With update 1.0.1.0 deployed at the end of December 2025, Escape from Tarkov includes an improvement long requested by its players. When launching a raid, the interface now displays a progress bar clearly indicating the loadout status. The player can see the time already elapsed, their position in the queue, and an estimate of the time remaining before deployment.
Until now, the wait was without specific reference points, leaving room for assumptions and growing frustration. This new interface finally brings a minimum of readability to a historically problematic phase of the game.
An old problem finally taken into account
Since its inception, Escape from Tarkov has had a stubborn reputation for slow loading times. In some cases, joining a raid could take upwards of ten minutes, with no reliable indicator of whether the search was actually progressing.
This update does not directly reduce loading times, but it does change the perception of waiting. Knowing that a deployment is estimated to take eight or ten minutes allows players to decide whether they want to wait or restart the search. The wait becomes predictable, which limits the feeling of wasting time.
Estimates that can still be improved depending on the players
Shortly after the update was deployed, several players shared their feedback on social media. Some indicate that the time displayed is not always accurate. One user notably reported that his deployment was announced for more than six minutes, while he ultimately joined his raid in around three minutes.
These differences show that the system can still be improved. Despite everything, even a rough estimate is considered preferable to the total absence of information which has prevailed until now.
A small addition that changes the daily experience
For part of the community, this novelty may seem minor. For regular players and veterans of the game, it represents a long-awaited comfort. After years of staring at an unmarked loading screen, this progress bar brings a welcome touch of modernity to the interface.
Integrated into patch 1.0.1.0 and accompanied by the winter event, this improvement gives hope for other developments focused on the user experience. Even if loading times sometimes remain long, the simple fact of being able to anticipate the wait already changes the way you approach each raid.