Players of the popular extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov have reported long loading times after the most recent clear of the game.
For those who are not familiar with how it works Escape from Tarkov, which is currently in early access, one wipe effectively erases all your collected gear and allows you to start the online shooter all over again.
They're usually part of a wider update and while losing all your progress can sound annoying on paper, they're often eagerly anticipated by the community. Not only do they provide a great opportunity for lapsed players to get back into the game without getting completely beat up, but they also mean you'll have to deal with much nastier combat encounters thanks to the limited equipment.
As with almost any major online game, server issues are to be expected around the time of a major update, but some players have taken to social media to vent their frustrations with dramatically longer loading times when searching for a match.
In a message on the Escape from Tarkov forum, one user commented that their load times have increased from less than seven minutes to “up to 15 (minutes)” when trying to join a raid as PMC and “up to 30 (minutes)” as Scav.
“I'm new to the game and I started playing before it was deleted,” another forum member continues in the same thread. “I would be in in two minutes. After clearing, I sometimes sit there for five to ten minutes trying to get in. I'm thinking of dropping this game.”
There are similar reports about the Escape from Tarkov subreddit, where user u/TGess has highlighted long loading times as their biggest issue with the latest update. “I don't need more content,” they say. “I just want to play (the game) and not sit there looking at the loading screen.”
The problems don't seem to be universal, however, as many players are also reporting that they haven't noticed a big increase in loading times. While I haven't had time to jump into the final wipe myself yet, I'm used to experiencing fairly long loading screens, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be one of those affected.
For some top game recommendations, check out our guides to the best FPS games and the best free games straight away.