In our EfT Best Maps Guide, you’ll learn about EfT Maps Ranks and discover the EfT Best Maps for Beginners. Escape from Tarkov maps offer a wide variety of meticulously designed locations to ensure players stay engaged while grinding endlessly to earn their gear.
4.9All EfT Maps Ranked
| Tier | Maps |
|---|---|
| S | Shoreline; Streets; Reserve. |
| A | Labs. |
| B | Customs; Factory; Ground Zero. |
| C | Lighthouse; Interchange. |
| F | Woods. |
Below, you can see the ranking of Tarkov maps in tiers. The best Tarkov maps are Shoreline, Streets, and Reserve. But it largely depends on a player’s playstyle, goals, and experience. Each map has its particular balance of loot, PvP, and quest objectives. From the most beginner-friendly layouts to high-risk, high-reward areas, the All EfT Maps Ranked section will walk you through the cream of the crop, sorted by loot density, combat intensity, and overall replayability.
This EfT Maps tier list is updated to the wipe on December 26, 2024.
S-Tier EfT Maps
The best in-game maps of Escape from Tarkov will represent the best loot opportunities, the most extreme PVP, and the most efficient quest routes.
Shoreline
Features:
- Rich loot zones: Resort, Military Camp, Scav Village, and Lighthouse Bay.
- Simple extractions and easy map navigation make it ideal for new players.
- Boss Sanitar, while not offering the best loot, is manageable and adds variety.
- Popular zones like Resort provide the best PVP opportunities.
Shoreline is the best map for most due to how good the loot spots are, such as Resort and Scav Village, combined with well-balanced PVP and very simple extracts. Relatively small and easy to learn, this map is ideal for newer players, but consistent rewards will keep the veterans happy. This map also contains Sanitar, a boss who, surprisingly, does not get instantly destroyed. Fantastic loot, best quest places, great PVP. Shoreline remains one of the best maps.
If you still have some issues with Sanitar, just use our Boss Kill service to deal with any Tarkov boss.
Streets
Features:
- A loot-rich urban map with unique areas like the Klimov Mall and Lexos Garage.
- Two bosses, Kaban and Kollontay, add excitement and challenges.
- Performance-heavy map, requiring a good PC for smooth gameplay.
- Creative features like the BTR add unique gameplay mechanics.
Streets of Tarkov is a vast urban map packed with hot loot locations, such as marked rooms, residential buildings, and the Klimov Mall. It boasts unique mechanics like the BTR and features two bosses-Kaban and Kolun. The loot and PVP are great, but the demanding performance requirements of this map reduce enjoyment for lower-end PCs.
Reserve
Features:
- Exceptional loot density with 67 drawers and multiple safes.
- Three marked rooms provide chances for high-tier gear.
- Boss Gluhar and his guards bring both challenges and rewards.
- The underground bunker is a PVP hotspot with great loot.
Being an abandoned military base, the Reserve map is a treasure trove for both PMCs and scavs, with no other map having better loot density than its bunkers, dome, and three marked rooms. It’s a massive PVP hotbed, mainly because of the underground bunkers, serving perfectly both for early-game quests and late-game raids. In addition, it has a boss Gluhar, accompanied by several guards, making the whole survival more difficult. Probably the biggest downside to this map is the extraction mechanics, which are pretty tricky.
A-Tier EfT Maps
The A-Tier Escape from Tarkov maps blend loot, PVP, and quest potential about perfectly, making them solid picks for many different playstyles. This set of Tarkov maps is less consistent than those in S-Tier but still has enough to see players through. This A-Tier set of maps is a good step up the grind toward success if one wants to extend their skills beyond the most valuable Tarkov maps.
Labs
Features:
- The most rewarding loot in the game, with red keycards and exclusive rooms.
- Intense PVP with no scavs, only elite Raiders.
- Rarely encounters cheaters, contrary to popular belief.
The Lab map offers the most intense PVP experience in Tarkov. There are no scavs here, just Raiders and the loot value is unprecedented. The rooms with keycards include stuff such as red cards or high-tier weaponry. Labs is a high-risk, high-reward map intended only for the most confident players. However, pretty frequent cheaters do lower the appeal of this map to some players. To avoid them, but still get all the loot and experience, just use our Laboratory Raid service.
B-Tier EfT Maps
The B-tier is more of a middle ground of consistent play, but also has specific niches that can’t hold a candle against more consistent tiers above it. In this list will go Customs, Ground Zero, and the Factory. Аll these are maps in Escape from Tarkov with certain pros and cons.
Customs
Features:
- Classic map with Dorms as the main hotspot for PVP and loot.
- Reshala, the boss, spawns with his guards and occasionally drops rare keys and gear.
- Other notable areas include the gas station, construction site, and skeleton building.
- Frequently used for early-game quests, like “Bronze Pocket Watch” and “Delivery from the Past.
Customs has the reputation of being one of the more beginner-friendly maps to drop into, mostly because Dorms acts as a central hub for both loot and PVP. While the majority of the major action does take place around Dorms, there are other hotspots, such as the gas station and construction site, that add some variety. The loot is somewhat underwhelming, but times like Marked Room and boss Reshala’s guards will drop high-value gear. All in all, Customs is reliable but not nearly as exciting or deep as other maps.
Factory
Features:
- Smallest map in Tarkov, designed for fast-paced, intense PVP.
- Features boss Tagilla, known for his sledgehammer and high-tier armor.
- Minimal loot opportunities, with a few safes, jackets, and gun crates.
- Simple map design makes it easy to learn but lacks long-term engagement.
Factory’s definition would be chaotic fun: constant PVP because of the small size and limited player count. The loot is not great, but the quick matches and tough boss Tagilla make this Tarkov Factory map a fun choice for super short, action-packed raids. It may be unsophisticated, but this eft factory map is a mainstay for quick fights and warm-ups.
Ground Zero
Features:
- Beginner-friendly map with level-restricted lobbies.
- Average loot and a few early-game tasks make it an ideal starting point.
- Lacks mid and late-game appeal, leading to less replayability.
With its level-restricted lobbies and very simplistic overall design, Ground Zero really only truly caters to the newer player. The loot is workable, and there’s a couple of early-game quests in, but once those’re done, the map grows stale pretty quick. The lower player count and general lack of mid-game objectives make it more of a stepping stone rather than a map someone will revisit over and over again.
C-Tier EfT Maps
The C-Tier maps are a bunch, including Lighthouse and Interchange, that offer decent loot and some exciting PVP moments but, with a lot of design challenges and situations, the appeal seems to be lacking. These definitely aren’t some of the best Tarkov maps, but still show potential to players willing to adapt to their respective quirks.
Lighthouse
Features:
- Offers excellent loot in areas like the Chalet, USEC Camp, and Lighthouse Bay.
- Heavy sniper presence creates a high-risk environment for PMCs.
- Boss Lightkeeper introduces unique questlines but requires extensive preparation.
- The map’s layout and objectives can feel tedious for some players.
Lighthouse is, without a doubt, a high-risk-high-reward map with the toughest enemies. Besides the Chalet, USEC Camp, and the Lighthouse itself, there are always some hotspots. The map is super sniper-dominated, which can be super frustrating, but the rewarding loot it gives keeps people coming back. While the tasks and overall design might be super tedious, Lighthouse is a good map for veteran players to go to when farming for high-value items.
Interchange
Features:
- Known for tech loot in shops like Techlight, Rasmussen, and UltraMed.
- Boss Killa roams the map, offering a significant challenge and valuable armor.
- Large, dark mall layout creates opportunities for ambushes but complicates navigation.
- Extraction points are spread out and often require running across exposed areas.
Interchange is like a tech looter’s wet dream: GPUs and LEDXs spawn in stores like Techlight and UltraMed. Of course, Boss Killa spices things up in the generally slow-pace mall. Frustrating extraction routes and very frequent scav overpopulation, though, make this map far less fun than it could’ve been. Of course, Interchange has its moments but is generally outshone by more thrilling maps.
F-Tier EfT Maps
F-Tier are the worst of the worst Tarkov maps that poorly provide great experiences or at least decent ones. It’s mostly Woods. For the most part, Escape from Tarkov’s Woods map is truly open with long sightlines, thus making it very frustrating for sniper fights.
Woods
Features:
- Expansive map with long sightlines and minimal cover, favoring snipers.
- Boss Shturman defends his sawmill stash, which contains valuable items.
- Sparse action and repetitive scenery make navigation difficult.
- Tasks often require traversing the entire map, adding to the tedium.
Woods have become infamous for their aggravatingly large size, coupled with slow gameplay. Boss Shturman and his stash offer some rewards, but the long travel times and meager action on this map make the gameplay a chore. This Tarkov forest map also has very few distinguishing landmarks to navigate by, long-distance engagements favor hidden snipers, and it is widely considered one of the worst maps to play in Tarkov.
EfT Best Maps for Beginners
Picking the right Escape from Tarkov map is very important for new players to learn and progress with much ease in the game. Maps like Woods, Ground Zero, and Customs are beginner-friendly since they have straightforward navigation, manageable PVP encounters, and plenty of valuable loot opportunities to get you started. Such are considered the best Tarkov maps for beginners since they combine challenge and reward in just the proper manner, which will turn them into perfect places for mastering Tarkov’s basics.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero is the best map for beginners in EfT. This map is designed to be a tutorial map, compacting everything Tarkov has to offer into one single map. This map is perfect to get beginners started, focusing on mid- to close-range engagements and intuitive navigation with varied elevation changes. The loot on this map is very evenly distributed, meaning around the point of your spawn, there will always be something worth taking, and Scavs patrol the streets enough to provide consistent combat opportunities.
Ground Zero also balances the matchmaking by splitting players under and over level 20 to make engagements somewhat fair. For gear, bring body armor, a helmet, and either an SMG or an assault rifle to prepare for the inevitable firefight. The ability to react quickly and lay down a whole magazine is imperative on this fast-paced map.
Factory
The Factory map of Escape from Tarkov is basically the best training ground in combat, where action moves very fast and there’s little time wasted between engagements. Loot is relatively poor, but toolboxes and medical crates give very useful loot for your hideout. Its small size, multiple exits, and very distinct sound cues make navigating and choosing engagements easy.
However, its boss, Tagilla, can turn any raid into a chaotic fight for survival with his aggressive charges using a sledgehammer; thus, your best bet is to avoid him entirely. For gear, stick to handguns, SMGs, or shotguns, and only bring tier 4 or higher armor since most fights occur at close range. If you’re looking to sharpen your combat skills, this is the map for you.
Woods
The Woods map in Escape from Tarkov is large and forested, perfect for beginners. With loot hotspots being spread out and more AI Scavs than PMCs, this map allows one to get familiar with combat in a much safer environment without having to constantly engage in PVP. Landmarks like the central sawmill, the big lake, and the northeastern mountain make it easy to navigate.
New players can have some fun fighting Scavs in smaller villages and camps, while veterans will usually head to the sawmill and the eastern large camp. The SKS or Mosin will work well here, but it is highly advised to bring a sidearm for quicker engagements and a helmet in case some Scav gets lucky.
Customs
Customs is arguably one of the most recognizable maps in Escape from Tarkov, with a great mix of valuable loot, combat hotspots, and safe passage ways. The two primary places of interest are the Dorms to the north and the Fortress to the south, but the map contains several smaller places with good loot and tons of Scavs to kill on the way.
Most PVP within this map occurs inside this walled, industrial area. The northern woodland area gives a much more tranquil route to objectives. Other neglected areas such as Big Red and the parking garages not too far from here always provide an opportunity for good loot without too much competition.
Now, speaking of gear, medium-range guns will be perfect: SMGs, assault rifles, and regular rifles. A good AK with a sight will give balanced opportunities. But in case your further destination happens to be high-conflict areas-for example, Dorms or this new gas station-you will be prepared for some serious fights with well-equipped players and NPC enemies.
4.9All in all, we’ve explored all of Tarkov maps, their pros and cons, what each map is great for, and who and why should avoid some of them. Now you know where to get the high-value loot, and which map is perfect for PvP. Good luck on the battlefields!
