An Escape From Tarkov Competitor Is Taking Off On Steam, But There's One Huge Catch

While backlash to recent decisions from extraction shooter has caused some players to jump ship, even popular alternatives have pressing issues of their own. Released in 2017,, developed by Battlestate Games, was one of the original pioneers of the popular PvPvE extraction shooter genre – which continues to grow with big names like Bungie reviving its series in the space – and swiftly gained popularity for its unique gameplay and unforgiving mechanics. Despite several controversial decisions and ongoing problems, however, the game has mostly managed to retain its relative popularity.

While is one of the most popular and well-known extraction shooters on the market, the game has also garnered a somewhat mixed reputation. Common player complaints, such as technical issues, poor performance, and 's infamous hacker problems, have become part of what the game is known for in some spaces, and the developer's response to criticism has, at times, been combative, including the repeated copyright striking of notable content creators covering the game on YouTube.

More recently, a new, $250 special edition of has caused some players to seek out other games, with one relatively popular alternative beingthe newly released — which, unfortunately, seems to have problems of its own. Introduced as the new premium version of the game, 'sUnheard editionreplaced the previously discontinuedEdge of Darknessedition (priced at $150), including new features such as pure PvE modes, exclusive equipment, and the ability to call in friends mid-match.

Almost immediately after it's unveiling, the Unheard edition proved massively controversial for a number of reasons. Many of the benefits that came with the edition, such as additional resources and the ability to make progress in a PvE mode, were seen as pay-to-win features by the larger playerbase, giving massive in-game advantages to players who bought the Unheard Edition. Additionally, Unheard was seen as breaking the promise that players who