This is Tapes from the Dark Side, and we're going to run one quick ad before the episode begins.

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Tapes from the dark side contains descriptions of violence and sexuality.

Listener discretion is advised.

Tarkov is located in a brutal, cold, and unforgiving climate.

It's in the Norvance region of northwestern Russia, what's called a special economic zone.

At some point in the mid-2010s, a major political scandal implicated a corrupt corporation, which

resulted in the near total collapse of the local economy. And just a few months later, the area erupted into an intense armed conflict that is ongoing

to this very day.

Among those involved are Russian troops, United Nations peacekeepers, and a number of private

military contractors. Chandler Holderson fought in

Tarkov alongside one of his best friends Andrew Smith who goes by the name Smitty. Though

there's one thing about Tarkov that you need to know, you won't find it on any real world map. That's because it exists only

in a fictional world of a hyper-realistic military shooting game called Escape from Tarkov.

Just like in the real world, in Tarkov, each item you take into the battlefield can greatly affect your survival.

You must plan meticulously to have enough food and water to survive each battle.

How much gear you take affects your stamina and speed.

There are no on-screen map displays, and you have to rely on your own instincts and sense

of direction.

You don't even get a meter that shows how many bullets are left in your gun.

You have to manually check.

In the vast world of gaming, Tarkov is crafted specifically for those seeking a unique

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