Twitch streamers from across the globe have taken an interest lately with Escape From Tarkov, a hardcore survival shooter created by the Russian Battlestate Games. Its unforgiving gameplay yet accessible nature makes it one of the most engaging shooters of recent memory.

RELATED: 5 Worst Fortnite Skins Players Should Avoid (And 5 You MUST Have!)

A game with this large of a skill gap is bound to have plenty of secrets tied to it. The story, gunplay, economy, and the general nature of Tarkov are somewhat alien to today's gaming audience. While most would compare this style of game to a Battle Royale like Fortnite or PUBGTarkov has so much more to offer with its endless depth. Here are 10 facts you might not know about this recent star in the gaming scene.

10 The Game Is In Beta

While Escape From Tarkov has been in development for over a few years now, the game is still in a beta development state. Features are not fully implemented yet and the game isn't in the most optimized state either.

With that said, what is available for players to enjoy currently is staggering. Raids with PMCs or Scavs, hideout management, and quests from traders mean this current version of Tarkov is no slouch on content. Additional features are planned to be added later on as well, doubling down on its story aspects and incorporating more open-ended gameplay.

9 Not a Battle Royale

PUBG
PUBG

Watching footage of Tarkov might draw parallels to PUBG, Fortnite, and the Battle Royale genre, but Tarkov has its own unique systems that place it closer to survival titles than anything else.

RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Shroud And His Twitch Channel

Unlike PUBG, the game has a much larger focus on situational awareness and movement than typical gunfight engagements. Looting is paramount in both games but handled differently in subtle but important ways. Looting takes substantially more time in Tarkov and makes plenty of noise, meaning that those who love ninja looting will get punished severely compared to other BR games.

8 Story Content

Combat and the fear of losing gear are the cornerstones of Tarkov in its current form. However, the developers have mentioned their desire to add more story missions and objectives into Tarkov.

Players start the game by selecting if they are either an American or Russian soldier (USEC or BEAR respectively). Currently, the choice is inconsequential, but future updates might include specific story content based on the faction chosen. This should add heavily to the already engaging types of content present in Tarkov.

7 Free Roam

Currently, the maps in Tarkov are separate zones that players queue up to play on. When the game is fully released, however, the developers plan to add a free roam game mode for players to enjoy.

Part of this mode is rumored to include all of the maps together as a massive open-world zone, letting players seamlessly explore all of Tarkov in a single map. It is unclear if this mode will also include PvE or PvP gameplay, but the fact that all of the maps can be explored after launch is incredibly exciting.

6 Russian Studio

Since Tarkov takes place in a Russian city, it would make sense that the developers have plenty of knowledge on everything Russia. Well turns out, Russian developers are making this game.

RELATED: The 10 Worst Survival Games Of The Decade, Ranked (According To Metacritic)

Battlestate Games are a semi-new game developer, with Escape From Tarkov being their first public video game created thus far. Their studio is composed of experienced hardcore gamers that are also experienced in Unity and general video game production. With Tarkov taking place in a unique universe Battlestate has created, we might see future spin-off titles that take place in the same universe created for Tarkov.

5 Made In Unity

A large variety of video game engines exist today that allow development teams large or small to create any game they wish. Unity is arguably one of the most popular video game engines in the world.

Tarkov is a game that runs off of the Unity game engine. Most Unity titles are not focused on looking realistic, with most developers working on the engine being indie developers. Despite this, Battlestate have managed to create one of the most beautiful games ever made in Unity with reasonable performance. Further updates will only add to the visual fidelity and overall performance.

4 Multiple Characters

Players will notice when starting Tarkov that they can play as either a PMC unit or a Scav. Scavs are randomly generated denizens of Tarkov, while your PMC is your main character.

Scav characters that can survive the raid can transfer their earnings onto their PMC character, but due to the random gear that spawns on them, dying as a Scav character imposes no penalty onto your PMC character. If you die while playing your PMC, however, you lose everything on your excluding your Alpha or Gamma case. When you die as a PMC, you'll have to heal all of your wounds by waiting in your hideout or using medical items.

3 Clans

Playing in squads in Tarkov can be a frustrating yet rewarding experience. You have the potential of looting much more with a full team, but you also have the opportunity to lose just as much.

Luckily, those who do not have four friends to play with can join clans once they are implemented. Battlestate has mentioned their desire to incorporate player clans into the game, allowing players to trade with each other or raid with each other. Having someone watch your back is one of the best things you can have in Tarkov, so having clans become an integral part of the game in a future update will be a massive help for newer players.

2 Traders

Various traders exist in Tarkov, allowing players to sell and purchase essential items to improve their chances of survival, whether that is from improving your PMC or hideout.

These traders also come with quests, allowing players to get guaranteed items and better deals with said trader. Quests around these traders might get expanded on later, adding more story content and explaining why Tarkov is in the current state it's in.

1 RPG Mechanics

With Tarkov having a massive focus on realistic gameplay mechanics, it seems counterproductive that it would include any RPG systems. Paradoxically, having persistent mechanics in Tarkov makes it even more engaging.

Various stats, such as strength or endurance, are improved passively as you play the game. A persistent hideout is also in Tarkov, meaning there is a high currency and resource sink for all players to invest in. Hideouts can provide passive income through gear and special items you can trade to traders or the flea market—Tarkov's variant of an auction house. With all of the loot variants available on guns and the persistent PMC stats available, Tarkov is more of an RPG survival game than a Battle Royale title.

NEXT: 10 Awesome Games You Can Play On Your PC For Free, Ranked (According To Metacritic)