Battlestate Games has just revealed an image showcasing what appears to be the next Tarkov ‘boss character – Partisan. In an image posted on social media, players get an exclusive first look at Partisan, an ageing, capable-looking combatant with a solid-looking AK and what appears to be a grenade linked to a tripwire.
This is, of course, the embodiment of months’ worth of rumours suggesting that a ‘PMC-hunting’ boss would be making their way into Escape from Tarkov, boasting the ability to lay traps for unsuspecting players.
Who is Partisan in Tarkov?
Not much is known about Partisan aside from what we can glean from his image. He looks to be in his fifties, and his outfit suggests he’s more than comfortable with a combat-focused role. He wields a well-built AK-platform assault rifle complete with a ‘GP-style’ underbarrel grenade launcher.
Per the image, he will most likely have the ability to lay tripwire-based booby traps. In his hand, he’s holding a grenade linked to a length of thin cable, which means two things:
Battlestate Games is making true to the promise to introduce traps
Partisan is almost certainly the ‘PMC Hunter’ boss we’ve heard about in recent discussions
It was recently suggested that a PMC Karma system will be introduced with the next Tarkov wipe, and this boss will hunt down players with ‘low karma’ that comes about as a result of camping and engaging in nefarious or sly tactics. We don’t yet know how karma will be calculated or what’ll go into that calculation, but it’s another arm to the many meta games that players take part in when they boot up Escape from Tarkov.
What else do we know about Partisan in Tarkov?
Well, he appears to have some control over nature, as a small bird is perched on his hand. Could he be using wildlife to spot PMCs from a distance? In the shot, he’s also standing behind cover in a dense forest that has a signpost behind it highlighting a minefield, which means he’s on a map like Shoreline or Woods.
He also has several dog tags slung around his neck and both USEC and BEAR patches on his backpack, which means he’s not picky about what faction he takes on.
It hasn’t been confirmed when the next Tarkov wipe will hit, but it’s expected to arrive in the next two weeks.