Escape from Tarkov’s raids are tense and exhilarating, but for new players they can also be pretty frustrating too. The game teaches you very little about how to succeed. Even if you’re a phenomenal shot, you’ll still need to learn how to extract in Escape from Tarkov if you want to keep all that loot you’re stacking up. To save you plenty of time bumbling around maps unsure of what to do, this guide will teach you the basics of how to find and extraction point and extract in Escape from Tarkov.
How to Extract in Escape from Tarkov
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Raids in Escape from Tarkov are a timed experience. Jump into a match and you’ll see the message “Find an extraction point” in the top right of the screen. You need to extract within this time limit, so be sure to check it as soon as you join a game. Press the O key twice to bring this message back up at any time.
To extract in Escape from Tarkov you must reach a certain point on the map and stand by it until an extraction timer counts down. Where do you need to go? That depends on several details including where you spawned and whether you’re playing as a PMC or Scav. Don’t worry, as long as you understand the basics, you’ll be fine. Here’s how it works:
Underneath the “Find an extraction point” message you should see a list of “EXFIL” locations. These are your extraction points, and there are two kinds of them. Some will have question marks (??:??:??) next to them, while others won’t.
Extraction points that don’t have question marks are guaranteed locations that will always be open during the match. These are surefire places you can head to if you want to extract, but expect other players to be making their way there as well.
Extraction points with question marks have restrictions tied to them. Some are only usable once, meaning only the first player or squad to arrive there can extract. Others are only available at certain times during the match. Some extraction points require you to have found a key to access them. Finally, Vehicular extraction points (typically denoted V-Ex) cost money and often take a long time to extract from.
Having trouble following? Try this helpful video guide below by JesseKazam.
Each map in Tarkov comes with different extraction points and, as noted above, the ones available to you will depend on where you spawn and whether you’re playing as a PMC or Scav. While your map won’t tell you where the extraction points are, your guaranteed extraction points will typically be on the opposite side of the map. Escape from Tarkov wants you to cross the map and face other players doing the same, so a good start is heading over to the opposite side from your start point.
Extraction points aren’t clearly marked, but you should be able to get an idea of what they are based on the name “UN Roadblock”, for example, will be a barred area on a road. Some of the conditional extraction points are marked by green smoke, making them easier to spot. We highly recommend playing offline to learn the different extraction points on each map, as this will really help you when trying to haul out that valuable loot in online games. Websites like gamemaps have images with all the extraction points marked, but you’re better served learning how to core mechanics work then moving on to discovering the extraction points for each map.
Those are the fundamentals on how to extract in Escape from Tarkov. We'll have more guides on the way for the game soon, so be sure to stick around and take a look at our Escape from Tarkov hub for more tips and tricks.
