Perhaps the first map you will experience in Escape from Tarkov is Customs. This is because many of the initial tasks you will receive from traders will require you to play on Customs. In order to complete any tasks, you will need to understand Customs enough to get in and get out. This can be tough as you do not start out with any map, compass, or any direction.
So, there will be quite a learning curve when you are starting out, but remember that everyone has been in the same position! We all have loaded up on Customs not knowing whether we were on Customs side or Boiler Tanks side, or not even knowing the difference between the two. Let’s jump in so you can extract on Customs.
Looking for Extractions? Click below for guides to all Customs Extractions.
First things first, you need to purchase the in-game map for Customs from a trader. You will find the Customs map and the other 4 available maps from Therapist and Customs will cost you 14,100 roubles.
In order to complete a trade, you will first need to fill the items in the barter area. You can manually click and drag items to the barter area or you can click “Fill items” at the bottom to have it done automatically. Then, you will be able to complete the deal at the top. Once you have done this, you will be able to view which extractions are available in your current game. Remember, the more you are exchanging with the same traders, the more “charisma” you have with them so you can get cheaper prices over time. Enough about traders, we will discuss them further in a Traders guide.
If you try to join a game without a map, you will be met with the warning sign below.
Next up, there are few different things you will need to consider when choosing a map in EFT. The most important thing you will need to consider when entering a game is the time of day. You will need to make sure that you either have night vision goggles to run a night-time raid or you are choosing the day-time option at the bottom of the screen. From there you will see a few different screens like the in-game map of Customs which will show you the potential extraction points as well as a screen where you can join your friends or other random players if you would like.
The following is a placeholder, courtesy of u/kaiomaia and EFTMKG as we work on our own. The Extractions are the “man leaving” icons.
The following is a placeholder, courtesy of u/kaiomaia and EFTMKG as we work on our own. The Spawn points are the blue dog-tags.