Escape From Tarkov is a unique game. The tactical shooter requires a lot of patients from even the most skilled of players due to its hardcore, stealthy, shoot-and-loot nature. The game can be hard to crack for beginners, but there are some maps that are more forgiving than others. Of all the maps, Customs is perhaps the most friendly for beginners, with a mass of loot up for grabs too.
In this guide, we have explained all there is to find and look out for around Customs.
Read More: Escape From Tarkov Healing Guide: How to Heal
What is Customs?
The Customs area is located in the main industrial district of Tarkov, not far from the Factory. Of all the maps available in Escape From Tarkov, Customs is said to be the most friendly and forgiving for beginners. The map itself is a haven for various infrastructure, including a freight train terminal, multiple storage facilities, and other half-finished buildings.
Above, we have embedded an interactive, fully-customisable map of Customs from our friends at MapGenie. The map has all loot, extractions, and other areas of interest noted on it. Check it out here.
Compared to other maps in Escape From Tarkov, Customs is of a medium size. The map allows 6-12 players to commence a raid at a time, and has up to 20 different locations for Scavs to spawn. Customs is also a relatively open map allowing for long-range gunfights, but there are a few obstructions which will encourage players to engage in medium-to-close range combat on occasion.
There are other areas, known as vantage points, for players to practice their sniping skills too: see the Construction Site. The only downfall of this, however, is that these vantage points have minimal cover.
Spawns & Extractions
On Customs, both Spawn points and Extraction points are rather easy to get to grips with, hence why the map has the status of being so beginner-friendly. Essentially, players spawn on either the Eastern or Western areas of the map; wherever they spawn, they must make it to the alternating side of the map for extractions. For example, if you spawn on the Western side of the map, you will extract in the East, and vice versa.
Spawn points are also rather easy to identify and thus avoid or go in for kills. With these facts in mind, Customs is overall a relatively easy map to learn, navigate, and grab loot on.
Points of Interest
Around Customs, there is a lot to explore. There's an abundance of factories, dorm buildings, unfinished structures, offices, storage space to loot. The main points of interest are as follows:
- Dorms
- New Gas Station
- Construction Building
These are located in the centre of the Customs map, and are pretty popular for players who are adept at Escape From Tarkov. These areas garner the most interest, which usually means that the rest of the map is empty, quiet, and at liberty for other players to explore. This is yet another reason why Customs is great for beginners, as players can explore and loot freely without too much of a threat initially.
Good luck navigating your way around Customs and getting used to Escape From Tarkov. If you are a beginner to the game, we have some general tips and tricks here. For those who are a little more experienced, our weapons guide is worth taking a look at.
This article was updated on the 15th of December 2021 by Kelsey Raynor, with contributions from Julian Sims.