Escape from Tarkov’s 0.16.8 patch, or the hardcore wipe, brings an excruciatingly hard challenge for everyone in this short wipe, and that is money.
Most of the things in Escape from Tarkov revolve around money, and if you take most of that away, including the flea market, life will get harder and harder.
However, there are several ways you can make money that could make life more bearable. You can save some by running cheap loadouts and farming in the right places. Here are some of the best ways you can make money in Escape from Tarkov’s hardcore wipe.
Best Way to Make Money in Escape from Tarkov Patch 0.16.8
Before going through some money-making strategies, the most underrated way to stockpile money is to learn how and where to save it. You need to adjust your approach to accommodate for this hardcore wipe.
Everyone will be poor, so if you think you are going to go on every raid with the 7.62×39 BPs and meta RDs, that isn’t realistic for the hardcore wipe.
Look at your hideout and think of ways you can make it “cheaper.” Use AI-2 Medkits and CARs instead of IFAKs, AFAKs, or Grizzlies. Change Calok-Bs and Alu Splints to Esmarch/CATs, Splints, and Bandages.
If you die, you’ll lose way less. If you survive, you gain less money because cheaper meds take more loadout slots. However, since the flea market is unavailable and items are worth less to vendors, each slot in your inventory doesn’t hold as much value as before, making the cheap medical items worth it.
To add to that, insurance isn’t worth it at all with its increased price. It isn’t worth it at all.
Picking Up Medicine and Ammo
While picking up medicine items from dead players and Scavs isn’t exactly making you money, it saves you money. This includes the usual cheap ones like Splints, Bandages (2/2), CAT, Esmarch, CARS (220/220), and every better med item after these.
Players will almost always bring meds, so if you win a fight, you should always take these, even some of the cheap ones. The same applies to ammo, as theseitems are restricted from the Secure Containers for this hardcore wipe.
Maximize Scav Runs
Since most maps are restricted because of the hardcore wipe, there are two or three maps that are always going to be filled with action. If you spawn as a Scav, it’ll be harder to get out since you’ll have a high chance of encountering PMCs.
If you want to play as a good Scav andimprove your Fence reputation, things will get even harder because some Scavs might shoot you for loot while you are playing passively.
Your goal should always be to stack as many items as you can in your inventory without engaging PMCs. The Scav cooldown is quite long, so you want to lower your risk so you can bring out your loot and gear. Risking your valuable items to fight a PMC wouldn’t be worth it since PMCs aren’t that stacked for this wipe. If you don’t have sufficient resources, it’s best to avoid conflict.
You might even want to think aboutresetting your accountso you can get your starting items again.
Stack Vests on Bags and Bags on Bags
While this is a common strategy already among Escape from Tarkov veterans, it is even more crucial now to utilize it, given the scarcity of resources.
Most players don’t even loot 14-18 slot tactical rigs, but you’ll be forced to stack those inside bags so you can use them for your future loadouts instead of buying one from a trader.
Things are more expensive from the traders for this hardcore wipe, and since the flea market is out, you are forced to buy from them. Think of those black Azimut tactical rigs selling for 15,000 Roubles on the flea market as opposed to the regular 33,000-ish Roubles.
Now, they’ll cost way more than 33,000 Roubles, and you cannot buy them from the flea market. This logic applies to every single vendor item from traders, so you’ll want to loot them from Scavs and stack them in your bags.
Stack those Berkuts inside Berkuts and those Tarzan rigs inside those stacked Berkuts.
Avoid High-Value Areas and Go for Ammo Spawns
Ammo should hold the most value out of anything else in the game. Getting a few good ammo could single-handedly win you a fight. They are also hard to find and get out with, so focus on finding those.
If you use your typical loot runs likefarming for GPUsorLEDXs, it won’t be profitable since those are rare now. If you find fewer tech spawns, they sell for even cheaper now, so it isn’t as worth it as before.
Go for those underrated ammo spawns. Here are a few good spots:
Boss Farming
If you are ultimately confident in your mechanical skills, the best way to make money is farming the bosses. Each map will have a 100% chance of spawning bosses throughout the hardcore wipe.
The question is whether you can kill these bosses with a high success rate. Players will also want to farm these bosses, so you’ll be fighting them as well.
These bosses drop insane loadouts, sometimes with the best ammo. In fact, they should have the best loot in the game in every raid, making them the main target of most players.
If you aren’t confident enough to fight multiple players, you should only fight the boss if you have a good spawn. If you spawn in Customs’ Smuggler’s Boat, you’ll be one of the first players to get to the dormitories (second to the PMC spawn by the broken wall in the woods). If you get the best spawn, take out the boss, loot, and turtle your way out of the map.
Keep a keen eye and ear on your surroundings. If it took you a while to defeat the boss, expect players to be hunting you already, especially if you made a lot of noise.
Boss farming is the best way to make money in the hardcore wipe, but only if you survive frequently enough.
Enzo Zalamea
Enzo is a staff writer at Prima Games. He began writing news, guides, and listicles related to games back in 2019. In 2024, he started writing at Prima Games covering the best new games and updates regardless of the genre. you’re able to find him playing the latest World of Warcraft expansion, Path of Exile, Teamfight Tactics, and popular competitive shooters like Valorant, Apex Legends, and CS2. Enzo received his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management in De La Salle University and multiple SEO certifications from the University of California, Davis.
