Highlights
- Nikita Buyanov revealed COR3, a gritty Martian sci-fi horror project set in 2251 featuring realistic "Kalash Corp" weaponry.
- Escape From Tarkov will expand in 2026 with the vertical, snow-covered "Icebreaker" map and the claustrophobic "End of Line" metro station.
- New Escape From Tarkov features like shooting door locks and the "Scav Life" DLC are slated for release throughout 2026.
The creative minds behind the brutal extraction shooter Escape From Tarkov are officially heading to the stars. Battlestate Games co-founder and game director Nikita Buyanov revealed the first teaser for COR3. The new sci-fi project marks the studio’s first major venture following the full launch of Tarkov late last year. This chilling announcement introduces a haunting, post-apocalyptic vision of Mars, signaling a major shift for the developers from terrestrial warfare to space horror. The debut trailer, titled "PRJRPNT_BLUEMARS_FO," begins with a grounded first-person perspective that fans of the studio will immediately recognize.
A soldier is seen navigating the ruins of "Mariner City," a shattered colony on the Martian surface. As the camera pulls back, it reveals the true scale of the disaster: Mars’ orbit is choked with wrecked spaceships and the floating remains of cosmonauts bearing Russian red star insignias. This eerie footage suggests that while the setting is new, the game will retain the heavy animations and realistic weapon handling that defined the studio's previous work.
What Do We Know About COR3?
This reveal is the climax of weeks of cryptic marketing involving an alternate reality game (ARG) where players acted as private investigators to uncover clues. The official website for COR3 establishes that the game takes place just over two centuries in the future, set in the year 2251, as reported by Gamerant.
The lore centers on a group known as "The Core," which claims to have reversed mutual total destruction and is now focused on reviving human civilization and uniting the governments of the world. The interactive site details a reconnaissance mission gone wrong, hinting at a world where humanity is teetering on the edge of extinction.
Tarkov’s 2026 Roadmap
The weapons shown in the teaser even feature "Kalash Corp" branding, suggesting a thematic bridge between the gritty realism of Tarkov and this new high-concept science fiction. While the trailer does little to confirm specific gameplay loops, whether it will be a single-player narrative or an evolution of the extraction genre, the shift into space horror has firmly established Battlestate's ambition to expand beyond the boraders of Norvinsk.
Fans on forums like Reddit have already begun linking the COR3 teaser to scrapped ideas from Battlestate’s long-discussed "Russia 2028" project. Nikita Buyanov, who also steered Battlestate Games since 2012 and composed much of Tarkov’s iconic soundtrack, is leading the vision for COR3. The announcement was also made during a busy time for the studio.
Escape From Tarkov is currently riding post-launch momentum with a fresh crossover featuring the parody title Escape from Duckov. Additionally, the 2026 roadmap for Tarkov includes major updates like new maps and highly anticipated door-shooting mechanics, proving that the studio intends to support its flagship hit while developing this bold new IP.
While a release date and specific platforms have not yet been announced, the gaming community is already buzzing with speculation. Escape from Tarkov spent more than a decade in development before its full release in 2025, so fans are eager to see how quickly this new Martian nightmare will come to life.
