Fragmentary Order vs Escape from Tarkov: Same Universe? "Space Tarkov" Explained

Short answer

Fragmentary Order is set in the same universe as Escape from Tarkov, as Nikita Buyanov confirmed on November 5, 2026, and he directs both. It is not a sequel: a different studio (Rant Gaming), a different engine (Unreal Engine 5), maps reported at three to five times Tarkov’s size, and players fight through disposable clones called RepEnts.

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Same universe, different game

On November 5, 2026, Nikita Buyanov, head of Battlestate Games and game director of Escape from Tarkov, confirmed that Fragmentary Order and Tarkov share a universe. Fans had already spotted nods between them. What he didn't say is how they connect: no timeline, no shared characters, no shared companies have been named.

So it is not a sequel. In April 2026, Rant Gaming was reported as a separate studio of about 130 people, not part of Battlestate, with only three or four Tarkov developers as consultants. By November the team was 150 and hiring toward 500.

Side by side

	Escape from Tarkov	Fragmentary Order
Studio	Battlestate Games	Rant Gaming
Director	Nikita Buyanov	Nikita Buyanov
Publisher / store	Battlestate Games	COR3, a PC platform, only
Setting	Near-future Russia, the Norvinsk region	Solar System, 2251
Engine	Unity	Unreal Engine 5
You play	A PMC or Scav	A RepEnt: a remotely operated clone
Death	You lose your gear	You lose the clone and its gear; "death is a business expense"
Map size	Baseline	Reported 3–4× (April) to about 5× (June) a Tarkov map
Squad	Groups of up to 5	Up to 4
PvE	Separate profile	Integrated into the game
Release	Out now	Not dated; alpha before end of 2026

Fragmentary Order also adds things the reveal put front and center: vehicles, recon drones and maps reported to hold 40–50 players.

"Not just Tarkov in space"

Buyanov has pushed back on the "Space Tarkov" label from the start. In April he told GamesBeat that extraction mechanics are in but won't be central, and called the game "a next-generation combat simulator." In the same interview he described Arc Raiders as an extraction shooter "for casual people," and said his team wants the most grueling, demanding experience possible.

He is open about the Tarkov lineage, though. On November 4: "Tarkov is still worth playing after ten years, and I want Fragmentary Order to be just as playable." And: "We're not building a match you play. We're building a world you live in, for years."

An operator aims a compact sidearm in the rain — Official media © Rant Gaming / COR3

The nicknames

Space Tarkov / Spacetarkov / Starkov. The default player shorthand. Japanese outlets used "Space Tarkov" in headlines for the November reveal.
Tarkov 2. Used by some streamers in video titles, despite the separate studio.
FragO / Frago. Short for the game itself, and a pun on the military term it is named after. See the lore page for what a fragmentary order actually is.

Should Tarkov players care?

If what you like in Tarkov is gear fear, slow information gathering and hardcore gunplay, everything shown so far points the same way, on bigger maps and with more tools: drones, scans, vehicles. The big differences are the clone framing, which makes death a cost instead of a total loss, and integrated PvE. See PvE and the gameplay breakdown.

Common questions

Is Fragmentary Order Tarkov 2?

No. It shares a universe and a director with Escape from Tarkov, but it is a new game from a different studio, Rant Gaming, set in 2251.

Is Fragmentary Order in the same universe as Tarkov?

Yes. Nikita Buyanov confirmed it on November 5, 2026. How the two connect has not been explained.

Is Battlestate Games making Fragmentary Order?

No. Rant Gaming makes it and COR3 publishes it. In April 2026 the studio was reported as not part of Battlestate Games, with a few Tarkov developers as consultants.

Why do people call it Space Tarkov or Starkov?

Because Tarkov’s director is making a hardcore sci-fi shooter with looting and extraction. The nickname stuck in media headlines too, especially in Japan.