Escape From Tarkov Creator Unveils COR3, a New Sci-Fi Extraction Shooter Set on Mars

Nikita Buyanov, the creative force behind the wildly successful Escape From Tarkov, has unveiled his next project: COR3, a sci-fi extraction shooter set on Mars 200 years after humanity's near-extinction. The announcement came via a cryptic teaser trailer released on February 1st, 2026, showcasing a devastated Martian landscape that immediately drew comparisons to the hardcore PVPVE experience that made Tarkov famous.

The teaser opens with a lone survivor walking through the ruins of what appears to be a small Martian settlement. As the camera pulls back, viewers see multiple ruined towns connected by a destroyed highway system, all set against the backdrop of the red planet itself. The orbital view reveals a massive space station surrounded by satellites and what looks like the debris field from an enormous space battle. The trailer concludes with a dead cosmonaut floating in space, holding a gun with a cheeky message scrawled nearby.

According to the official COR3 website, the game's lore is set 200 years after "humanity's last stand," where an organization called The Core saved the remnants of mankind from total mutual destruction. The Core united world governments to "turn back the tide of destruction" and rebuild civilization on Mars. This backstory suggests a similar faction-based conflict system that Tarkov players will find familiar, though transplanted to an entirely new setting.

While the teaser provides minimal gameplay footage, the extraction shooter mechanics appear to remain intact. Players will likely scavenge valuable loot from the Martian ruins, engage in PVPVE combat, and extract through designated points while managing their gear and resources. The setting opens up new possibilities for weapon and equipment variety, with potential for both traditional firearms and futuristic Martian technology.

The announcement comes at an interesting time for Battlestate Games, as they recently revealed plans for Escape From Tarkov's future, including new maps, mechanics like shooting locks off doors, and a collaboration with the developers of Escape from Duckov, a popular Tarkov parody game. This suggests Buyanov may be positioning COR3 as a spiritual successor while allowing the original Tarkov to continue evolving.

Extraction shooters have grown increasingly popular since Tarkov's rise, with games like Hunt: Showdown, The Cycle: Frontier, and Marauders finding their own audiences. COR3's Martian setting could help it stand out in this crowded genre, offering a fresh take on the formula while maintaining the hardcore survival elements that fans crave.

No release date has been announced for COR3, and the teaser trailer provides little concrete information about gameplay systems or features. However, given Buyanov's track record with Tarkov and the strong initial reaction from the extraction shooter community, COR3 is already generating significant buzz among fans of hardcore multiplayer shooters.

The game's official website and social media channels remain sparse on details, but the teaser has already sparked extensive speculation about potential gameplay mechanics, weapon systems, and how the Martian setting might influence the traditional extraction shooter formula. As more information becomes available, it's clear that COR3 represents a significant evolution for both Buyanov and the extraction shooter genre as a whole.