Escape from Tarkov has received its largest update since November 2025 with the arrival of patch 1.1.0. Titled Kord Breach, the update launches the game’s first formal season, overhauls the side task system, and introduces a wide range of changes aimed at smoothing progression while adding new long-term structure.
At the center of the patch is the new Seasonal Character system. These characters exist on separate servers and remain completely independent from standard PvP and PvE profiles. Progression on a Seasonal Character automatically resets every four to six months when a new major content update and season begin. Players can create and switch between seasonal characters from a dedicated selection screen. Each season applies both global and personal modifiers that last for the duration of that cycle, giving players meaningful choices about how they want to approach the wipe.
Seasonal progression ties into exclusive rewards that Battlestate says will not return after the season ends. These rewards are earned by reaching specific PMC levels, completing designated tasks, or finishing full mission chains. A new Kord Breach storyline runs alongside the seasonal structure, unlocking additional side missions, unique achievements, and trade offers for specialized and newly added weapons. Importantly, any unlocks earned during a season remain available permanently on the account even after the seasonal character resets.
A free battle pass arrives with the update and is shared across PvP, PvE, and the seasonal mode. Progression comes from collecting TerraGroup documentation found in the world, looted from Black Division operatives, or rewarded through Kord Breach missions. Players who prefer a faster route can purchase Classified Documents from the new Expansion Hub to unlock battle pass rewards without relying solely on in-raid finds.
The side task system has undergone one of the more significant structural changes in the patch. Tasks are now linked more closely to trader loyalty levels and appear in small groups of two to four at a time, creating a less linear path through the questlines. Rewards for completing side tasks have been increased in both money and experience. Many objectives can now be progressed by any member of a group, even if that player does not currently have the task active, provided they meet the specific conditions. A smaller number of tasks remain strictly solo to preserve skill checks on certain chains.
The long-standing Kappa Path achievement has been removed and replaced with a new achievement called Dawn of a New Era, which streamlines the route to the Kappa container. Eliminate Scav tasks no longer count bosses, Raiders, or Rogues toward completion.
Economy and trader adjustments form another large portion of the update. Trader purchase prices have risen by an average of 25 percent, while the prices traders pay players for sold items have dropped by about 20 percent. The Flea Market fee has increased from 3 percent to 5 percent. On the loyalty side, the previous sales volume requirement has been removed. Reputation and character level requirements for loyalty ranks have been rebalanced across major traders, and existing characters have had their reputation values recalculated to fit the new thresholds.
Several popular ammunition types and magazines that previously sat at loyalty levels 2 and 3 are now available one level earlier. Specific FMJ and tracer rounds have received price reductions. New weapon presets appear at loyalty level 1 for multiple traders, and many offers that once required task completion are now unlocked simply by reaching the appropriate loyalty rank. Weapon modification offers have been extensively reworked in terms of which traders carry them, at what level, and at what price and purchase limit.
Hideout progression has been simplified in several areas. Some Level 1 through 3 construction requirements are easier, with the Found in Raid restriction removed from certain materials. Build times for select zones have been reduced. The Workbench is no longer a prerequisite for the weapon build system, which is now available from the beginning of a wipe. Money costs have been added to the construction of many areas.
Insurance returns from Prapor and Therapist are faster, though slightly more expensive, and messages remain available for longer. A new, faster, and more expensive insurance option has been added through Jaeger. Higher loyalty levels now provide small discounts on insurance, healing, and repairs. Therapist’s post-raid healing costs have been lowered overall.
Additional systems include a new spectator camera and further experience modifier adjustments for moving between locations. The entire 1.1.0 update applies across PvP, PvE, seasonal characters, and Escape from Tarkov: Arena.
Taken together, the patch represents a clear shift in how Battlestate wants players to experience long-term progression. The introduction of seasons with exclusive but permanently unlocked rewards creates recurring goals without fully wiping account-wide progress. The side task and trader changes reduce some of the most common early- and mid-wipe bottlenecks, while the economy adjustments attempt to rebalance money flow in response to the new structure.
Kord Breach is the first test of this seasonal model. How players respond to the modifiers, the free battle pass pacing, and the revised task flow will likely influence how future seasons are tuned. For now, the 1.1.0 update delivers the most substantial single set of changes Tarkov has seen in months, combining new content, structural QoL, and the foundation for a repeating seasonal cycle. Are you playing it?