Tarkov PvE Prestige Explained: 1.2.0.0 Resets, Rewards

PvE Prestige is live in Escape from Tarkov: patch 1.2.0.0 added it to the PvE Zone on 6 October 2026, with six levels. This explainer covers what the notes say resets, what you keep, the requirement categories, the rewards and the new PvE PMC bots, plus the rouble purchase and EXFIL Brothers from the same patch. It is built on the patch notes and Battlestate’s official pages; we have not checked the Prestige screen in the client, so the exact requirements for each level and the in-game steps to start a Prestige are not covered here.

PvE Prestige is a voluntary reset of your PvE Zone character in exchange for unique rewards, added by Battlestate Games, which develops and publishes Tarkov. Per the 1.2.0.0 notes, it is meant for high-level players and lets you start your exploration of Tarkov again while keeping part of your progression. Each Prestige level resets your profile progression only in the PvE Zone, so your PvP profile is not part of it. When you Prestige, you can keep some gear, a certain percentage of character skills and weapon mastery, up to 50%. The patch has six PvE Prestige levels.

For how PvE and PvP profiles relate in general, see our PvE or PvP carry-over comparison, which was written before this patch and is useful only as context.

The notes say the requirements may include the six categories below, so a given Prestige level does not necessarily use all of them. They become more demanding with each Prestige level, and the first PvE Prestige level has reduced requirements compared with PvP. The numeric thresholds per level, the exact percentage kept and which gear is retained are not stated in the 1.2.0.0 notes, and we have not checked them in the client; check the Prestige screen for your level before you commit.

The time cost depends on thresholds the notes do not list, so no hour count can be derived from them. If you are rebuilding a character after a reset, our PvE leveling guide for levels 1 to 15 was written for patch 1.1.5.0 and covers the early levels.

Many rewards earned through PvE Prestige stay with you permanently, but only on your PvE Zone character. A separate group can only be earned through PvE Prestige and works in all modes; the table below lists it.

If you never reset since release

The notes say players who have not reset their progression since the release of Escape from Tarkov can now do so through Prestige. Besides the Prestige rewards, they unlock the release content, the storyline, the Icebreaker chapter and all future events.

The 1.2.0.0 notes also rework PMC bots in the PvE Zone. These changes apply to every PvE raid, whether or not you Prestige.

Faction behaviour

USEC and BEAR PMC bots now team up and stay non-hostile to each other significantly more often. There is a small chance that a PMC bot stays neutral toward a PMC player until the player approaches or attacks it. PMC bots are less often neutral toward Scav bots, start fights with Scavs and Bosses more often, and do not attack player Scavs first unless the player Scav approaches or attacks them.

Movement, spawns and The Labyrinth

PMC bots move more actively toward points of interest and task areas, so you can meet them in places they did not visit before. There are always PMC bots on a location at the start of a raid, their numbers vary less, and their spawns are spread more evenly. PMC bots now also spawn in The Labyrinth. Bot levels depend on the location; the notes give The Lab as an example with more high-level PMC bots.

Gear and difficulty

A PMC bot’s gear, weapons and difficulty now depend on its level and faction. Low-level bots are less of a threat and use gear players usually get at lower trader Loyalty Levels; high-level bots carry better weapons and high-level gear. Per-level loadouts are not listed in the notes.

The notes add the ability to purchase in-game roubles in the PvE Zone through the Expansions Hub. TarCoin, the Hub’s currency, can be found in raids (it is added to your balance once you extract with it) or bought in the Hub, on the official website or on Steam, per Battlestate’s Expansions Hub FAQ. So roubles from the Hub are paid for with earned or purchased TarCoins. The rouble price and any purchase limits are not stated in the notes.

EXFIL Brothers in brief

EXFIL Brothers is a referral program from the same patch. An Operator (an account older than 7 days with a level 30 character in any mode) can invite up to five new players; a Candidate has to link within 7 days of registering, and a link cannot be changed or removed once made. Playing raids together gives both +5% raid XP, which stays after the program is completed and does not grow with more Candidates. Rewards come at the Candidate’s character levels 10, 20 and 30, in the mode where the level was reached. Full rules and reward lists are on the official EXFIL Brothers page.

“Prestige wipes the whole stash and every trader”

A pre-patch checklist published on 25 September 2026 speculated about a full reset of stash, Hideout, quests and trader loyalty. It predates the patch notes, which say you can retain some gear, so it is not a current rule.

“The level and rouble numbers on guide sites are Battlestate’s”

Senseos gives figures such as level 15 and 5 million roubles for PvE Prestige 1 and attributes them to game data. These are community-reported figures, not confirmed PvE thresholds from Battlestate’s notes.

“It also resets Arena”

The notes say each Prestige level resets profile progression only in the PvE Zone, so neither your PvP profile nor Escape from Tarkov: Arena is part of the reset.

Not stated in the 1.2.0.0 notes, and not checked by us in the client: per-level PvE Prestige requirements and rewards, the exact percentage kept, which gear is retained, and the rouble price and limits. They may be shown in the game itself. We found no change to XP rates, quests, trader prices or the flea market in the retrievable text of the 1.2.0.0 notes. In Battlestate’s Steam news feed, checked on 10 October 2026, no hotfix after the 6 October patch was listed.

Sources and Confidence

This table separates what the studio has confirmed and what is not confirmed yet. Each claim below is tied to the post and the game version it describes.