‘Escape From Tarkov’ traders and Flea Market disappear as new merchant teased

Battlestate Games has removed the Flea Market – as well as several traders – from Escape From Tarkov, with their disappearance seemingly connected to a new merchant called the Lightkeeper.

The changes were spotted this morning (April 27), when fans on the Escape From Tarkov subreddit spotted that in-game trader Skier had been removed.

Since then, players have quickly lost many of the game’s trade avenues. Not long after Skier disappeared, Escape From Tarkov‘s Flea Market – where players trade with other players – was taken down, shortly followed by the disappearance of traders Ragman and Jaeger.

Many players expect every trader in the game to eventually depart, as Battlestate Games COO Nikita Buyanov recently tweeted “30000 likes and i will remove all traders for 5 days,” in a post that already has upwards of 46,000 likes.

However, the removal of trading in Escape From Tarkov seems to herald a bigger change: the appearance of a trader that will be located in Lighthouse.

#EscapefromTarkov pic.twitter.com/cYEV0sHFpx

— Battlestate Games (@bstategames) April 27, 2022

As the game’s traders disappeared, Battlestate Games shared the above letter that seemingly explains where they’ve gone:

“All these threats from the lightkeeper force us to go into hiding until better times. Apparently he’s got everyone by the balls, and not just us. Perhaps even Ragman will have to close up his place,” reads the letter.

Recently, Battlestate Games has been ramping up teasers regarding an update to Lighthouse. The studio has suggested that an electronics-themed trader will soon move into the Lighthouse on the map of the same name, in an update that will likely expand the map.

In one image, Battlestate Games may have revealed that the trader will arrive in the game tomorrow (April 27).

In other gaming news, Bethesda has launched several retro Elder Scrolls games on Steam for the first time, and they’re all free to celebrate the occasion.