Classic wipes in Escape from Tarkov ended with the 1.0 release. According to the official FAQ from Battlestate Games (BSG), a wipe is now a mechanic of the seasonal character, which resets every 4 to 6 months when a new season begins. This guide explains which characters you have, how the Kord Breach season works, what you keep after a reset, how leagues, the Battle Pass and Prestige work, and when you’d wipe a profile yourself. Current as of 20 October 2026.
Wipes after 1.0: what changed
BSG’s FAQ states that wipes in their traditional form were discontinued with the 1.0 release. A wipe is now tied to the seasonal character: that’s the one that resets, automatically with each season. If you want a fresh start elsewhere, you can wipe your profile manually in your account settings.
Be careful with older guides. Articles about the hardcore wipe from summer 2025 or PvE wipes from before 1.0 describe a state of the game that no longer applies.
Three kinds of characters
Since patch 1.1.0.0 you have three separate characters:
- PvP Zone – your character for raids against real players.
- PvE Zone – your character for the co-op mode against AI.
- Seasonal character (PvP Season) – a separate profile on its own servers.
The seasonal character is independent of your PvP Zone and PvE Zone characters. What happens to your PvE character and why even PvE can’t be played offline is covered in our PvE Zone guide.
The Kord Breach season and resets every 4–6 months
Patch 1.1.0.0 of 4 August 2026 added the season system. The first season is called Kord Breach. Seasonal character progress resets automatically every 4 to 6 months, always alongside a major content update and the start of a new season. As of 20 October 2026, BSG hasn’t announced an end date for Kord Breach or a start date for season two, officially there’s only the 4–6 month window.
You can also reset your seasonal character yourself. The Expansions Hub has a “seasonal character wipe” item for that.
Season modifiers
Each season has two kinds of modifiers:
- Global modifiers apply to everyone and can’t be switched off.
- Personal modifiers are optional. Negative ones give you points, positive ones cost points, and the total has to be zero or more. You can also create a character with none at all.
What you keep after a reset
A seasonal reset doesn’t mean losing everything. These stay with you permanently:
- Seasonal rewards. These are trader offers you unlock through level or quests. Once unlocked, they apply in every mode: PvP, PvE and the season. Anything you don’t unlock before Kord Breach ends can’t be earned later.
- Battle Pass. It’s free and shared between the season, PvP and PvE. You progress by handing in TerraGroup documents found in raids, with a daily limit. Universal Classified documents can be bought for TarCoin.
- Purchased expansions. PvE, clothing or a bigger stash all survive a wipe.
Leagues for seasonal characters
Leagues have been live since 15 September 2026. They’re for seasonal characters only and run in groups of 50 players. Rankings are based on experience earned during the week. Each week the top 25 are promoted, 15 stay and 10 are relegated. Rank rewards are yours to keep.
Experience from EFT: Arena doesn’t count towards leagues, even though Arena otherwise partly shares your character with Tarkov. More on that in our EFT: Arena guide.
Prestige: a reset by choice
Prestige is a mechanic for high-level players. You meet the requirements, reset your progress and get rewards. You keep part of your gear and up to 50% of your skills and weapon mastery.
Patch 1.2.0.0 of 6 October 2026 also brought Prestige to the PvE Zone. It has six levels and only resets your PvE character. Seasonal characters don’t have Prestige, since they reset with the season anyway.
When to wipe your PvE profile
For PvE characters, BSG gives two reasons to wipe the profile. Due to a technical requirement, a wipe is needed to complete the story in PvE. According to BSG, a PvE profile wipe is also needed to get the full experience from limited-time events, as it guarantees access to the new content. You can wipe your profile manually in your account settings.
If you’re just starting out, you don’t need to worry about seasons yet. Start with our beginner’s guide and come back to the seasonal character once you know the basics. BSG’s official description of seasons is in its support article.
Join our Discord to ask about seasons and find teammates for leagues: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Traditional wipes ended with the 1.0 release. The seasonal character resets every 4 to 6 months when a new season starts. As of 20 October 2026, BSG hasn’t announced an exact end date for the Kord Breach season.
No. The seasonal character is a separate profile, and its reset doesn’t affect your PvP Zone or PvE Zone characters. You only reset those yourself, in your account settings or through Prestige.
Unlocked seasonal rewards, which then apply in every mode, your Battle Pass progress and any purchased expansions. Anything you don’t unlock before the season ends can’t be earned later.
Leagues are for seasonal characters only. Players are grouped in fifties and ranked by weekly experience: the top 25 go up, 15 stay and 10 go down. Experience from Arena doesn’t count.
Only if you want to finish the story in PvE, which technically requires a wipe. BSG says it’s also needed for the full experience of limited-time events.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are in our Escape from Tarkov section.