Last Updated on January 18, 2024 by Samuel Franklin
In this article you’ll learn about the Escape From Tarkov server locations, insight into their populations and how to check the current server status. If you are wondering where are Tarkov servers located before you make your EFT purchase this server guide will provide useful information about the game regions and in turn the ping you can expect when playing.
Like any multiplayer games a low ping ensures the most enjoyable experience and a critical part of that is being close to one of the game servers. With the growth in the community throughout 2020 and 2021 in particular BattleState Games has invested in a wide range of server locations to ensure that the majority of players now have a server close to home. For the most part the automatic server selection in Tarkov does a wonderful job so there is no need to change to another region manually but it is an option available to players for reasons explored on this page along with a step by step guide to change servers.
Table of Contents:
– Tarkov Server Basics
– How To Change Tarkov Server
– Tarkov Server List
– Tarkov Arena Server List
– Is Tarkov Down? Tarkov Server Status
Tarkov Server Basics
Common use cases for changing Tarkov servers include players looking to play Tarkov with friends from outside of their country, reduce their matching time during high server load or locate dead servers that are lower populated to complete their quests. Players select the servers they will connect to within the launcher before launching the game with auto choosing servers based on the lowest ping options which varies from a single server to multiple servers depending on your location.
When playing with a friend from a different country I recommend that you find a server located geographically in between both players and manually select that as your game server in the launcher as this will ensure a similar ping and a better playing experience.
If you are wondering how to find Tarkov dead servers you can select a server from the list with a lower server population and combine this with off-peak times for that region and night time raids to reduce the number of players in your raid. While this may increase your ping slightly if you are playing on a server located in a country where it is 2AM there will simply be less players to match with and fill your raids.
While EFT server population numbers are not public given the origins of the game European based servers are generally the most populated, followed by America, Asia and Oceania. In 2020 BattleState Games publicly announced some new servers which were heavily weighted towards the US and Asia suggesting these regions are growing rapidly in EFT population. Players can somewhat test the population size themselves based on the number of PMCs using the looking for group lobby option and the general matchmaking time you encounter. Tarkov dead servers do still happen at certain times of the day though like most online games and this is compounded at the end of a Tarkov wipe when the player base reduces.
How To Change Tarkov Server
For players that already have the game already installed and want to see what Escape From Tarkov server locations are available or change Tarkov server complete the following steps:
- Open the BSGLauncher and click “Change region”:
- A pop up of the available game servers list will appear allowing you to individually select servers (or use automatic server selection instead that will pick an entire region such as OCE or USA). This will also display the expected ping and average matching time:
- The default option (shown above) is “use automatic server selection” and in brackets will be the region that has been selected for you. Players can untick this box and manually select any server or multiple servers from the list which will be applicable for future matchmaking until changed.
Tarkov Server List
The below is the current Tarkov server list:
Africa (AF) Servers
- Africa
Asia (ASI) Servers
- China
- Singapore
- Korea
- Japan
Europe (EUR) Servers
- Europe North
- Europe Central
- Europe South
- Europe East
Middle East (ME) Servers
- Middle East
- Dubai
Oceania (OCE) Servers
Russia (RUS) Servers
- Russia West
- Russia Central
- Russia East
South America (SAM) Servers
- South America
- Colombia
United States of America (USA) Servers
- North America South East
- North America Central
- North America North East
- North America South
- North America West
Tarkov Arena Server List
The below is the current Tarkov server list:
- Africa (AF)
- Asia (ASI)
- China (CN)
- Europe East (EUE)
- Europe West (EUW)
- North America (NA)
- Oceania (OCE)
- Russia East (RUE)
- Russia West (RUW)
- South America (SA)
Is Tarkov Down? Tarkov Server Status
If you are ever wondering if the Tarkov servers are down or if there are issues with one element of Escape From Tarkov game services you should be referring to the EFT official status page which provides real time updates which are also often posted on the official Tarkov Twitter page.
Escape From Tarkov Other Region – Can You Change Region?
It’s important to note that Tarkov uses the term region during the purchase of Escape From Tarkov and this is not related to selecting your EFT server as described above. Region in regards to Escape From Tarkov actually limits where you can play Tarkov (physically launch the game) from and if you’ve been wondering if you can change your region you cannot and will have to repurchase the entire game. This means players wondering how to change region will unfortunately be disappointed at the lack of option which is driven by licensing requirements.
The most common region players are likely to encounter is the Tarkov other region which is for those outside of CIS and EU locations. This page on the Escape From Tarkov official website which details this issue (and error 208) should be read in full before purchasing along with the warning that will appear at the bottom of the purchase page:
Written by
Samuel Franklin
Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms.
Sam (Seelyon) is a seasoned Escape From Tarkov player with over 1,000 raids across multiple Tarkov patches while accumulating thousands of player kills and maintaining a 50% survival rate who favours a calculated playstyle. During these wipes he has earned the coveted Kappa secure container, proving his determination in the unforgiving world of Tarkov. His passion for the punishing game goes beyond personal accomplishment and he is driven by a desire to guide new players on their own Escape From Tarkov journey one raid at a time.
Through countless firefights, strategic flanks and exhilarating boss encounters, he has accumulated a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics and nuances that allows him to offer valuable insights and strategies to those seeking to navigate the complexities of Tarkov.
