Escape from Tarkov adds High Ready and Low Ready stances

Battlestate Games confirmed in a developer diary that Escape from Tarkov will gain CQB High Ready and Low Ready gun stances. The studio says the change will let players trade quicker reaction times for lower stamina drain and make AI opponents move and react in a more believable way.

Mikhail Ivanov, a technical 3D animator at Battlestate, confirmed the stances are planned for a future update. He described the current default posture as a High Ready stance, with weapons held ready to fire, and said adding Low Ready will allow characters to hold weapons in a more relaxed position during long downtimes to conserve stamina. ‘Yes, we’re planning to add that in the future,’ he wrote, adding that it should ‘add immersion for players themselves, and make bots feel more human and believable.’

Ivanov also outlined several weapon animation and modding updates. He said animations and much of the modding overhaul for the AK platform are finished, and players will be able to pair different handguards and gas tube covers or operate weapons without a gas tube cover. Trigger groups have received a visual upgrade. The team has encountered implementation challenges caused by the large number of AK presets and a recent change to the weapon skeleton, and is working to avoid negative effects for players while preparing the update for a major upcoming patch. Ivanov noted the Mosin rifle is next for a full animation refresh.

Improved magazine loading animations are under heavy development. Ivanov described the work as technically difficult because Tarkov contains many magazine types with unusual shapes, such as drum magazines and the P90 magazine, which require tailored animation geometry. The team aims to roll out updated loading animations later in the year and to continue refining them to match the range of magazine models in the game.

Battlestate published an updated roadmap covering near-term and mid-term plans. July will start with a ‘Blackout’ event followed by the launch of Tarkov Season 1. Season 1 is expected to include a task rework, group-shared kill objectives, rebalancing of hideout progression and the insurance system, improved enemy AI, additional weapons and gear, expanded PMC customization and more help for new players.

Looking to the third quarter of 2026, the roadmap lists ranked leagues, a Lighthouse map rework and the planned release of the magazine loading animations. The studio is also considering a simplified in-game GPS, new invite-a-friend incentives, changes to trader reputation, containers pre-filled with gear presets and an option to skip Prestige requirements for a large in-game fee. Technical upgrades on the roadmap include a move to Unity 6 and integration of FidelityFX Super Resolution 4.0.

Ivanov reiterated that realism remains a core design goal while the team adjusts animations to make weapons feel satisfying to use, adding that some animated actions include a ‘bit of theatrical flair’ to enhance the player experience.