You're middle of the street. Bodies everywhere. Your pockets are heavy with loot, and your hunger bar is flashing red. This is Ground Zero. For most players in Escape from Tarkov, this map is a meat grinder. It’s the first hurdle, the "welcome to hell" handshake from Battlestate Games. But if you don't understand the Ground Zero scav extracts, you're basically just delivering free gear to the PMCs waiting in the shadows. Honestly, being a scav here is a totally different beast than being a PMC. You aren't just looking for an exit; you’re navigating a graveyard of failed starters and high-level hunters.
Ground Zero is unique because of the level cap. Or, well, the lack of one now that BSG split the matchmaking. If you’re under level 20, you’re in the "newbie" pool. Over level 20? You’re with the sharks. But as a scav, those rules don't really apply to you in the same way. You’re the cleanup crew.
The Scav Reality on Ground Zero
Most people treat Ground Zero like a linear hallway. It isn't. It’s a series of interconnected death traps centered around the Terragroup building. When you spawn in as a scav, you usually have about 10 to 15 minutes left on the clock. That’s not much time. You need to know exactly where you’re going before you even check your inventory.
The extracts for scavs are significantly more forgiving than the PMC ones, but they’re also prime spots for "exit camping" by desperate players.
Basement Stairs: The Most Reliable Exit
If you find yourself near the Nakatani building or the main Terragroup entrance, Basement Stairs is usually your best bet. It’s tucked away. It feels safer than the wide-open streets, though "safe" is a relative term in Tarkov. You’ll find it on the south side of the map. It’s a literal set of stairs leading down into a dark basement area.
Why do people like this one? Coverage. You aren't exposed to the snipers on the balconies of the surrounding skyscrapers. You duck in, hit the extract zone, and you're gone. Just watch out for PMC leftovers—sometimes players hide in the darkness of the stairwell to pack magazines or heal up before they make their own break for it.
Police Checkpoint: High Risk, High Reward
This one is basically in the middle of the chaos. The Police Checkpoint scav extract is located near the intersection by the Empire building. It’s iconic because of the police cars and the barricades.
Look.
Extracting here is scary. You are visible from at least four different directions. If there is a PMC still in the raid with a scoped rifle, you are a sitting duck. However, if you've been looting the dead bodies around the capital building or the crashed van, this is the quickest way out. Don't linger. I’ve seen so many players stop to check one last crate near the checkpoint only to get tapped in the head from the Terragroup windows. It's a classic mistake.
Understanding the Map Layout for Scavs
Ground Zero is built around a "U" shape of sorts, with the massive Terragroup skyscraper as the focal point. To master the Ground Zero scav extracts, you have to understand the flow of the raid. PMCs usually push toward the center for quests like "Saving the Mole." By the time you spawn in as a scav, the initial bloodbath is over.
- Scav Checkpoint: Found at the end of the main road, near the outskirts. It's a very standard "end of the road" extract.
- Unity Billboard: This one is a bit more obscure if you aren't looking for it. It’s located near the Unity building (shocker, right?). It’s a small, specific zone.
- The Utility Room: This is often confused with PMC extracts, but as a scav, it’s a quiet little corner that most people ignore.
Think about the verticality. Ground Zero isn't just flat ground. There are parking garages, second-story offices, and collapsed floors. When moving toward an extract, always look up. The "Scav Checkpoint" extract, for instance, is overlooked by several windows in the apartment complexes. If those windows are broken, someone might be watching you.
Why Some Extracts Don't Work
Newer players often get frustrated because they run to an extract and nothing happens. In Tarkov, not every extract is open for every player in every raid. You have to double-tap 'O' (by default) to see which ones are active for your specific scav run.
Some extracts are "always open," while others might have requirements or be limited to certain spawn points. For scavs on Ground Zero, the game usually gives you 2 or 3 options. Usually, if you spawn on the East side, your extracts will be on the West side. It’s BSG’s way of forcing you to cross the map and encounter other players. It's cruel, but that’s the game.
The Terragroup Influence
Everything leads back to Terragroup. This building is the heart of the map. If your extract is on the opposite side of the building from where you are, you have two choices: go through the parking garage or run the "street gauntlet."
The parking garage is darker and has more cover, but it’s also a maze where you can get cornered. The street is faster but leaves you wide open. I personally prefer the garage for scav runs. It’s filled with toolboxes and crates that PMCs often miss because they're too focused on the high-tier loot inside the main offices. You can fill a pilgrim bag just by hitting the back corners of the garage on your way to the Basement Stairs.
Common Misconceptions About Scavving Ground Zero
A lot of people think Ground Zero is just for low levels. Since the update that split the map into two brackets, the "high-level" version of Ground Zero is actually one of the most intense maps in the game. When you scav into a level 20+ lobby, the PMCs are geared to the teeth. They have thermal scopes, high-tier armor, and they know every single angle.
Don't assume that because it’s a "starter map," the players are bad.
Another misconception: "Scav Karma doesn't matter here." Wrong. If you start blasting other scavs near the Police Checkpoint, the AI scavs—who are actually quite numerous on this map—will swarm you. Plus, you lose that precious Fence reputation. High Fence rep means better starting gear for your scav and faster extract times. It's worth playing nice.
How to Actually Survive Your Extract
The final 200 meters are the most dangerous. Here is the reality: most players die when they think they are safe.
- Listen for the "Ghost" footsteps. Ground Zero has weird audio bugs sometimes, especially around the metal grates and the parking ramps. If you hear wood crunching and you’re on concrete, someone is near you in a building.
- The "Sprinting" Trap. Don't sprint all the way to the extract. You make too much noise. Walk. Save your stamina for the final dash across the open road to the Scav Checkpoint.
- Check the bodies. If you see a pile of dead scavs near an extract, turn around. That’s a "kill zone." Someone is likely camping it or a PMC is clearing the area for their own exit.
Honestly, the best piece of advice I can give for Ground Zero scav extracts is to use the "Crouch and Cover" method. If you’re at the Unity Billboard, don't just stand there. Lay down. Use the environment to hide your silhouette.
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The Loot You’re Carrying Matters
If you found a GPU or a rare stim in the Terragroup labs, don't go to the Police Checkpoint. It’s too risky. Take the long way around to the Basement Stairs. It’ll take you an extra two minutes, but your survival rate goes up by 50%.
The map is small. You can cross it in about 3 minutes if you’re hauling ass, but that’s a death sentence. Tarkov rewards the patient. Even as a scav with 5 minutes left, you have more time than you think. Most PMCs are long gone by the 7-minute mark, either extracted or dead. The only people left are other scavs and the occasional "player scav" who is just as nervous as you are.
Real Talk: Is Scavving Ground Zero Worth It?
People ask me this all the time. "Shouldn't I just scav Lighthouse or Reserve?"
Sure, Lighthouse has better loot potential. But Ground Zero is fast. You can get in, hit the fallen containers, check the dead PMCs near the machine gun nests, and hit a Ground Zero scav extract in under ten minutes. It’s the perfect map for "quick cash" runs.
The density of loot in such a small space is actually insane. There are medical bags, weapon crates, and dead bodies everywhere. It’s a scavenger’s paradise, literally.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
To consistently make it out of Ground Zero with your loot intact, you need a system. Stop winging it.
First, identify your extract immediately. As soon as you spawn, hit 'O' twice. If you have Basement Stairs, your route is the southern perimeter. If you have Scav Checkpoint, you’re hugging the northern walls.
Second, avoid the middle of the street. Use the buildings. You can move through many of the shops and lobbies to stay out of the sightlines of the snipers.
Third, keep your ears open. The sound of a suppressed rifle is distinct. If you hear shots near the Police Checkpoint, and that’s your extract, wait. Sit in a bush. Wait until there are only 2 minutes left. The "Red Timer" is your friend as a scav. Most campers leave when the clock hits 3 minutes because they need to get to their own extraction point.
Finally, manage your weight. If you’re overweight, you’re loud and slow. If you have a massive backpack full of heavy tank batteries or motors, you are an easy target. Sometimes, dropping a few low-value items to regain your mobility is the difference between extracting and ending up as just another lootable body on the pavement.
Master the exits, understand the flow, and stop running into the open. That's how you win Ground Zero.