Escape from Tarkov pre-orders are region-locked. That does not mean that you will have the opportunity to connect only local servers. Regional binding blocks the ability to launch the game outside the region of purchase, since pre-orders of the project are sold at different prices for different regions.
When you place the pre-order on the pre-order page, there is a warning of a region lock and an indication of the region you are currently in.
Pre-order regions:
- CIS Region: Purchases made in this region work only in the CIS countries.
- EU Region (Europe): Purchases made in this region will allow you to launch the game anywhere in the world. You can also upgrade to this region at any time by going back to the pre-order page (Make sure you are logged in). There will be an upgrade button under the package you want to upgrade to.
- Other Region: Purchases made in this region work only in countries outside of EU and CIS countries; all goes to this region and this version of game can be launched anywhere in the world except in Europe regions. May also appear as "USA".
If you try to launch the game outside the region of purchase, error 208 will be displayed.
Few notes to consider:
When purchasing the game as a gift, make sure you select the region that matches the user the gift is intended for.
Make sure you are not using a VPN while making the purchase because this might lead you to purchasing the wrong region version.
If you are planning to move to another region, you can upgrade to EU version at any time through the pre-order page (Make sure you are logged in).
Region lock does not mean you cannot play with other regions or in other servers. It only means that your game can only be physically launched/run in that region.
If you travel a lot, EU version is the way to go.
