Last Updated on by Samuel Franklin
Escape From Tarkov – How Many Players Per Raid?
How many players per raid in Escape From Tarkov is a common beginner question for gamers new to the hardcore extraction based shooter given the potential information it provides while setting expectations of your encounters. Despite being an easy question on the surface it is one that has a complicated answer but is also an often overlooked important piece of game knowledge that can help players progress to an intermediate or advanced Tarkov player.
On this page I’ll explore the question in depth based on my thousands of hours spent in Escape From Tarkov raids which includes consideration of the map, in game information and my own experiences to help players understand how many players to expect within each of their Tarkov raids. While Escape From Tarkov has undergone many changes during its Alpha and Beta the mechanics around how many players are allowed in a raid has stayed mostly consistent with only small tweaks thus far. For players looking to propel their Escape From Tarkov game knowledge you may also find our beginner map guide, best Tarkov loot runs, task rewards guide and ammo chart as useful references.
How Many Players Per Raid Factors
In exploring how many players per raid it’s important that players have a clear understanding of the different types of players and AI bots that they may encounter during a Tarkov raid and the terms used on this page as this alters the number applicable to the question of how many players per raid.
- Player PMCs: These are your main opponent in Escape From Tarkov and are players entering at the start of a raid with their USEC or BEAR and equipment they have selected. Players can create a total squad size of 5 when joining a raid with this type of Tarkov character from their friends list or other players in the same lobby. The maximum number of player PMCs is specifically defined by BattleState Games (BSG) on the map selection screen and summarised in the table below. Importantly a raid does not need to reach this maximum player count for a raid to start with BSG having a system that appears to balances queue times against filling raids and may be linked to the minimum value shown on the map screen although in my experience raids can start with significantly less than this minimum. As a result the actual numbers of players varies based on the time after a Tarkov wipe (higher player counts earlier on in a wipe), the popularity of the map selected, the time players select (night raids are quieter) and the real world time of the servers you are playing on with a 3AM Monday time in your region resulting in a lower player raid count simply due to the lack of potential players. In my experience I’ve had many raids that range from completely full to seemingly dead to where it feels like I am the only player in the raid although this is difficult to confirm with absolute certainty.
| Tarkov Map | Number of PMCs Per In Game Info |
|---|---|
| Factory | 5 – 6 |
| Customs | 10 – 12 |
| Interchange | 10 – 14 |
| Woods | 10 – 14 |
| Shoreline | 10 – 13 |
| Reserve | 10 – 12 |
| Lighthouse | 10 – 12 |
| Streets of Tarkov | 12 – 16 |
- Player Scavs: These are player controlled scavs that spawn in after the start of the raid (approximately 10 minutes after raid start) with a randomised equipment set. They are friendly with AI Scavs based on your Fence karma and can group up to a total of 4. Like player PMCs the number of player scavs you will encounter is heavily influenced by the same factors (time of wipe, map choice, raid time selection and real world time). The max number of player scavs within a raid can easily reach a dozen on larger maps although does appear to have an unknown maximum limit based on the map as I’ve never encountered more than approximately 6 other player scavs at a time on Factory. It’s also not uncommon to run into no Player Scavs later in a wipe as the need of utilising a scav generally reduces over the course of a wipe.
- AI Scavs: These are non player controlled scavs, bosses and other AI enemy types that spawn either at the start of a raid or replenish their numbers during a raid. While the exact number of AI scavs at any time is not known it is heavily influenced by map size and the numbers of player PMCs still alive as they will not spawn close to players. Scavs usually spawn in groups of between 1 and 4 at the major scav spawn locations and later in a raid when there are less player PMCs it’s not uncommon to quickly string locations together to find dozens of scavs between them. Streets of Tarkov was a significant milestone in Escape From Tarkov’s development cycle with a significant increase in the number of AI scavs on this map that can allow players to kill 30 or even 40 scavs during a raid if you stay until the end.
