Tarkov's New Armor Hitboxes Will Also Change the Game

So, we talked about how vaulting coming in the winter patch for Tarkov will be massive, but there is another change coming to the game that arguably might be more directly impactful than the streamlined mobility. Because if mobility is a core component to Tarkov, then armor and how it works is the cornerstone next to weapons and shooting. Armor has always been a point of contention because of how complex its systems and mechanics are in general. Different classes or armor, types, materials, repairability; this system is almost too complex for its own good. A lot of people are immediately intimidated by the armor system in Tarkov, and it’s understandable as to why. Different materials, classes, repair types, protection zones. Not to mention repair kits versus using your own money to repair. And when is it worth repairing an armor or to just throw it out. The game already has enough of a complicated system. But these changes might take things to a level that becomes untenable. It’s too early to say anything concrete, so let’s just go over what was shown to us and take it from there. There is a ton to absorb and look at from the short video we were given.

Right off the bat, each armor is immediately more complicated when looking at the details of one. Each zone of the armor now has tons of different plates and pieces of protection, with a wide variety of different plates and levels to those plates. The core pieces that protect your vitals are most likely going to be the same level as the armor currently is. So, a level 4 floral ceramic armor, with have level 4 front and back plates attached to it, instead of the entire thing being all level 4 protection. The sides, under the armpit, and even the neck piece might be a lower level now, closer to level 3 or even 2. It really is a lot of information to take in now. Before, it was daunting, but if you knew what you were looking for, you could easily just glance at the armor’s information and see what you needed to. Now... woof. Sorry to any newer players out there who may have started recently. This is going to be tough for everyone, even players who have been around for 5 plus years.

What is also interesting to point out is that it seems most armors will be getting a massive increase to their overall health and durability. The level 6 THOR armor used in the video has a total of 265 hit points, which is more than twice what it currently has in the game. This is to take into consideration all the different pieces of armor on it, which there are now a whopping 12 different armor zones on the Thor. Now, from the sounds of it, we won’t be able to swap out every plate that is in the armor, but instead, focusing primarily on the important front and back plates. From the images shown, anything that is grayed out we won’t be able to manipulate with new plates. Which is an interesting choice to say the least. Again, this brings up the question of well, now when do I just change the plates in the armor or swap the entire thing for a brand-new armor. If one half of it gets destroyed in a gunfight, how much will be replaceable so that the armor is functioning as well as it can. These are questions that immediately popped into my head when looking at all the information that was given to us, and the implications of all these new changes. But it isn’t just new mechanics to armor.

The actual hitboxes of armors are also getting updated too. Which means wearing a slick doesn’t grant you full thorax level 6 protection. No, now the armor ONLY applies to the areas it is actually protecting. So, a slick doesn’t sound like the most enticing choice if given one. Yeah, your thorax is very protected, but under your neck, stomach, arms, and even armpits are completely exposed for full damage. Which means it won’t take much to put you down. This is absolutely going to usher in a new era of weapons and calibers that have been largely overlooked for a long time, now resurfacing and potentially becoming incredibly strong. Which is another non-direct way of fundamentally changing the game of Tarkov.

Having more options for ways of playing the game and taking out other players is never a bad thing. For a long time, there have been certain calibers that barely see the light of day because people level up so quickly, and get to tier 4 armors, making things like 9mm ammo basically useless. But, now that armor is getting adjusted in the way it is, there will be in general, more spots to land full damage on a PMC, regardless of what ammo or weapon you are using. This is going to make classes like SMGS and even Shotguns that much scarier. Their ability to hose down players with tons of bullets, buckshot's, and even slugs, means that it won’t take much for the damage spread to reach to all your vital body parts and killing you without ever taking damage to your head or thorax. Of course, this change effects all ammos and all weapons, but this is going to particularly benefit smaller weapons much more because they lack the stopping power to punch through tough armor. But now, with some specific shot placement on exposed areas of the body, you will be able to make mincemeat of those who think they are safe but forgot about their exposed body parts.

Now let’s be real with ourselves for a moment: I just outlined the potential for these kinds of situations to occur. To be brutally honest, these situations are going to be minor. It will be rare that you outright kill someone based solely from damage you did to their armpit or their collarbones. It’s going to happen of course, and honestly, I hope it happens often. But to expect every death or kill to be in this fashion is a little unrealistic expectation. Most of the time, it’ll just be the good old head, eyes, or simply thorax. But just the idea that people are going to die in unconventional ways they are not used to is exciting to me. It’s hopefully going to make people really consider the gear they bring with them into a raid.

My two major concerns with this change and everything that coincides with it, is that this either doesn’t do enough to shake up the game and people kind of just go back to how they were playing it before. Or it does what it’s intended to do, but people figure out a way to game the system and min/max it very early on, where only certain armors need to be run, with these plates in this orientation. That would honestly hurt more because people love to figure games out quickly, and this would just be another blow to how people play the game. Instead of figuring it out for themselves; experimenting with all the different options to find something that they enjoy, they just watch a short video giving them all the information needed to run effective armor. Now I’m not saying having this information broken down and explained is a problem. That is vital so that people can make the most informed choice on how they spend their in-game money. I’ve always just personally hated it when a game is figured out so fast. Nothing against anyone doing it, just a persona gripe, that’s all.

Armor is going to change. Hopefully in a big way. And with it, the ripple effect is large enough that it’s felt throughout other elements of the game, giving Tarkov a shake-up its desperately needed in a long time. We don’t know if this is going to be the change that defines Tarkov to a new evolution of its own game. Or if this will all just be a blip on the radar. I am cautiously optimistic that this will do something. I just hope it’s for the better. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know in the comments how you feel about all these changes. Good? Bad? Excited? Concerned? Be sure to sound off and subscribe for more videos about the massive incoming changes on Tarkov could mean for the entire game as a whole. I hope to see you in future ones.