Fans of Battlestate Game’s extraction shooter,Escape From Tarkov, have taken to the internet to express their concerns over the game’s subpar audio. With the introduction of patch 0.13, what should have shown marked improvement is instead in an arguably worse state than it has ever been inEscape From Tarkov.
August 03, 2025, was the date Battlestate Games surprised fans by dropping their hotly anticipated patch0.13 forEscape From Tarkov.Introducing the Streets of Tarkov map, its most ambitious playable space to date, the patch was all but assured to be a hit. Sweetening the pot,Escape From Tarkov0.13 also included several new weapons, items, a restructured quest system, hideout improvements, bug fixes, and the foregoing of Steam audio in favor of Oculus audio. The patch also meant a wipe for the game, resetting player inventories and progression, and bringing a much-needed refresh to the in-game economy.
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Unfortunately, the change from Steam audio to Oculusaudio inEscape From Tarkovappears to have caused far more issues than it solved. Player reports of inconsistent and downright poor directional audio are widespread. Vertical audio, which has always been a sore spot in the game, is allegedly even worse now. Gamers don’t know if the footsteps they are hearing are two meters away or twenty, whether the shuffling sound is coming from upstairs or the basement, and if those gunshots ringing out are distant or danger-close. It appears that the implementation of Oculus audio was a massive mistake.
Escape From Tarkovfansare understandably distraught. Some have taken to the Battlestate Forums and Reddit to share their concerns and offer input on potential fixes. One tip, which does not do much to alleviate the sound-related issues, but helps with performance, is to turn off Binaural audio in the game’s settings. The sound-recording method, which is meant to replicate 3-D audio in an immersive and believable way, is purportedly not working at all inEscape From Tarkov’scurrent build. The other leading suggestion players are giving out is to strap on a high-armored, sound-dampening helmet, put on some music, and throw caution to the wind.
What should be atime to rejoice forEscape From Tarkovfans is instead an eye-rolling exercise in continued frustration. The hardcore extraction shooter, unmatched in its ability to create tense, occasionally terrifying moment-to-moment gameplay, is once again bogged down by bugs and poor design decisions.
