A fake
Escape From Tarkov
Steam page was created by scammers, pretending to be a legitimate front for Battlestate Games’ hardcore shooter.
Escape From Tarkov is only available through developer Battlestate Games’ website and launched from its Battlestate Games Launcher. It’s not available through any major storefronts or online video game retailers, only through the
Russian developer’s website. This didn’t stop scammers from setting up a fake Escape From Tarkov Steam page in the hopes of luring unaware fans or interested parties into purchasing from their fake listing. Here’s what happened.
Fake Escape From Tarkov Steam page created
The Steam Page that tried to pretend to be Escape From Tarkov didn’t begin that way. In fact, it began as a page simply labeled “EFT”, pitching itself as a game called “Escape From Tartarus.” The description and tags flagged it as a single-player game where you escape from prison. The attached image depicted it as an incredibly basic, low-fi, retro action game of some variety. It first appeared in December of 2022 and had a slated release date of December 27th. At this time, the page wasn’t making any attempt to pass off as Tarkov, but was clearly seeding the groundwork. Naming the game EFT from the start would allow the scammers to shift what the page displayed in order to try and seem like an official storefront for Battlestate Games.
Everything began to change in late January, when the page suddenly shifted its description and appearance to emulate a fake Escape From Tarkov store listing. This included images of the game, descriptions, and various assets from the actual game being used to try and pass off the page as a legitimate storefront for the hardcore Russian shooter. It didn’t take long for fans to notice the fake listing, which seems to have had very little success and selling this fraudulent version of the game.
How did the fake Escape From Tarkov page work?
Battlestate Games quickly officially confirmed with The Loadout that the page was fake and promptly took action against it. According to reports, the game would launch the Battlestate Games Launcher after purchase. The problem being that a Battlestate Games account is required to log in, so players would have been unable to actually access the game.
The good news is that the scam doesn’t appear to have been successful, with only one player being observed as “online.” The Steam page is now gone, having been taken down by Steam, likely at the behest of Battlestate Games. If you ever happen to come across another listing on the Epic Games Store or Steam for the game, it’s certainly a fake. Battlestate Games has gone out of its way to be the direct seller for its product and seems to have no plans of changing that.
Nicholas James
About Nicholas James
Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.
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