouts and strategies rather than defaulting to community-established meta builds. This approach not only enhances personal skill development but also aligns with the developers’ intended gameplay philosophy.

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When questioned about community and streamer feedback integration, Buyanov clarified that while developers receive substantial input from players, only approximately one-third directly shapes development priorities. The majority of valuable feedback originates through structured channels like bug reporting systems, supplemented by sophisticated automated data collection.

The volume of feedback from various communication channels remains substantial. Over the past thirty-six months, we’ve significantly increased our responsiveness to community input, enhancing both gameplay quality and overall product refinement. Beyond qualitative feedback, players consistently report technical issues and exploits… We maintain an extensive quality assurance team and operate a dedicated ETC testing environment where we validate numerous features. We address all reported concerns systematically.

Approximately thirty-three percent of community-sourced information—including feedback, opinions, video content, and streamer commentary—ultimately influences our development roadmap.

Our infrastructure includes comprehensive automated systems. We employ data aggregation, player activity heatmaps, and behavioral analytics, particularly when refining AI systems. Scav behavioral patterns, navigation routes, and similar mechanics benefit from extensive data collection. We gather substantial information regarding player-SCAV interactions, movement behaviors, and decision-making processes. However, the predominant feedback mechanism remains manual reporting.

Common Mistake: Many players assume that popular streamer opinions automatically dictate development changes. In reality, Battlestate employs a balanced approach combining community sentiment with empirical data analysis.

The founder of Battlestate Games revealed that he currently doesn’t engage with the game for recreational purposes due to time constraints, though he anticipates doing so eventually. This revelation provides unique insight into the development lifecycle and creator engagement with their own product.

My current gameplay exclusively serves testing objectives. I frequently evaluate specific features, verifying system functionality in practical scenarios. I don’t engage in character progression gameplay, though I maintain multiple accounts for various testing scenarios.

Eventually, I anticipate reaching a point where I can dedicate time to standard account gameplay, focusing on character development, progression systems, and personal experience evaluation. Currently, Escape from Tarkov development consumes the overwhelming majority of my professional life. I haven’t reached the stage where I can enjoy the game recreationally during personal time.

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The conversation progressed to the controversial subjects of NFT integration and blockchain technology in modern gaming. Buyanov characterizes these developments as primarily driven by market hype rather than substantive value. He acknowledged monitoring the space with interest, recognizing potential for evolution into more meaningful applications, though current implementations fail to generate confidence. He unequivocally stated that his games will never incorporate play-to-earn mechanics or implement pay-to-win monetization systems.

I maintain significant reservations regarding NFT and blockchain implementations. While possessing substantial technical knowledge about these technologies, I lack enthusiasm for their gaming applications and refuse to integrate them into our projects. Our implementation of bitcoin remains purely thematic—tracking real-world pricing without functional cryptocurrency integration. I fundamentally oppose transforming games into cryptocurrency generation platforms or similar mechanisms. The concept of digital image sales for blockchain tokens…

If the inquiry concerns potential future integration in my development projects, I can definitively state we will never incorporate NFT or comparable systems. Similarly, we will never implement pay-to-win donation mechanics. […] Market interest primarily stems from surrounding hype cycles. What drives valuation increases for these assets? Corporate endorsement generates attention and perceived legitimacy. Average consumers cannot adequately explain NFT, bitcoin, or blockchain fundamentals. They primarily follow collective opinion rather than technical understanding. Essentially, current interest represents market hype. Presently, bitcoin and related technologies resemble an excessively promoted subculture.

Industry Context: Unlike many studios exploring blockchain integration, Battlestate maintains a traditional gaming philosophy focused on gameplay integrity rather than speculative digital assets. For players interested in traditional military shooters with similar integrity-focused design, our Complete Guide provides comprehensive insights into balanced gameplay approaches.

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The CEO of Battlestate Games additionally highlighted the game’s profoundly positive influence on numerous individuals, expressing satisfaction that their creation generates meaningful life improvements. The experience has assisted players in addressing both psychological challenges and financial difficulties.

A former military member shared that Escape from Tarkov prevented him from taking his own life. The gameplay experience helped him confront personal struggles and manage his condition. He expressed profound gratitude, noting many individuals share similar experiences… The game genuinely helps people navigate life’s challenges.

We received substantial feedback from content creators who transformed their circumstances through streaming. They achieved financial stability and improved life satisfaction because of our game. Numerous players across multiple countries developed interest in firearms culture through EFT exposure. Thus, the game’s impact extends beyond mere entertainment value and momentary enjoyment. Players’ lives have demonstrably improved. This represents an incredibly rewarding outcome for our team.

Optimization Tip: Players struggling with the game’s difficulty should focus on mastering survival mechanics rather than combat proficiency. Understanding extraction strategies and resource management often proves more valuable than marksmanship skills alone.

Concluding the interview, Buyanov alluded to comprehensive visual enhancements for Escape from Tarkov and potential ray-tracing implementation. However, current annual objectives remain more modest—development priorities center on computational efficiency improvements with dedicated focus planned. The studio aims to reduce system requirements and create a less resource-intensive experience for the final release.

EFT imposes significant CPU demands due to underlying engine architecture. Our development schedule for this year prioritizes computational load reduction, enabling substantial performance gains. These improvements will deliver benefits even without DLSS integration. However, DLSS technology provides notable performance enhancement at 4K resolution, though compatibility varies across GPU models. Nvidia’s ray-tracing technology remains under consideration, as we’re planning complete graphical reconstruction for Tarkov. Following that overhaul, we may consider RTX technology integration.

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Performance Strategy: Players experiencing performance issues should prioritize CPU upgrades over GPU investments, as EFT’s engine characteristics create different hardware demands than traditional shooters. For players transitioning from other tactical shooters, our Weapons Unlock guide provides transition strategies, while our Class Guide helps understand role specialization fundamentals.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides » “We will never have NFT or pay-to-win donations in our games”. EFT creator Nikita Buyanov on game balance and feedback from streamers EFT creator Nikita Buyanov reveals development philosophy, anti-meta approach, and NFT-free vision for hardcore gaming