Escape from Tarkov Devs Threaten With Bans for Tinkering With Brightness
If you use screen brightness modification tools in Escape from Tarkov, you should seriously consider abandoning them. The developers have blocked the popular DWM_lut filter for their top game, and threatened to ban players for using similar solutions.
Battlestate Games apparently doesn't like apps that modify screen brightness. In the fight against unfair players, the studio has decided to prevent players from using the DWM_lut tool - popular especially among streamers.
When an expensive monitor gives a player an advantage
You can read the studio's official announcement on Twitter. The developers refer to the DWM_lut filter, which improves the gameplay experience by brightening the image and making areas hidden in darkness more visible (you can find details here). As of yesterday having the filter installed will prevent you from running Escape from Tarkov, even though the program is not tied directly to the game - is an open and free tool that makes working, learning or entertainment more convenient.
The news is especially painful for those players who stream or have too much brightness in the computer room. In a better position are players with monitors supporting similar in-built function, which serves the same purpose as the DWM_lut filter - uses quadratic interpolation on the LUT data to reduce "fog" on the transfer, resulting in better visibility in darker areas. A video showing the effect of the tool can be found below.
Easy way to get banned
The blocking of the popular tool is aimed at reducing the number of players who wanted to gain an unfair advantage in online games this way. In December 2019, the studio published a similar announcement, informing that it had blocked the ReShade tool - used to change colors and lighting in the game. In that case, the developer did not penalize the use of the program, but this time it's different - use of similar tools will be treated as a violation of the rules, resulting in a ban.
The community on Reddit is not thrilled with the changes. Most users accuse the studio of pettiness - focusing on blocking simple filters, instead of tackling players using, for example, aimbots (programs that improve in-game accuracy). Unfortunately, the company has not addressed the allegations.
Escape from Tarkov has been available in early access on PC since July 28, 2017. The developers are constantly expanding the game with new content, although the pace of changes is quite low. Recently, the developers of PUBG: Battlegrounds announced Project BlackBudget (working name), which is expected to provide competition for Escape from Tarkov. Time will tell if the new rival will be able to motivate Battlestate Games to work more efficiently.
Battlestate Games is a Russian studio. The company was originally founded in St. Petersburg. The developers moved their headquarters to London, although some of the developers continue operating from Russia.
