Blackout is Escape from Tarkov’s limited-time event on The Lab, where a facility-wide power outage, Black Division forces, restricted extracts, and a raid-specific emergency code completely change how the map plays.
In this guide, we cover:
- The Blackout event status and end date
- PvP and PvE raid changes
- How to access The Lab during Blackout
- The Wedge and Black Division
- How to obtain the Admin’s key
- Where to find and use the emergency code
- Parking Gate and Hangar Gate extractions
- All five Blackout tasks and objectives
- Quest rewards and the Going Dark achievement
- Recommended loadouts and survival tips
For seasonal profiles, Battle Pass, and Kord Breach task changes, see our separate Season 1 guide.
Labs access keycards, NVGs, high-penetration ammunition, and replacement loadouts make repeated Blackout attempts expensive. Tarkov Roubles for Sale can help fund additional runs without another lengthy farming session.
Event Status
Blackout started July 14 and was originally scheduled to end July 27. Battlestate extended it and hasn’t announced a new end date. Battlestate also hasn’t said whether Blackout ends before, alongside, or after Update 1.1.
What Changes on The Lab
- Raid duration: 30 minutes in PvP, 35 minutes in PvE.
- PvE has fewer Black Division operatives and more PMC bots; PvP keeps the standard presence.
- A July 17 balance update increased Black Division’s chance to spawn with the event key.
- Locked rooms have more loot generally (exact amounts unconfirmed).
- Therapist and Mechanic added extra Labs access-keycard offers.
- The facility loses power for the raid.
Access and Entry
Wrench and Waterboarding requires character level 30. If it’s not appearing from Skier, check your level first.
You need a TerraGroup Labs access keycard to enter, consumed on entry — every group member needs their own. Colored keycards used for rooms inside are reusable, unlike the entry card. Direct selection of The Lab unlocks through the Tour story chapter; until then, transit in via Factory or Streets while carrying the access keycard.
Don’t confuse the access keycard with the Admin’s key (below) — one gets you into the raid, the other into one office once you’re inside.
Not level 30 yet? Our Tarkov Level Boosting service can help you reach the Blackout requirement while also improving trader loyalty and unlocking additional account progression.
Power Outage and Visibility
The Lab’s lights shut off shortly after the raid begins and stay off. Bring NVGs or thermal as your primary tool; a flashlight is useful for close rooms but can reveal your position in open corridors, so toggle it only when needed.
Only Parking Gate and Hangar Gate work as extracts, and neither is available until someone activates the control panel in the administrator’s office — activating it opens both gates for the whole raid, not just for you. Check whether another player has already activated the gates before committing to a long detour. Expect heavy traffic around the office and Black area, since some PMCs wait for someone else to do the unlocking.
Wedge and Black Division
Black Division occupies The Lab, led by the boss The Wedge and his guard squad. A key is guaranteed in his pockets; regular operatives can spawn with one too, but that’s chance-based.
- He travels with guards — treat any sighting as a multi-enemy fight.
- He can deploy Model 8230 CS gas grenades. GP-5, GP-7, and Avon M53A1 masks block all effects; a basic respirator only stops the coughing/thorax damage. The gas can also block medical-item use, so leaving the area matters even with partial protection.
- Combined with no light and restricted exits, this is one of the riskiest fights on the map. Plan your exit route before engaging.
We’re not publishing exact health pools, spawn points, or guard counts — those shift between patches.
The Admin’s Key
The event-specific arsenal storage room key is listed on the wiki as the Admin’s key — don’t confuse it with the standard, reusable arsenal key behind the Red Keycard area.
- Single-use, and can’t go in a Secure Container.
- Guaranteed on The Wedge; can occasionally spawn on his guards or regular Black Division.
- Opens the administrator’s office (between the Testing Area and Server Room), which also holds the emergency code and gate controls.
- Consumed on use — you’ll need another one next raid.
The Emergency Code and Keypad Rooms
The administrator’s office contains a four-digit code that changes every raid — memorize the room, not a number. It substitutes for colored keycards on most keypad-controlled rooms that raid, though not necessarily every locked door. Colored keycards remain a useful fallback if you can’t get the Admin’s key or reach the office safely.
All Five Blackout Tasks
- Wrench and Waterboarding (Skier) — Visit The Lab. Entering counts; survival isn’t required.
- Key to Every Door (Skier) — Enter the administrator’s office, locate the code, and test it on a keypad-controlled door.
- My Blood Type Mark Is on the Sleeve (Therapist) — Get two TG-y blood samples and Sanitar’s documents, extract, and hand them over. Black area sample: inside the glove-box apparatus. Green area sample: check the counter, refrigerator, or rear work surface. Sanitar’s documents: office desk near the computer, in the blue-keycard room. Items can be recovered across separate raids.
- Patch the Vulnerability (Mechanic) — Plant three Local network hacking devices (given by Mechanic at task start, one consumed per placement) at: server racks in the administrator’s office, near the water cooler in the Garage Gate control room (ex-Yellow Keycard), and server racks in the central security monitoring room (ex-Violet Keycard). Then eliminate ten Black Division operatives — Icebreaker Black Division and Wedge’s personal guards don’t count. Placements and kills can span multiple raids; losing a device may require a Mechanic barter to replace.
- If I Can’t Have It (Mechanic) — Eliminate 30 targets on The Lab. Originally 15 PMCs only; a July 17 update opened it to any valid target — Black Division, AI PMCs, Raiders included — which especially helps PvE players who don’t rely solely on PMC bot spawns.
Five tasks and a boss fight is a lot to grind solo across repeated Labs runs. Our Escape from Tarkov Quest Boost can complete the Blackout taskline and secure its rewards before the event ends.
Blackout requires repeated Labs entries, fights against Wedge and Black Division, task-item recovery, device placements, and successful extractions. Our Tarkov Laboratory Raid Boost service can help you complete Labs objectives, defeat dangerous enemies, and make progress through the event without wasting access keycards on failed runs.
PvP vs. PvE
| Mechanic | PvP | PvE |
| Raid duration | 30 min | 35 min |
| Black Division population | Standard | Reduced |
| PMC presence | Human PMCs | More PMC bots |
| Admin’s key chance | Increased | Increased |
| Locked-room loot | Increased | Increased |
| If I Can’t Have It progress | Any valid target | Any valid target |
In PvE, Black Division, PMC bots, and Raiders all count toward the final task, so progress doesn’t hinge on scarce bot spawns.
Rewards and Achievement
| Task | XP | Base Roubles | Notable Rewards |
| Wrench and Waterboarding | 15,000 | 75,000₽ | 2x Cyclone Shakhin scope, 2x Torrey Pines Logic sight |
| Key to Every Door | 33,000 | 165,000₽ | REAP-IR, FLIR thermal optics |
| My Blood Type Mark Is on the Sleeve | 40,000 | 185,000₽ | Black, Red, Violet Labs keycards |
| Patch the Vulnerability | 55,000 | 270,000₽ | 2x M4A1, 3x MAG5-100 mags, 3x M995 ammo packs |
| If I Can’t Have It | 46,000 | 220,000₽ | 2x M60E6, 5x Capco Assault Boxes, 35x M61 ammo packs |
Completing all five unlocks the legendary Going Dark achievement.
The final two Blackout tasks come from Mechanic and require three hacking-device placements, ten eligible Black Division kills, and 30 additional eliminations on The Lab. Our Tarkov Mechanic Quests Boost service can handle these objectives and unlock their associated rewards.
Loadout and Survival Tips
- Bring ammo that penetrates Black Division armor — this isn’t the raid for cheap flesh rounds unless running a leg build.
- Pack enough mags for several armored fights, and reserve one for the walk to extraction.
- Favor a weapon manageable in tight spaces; Labs is corridors and doorways.
- Keep NVGs charged and treat the flashlight as backup only.
- Bring a few grenades to clear held doorways, plus reliable bleed control and a CMS or Surv12 kit for the long route between office, tasks, and extract.
- Insurance doesn’t recover gear lost on The Lab — build a kit you can afford to lose, since the boss, office, code, and extract activation each add a failure point.
- Move deliberately around intersections and stairwells; sound matters more than usual in the dark. AI voice lines and gunfire may just mean AI fighting AI, not a human PMC.
- Use walls and doorframes to isolate one enemy at a time, and clear stairway landings before committing.
Need a kit built for dark Labs corridors? Use our Tarkov Gear Configurator Boost to choose a suitable weapon, magazines, armor, helmet, and other equipment for repeated Blackout attempts.
Connection to Kord Breach
Blackout is a narrative lead-in to Kord Breach: classified material is leaving The Lab while Mechanic tries to restore power, and Black Division’s operation continues underground. Anything about post-event map changes belongs in the Season 1 guide, not here.
Check out more Escape from Tarkov guides:
- Escape from Tarkov Kord Breach Guide: All Modifiers, Costs, and Build Examples
- Escape from Tarkov: Icebreaker Unlock Guide – Boreas Questline Walkthrough
- Escape from Tarkov 1.0.4.5: Complete Guide to Every Change and What It Means for You
- Escape From Tarkov 1.0: Release Date, Wipe Details, New Map, Factions, and Full Launch Guide
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Escape from Tarkov Blackout event?
Blackout is a limited-time event set entirely on The Lab. The facility loses power, Black Division occupies the map, The Wedge appears with his guards, and players must use a raid-specific emergency code to access keypad-controlled rooms. Only Parking Gate and Hangar Gate are available as extracts.
When does the Tarkov Blackout event end?
Blackout began on July 14, 2026, and was originally scheduled to end on July 27. Battlestate extended the event but has not announced a replacement end date. It is also unclear whether Blackout will end before, alongside, or after Update 1.1.
What is the four-digit Labs code during Blackout?
There is no universal Blackout code. A different four-digit emergency access code is generated for every Labs raid and displayed inside the administrator’s office.
Does the Blackout emergency access code change every raid?
Yes. The emergency access code changes with every raid, so codes shared by other players or shown in videos will not work in a new match.
Where is the emergency access code in The Lab?
The code is located inside the locked administrator’s office between the Testing Area and Server Room. After entering with the Admin’s key, look inside the office for the four-digit code and the controls that activate both available extracts.
How do you get the Admin’s key in Tarkov Blackout?
The Admin’s key is guaranteed in The Wedge’s pockets. His guards and regular Black Division operatives can also spawn with the key, but their chance is not guaranteed. The key is single-use and cannot be placed inside a Secure Container.
Where is the system administrator’s office on The Lab?
The administrator’s office is located between the Testing Area and Server Room. It contains the emergency access code and the control panel used to activate Parking Gate and Hangar Gate.
How do you extract from Labs during the Blackout event?
Someone must enter the administrator’s office and use its control panel. Activating the panel opens both Parking Gate and Hangar Gate for everyone in the raid. Another player may activate them before you reach the office, so check their status before committing to the route.
Which extracts are available during Tarkov Blackout?
Only Parking Gate and Hangar Gate are available. Normal transit exits are disabled during the event, and both gates must be activated through the administrator’s office before they can be used.
Do you still need a TerraGroup Labs access keycard during Blackout?
Yes. Every player entering The Lab needs their own TerraGroup Labs access keycard, and it is consumed on entry. The emergency code only replaces colored keycards for applicable interior keypad rooms; it does not replace the entry card.
What level do you need to start the Blackout questline?
Wrench and Waterboarding, the opening Blackout task from Skier, requires character level 30. Players below level 30 will not be able to begin the event taskline.
How many quests are in the Tarkov Blackout questline?
The Blackout questline contains five tasks:
- Wrench and Waterboarding
- Key to Every Door
- My Blood Type Mark Is on the Sleeve
- Patch the Vulnerability
- If I Can’t Have It
Completing all five unlocks the Going Dark achievement.
How do you complete Key to Every Door?
Obtain the Admin’s key, enter the administrator’s office, read the four-digit emergency code, and enter it into a keypad-controlled door. The code changes every raid, so it must be collected again on each attempt.
Where are the TG-y blood samples and Sanitar’s documents?
The first TG-y sample is inside the glove-box apparatus in the Black area. The second is in the Green area and may appear near the laboratory counter, refrigerator, or rear work surface. Sanitar’s documents are on the desk near the computer in the room normally opened with the blue-marked keycard. The items can be collected across separate raids.
Where do you plant the hacking devices for Patch the Vulnerability?
Plant the three Local network hacking devices at:
- The server racks inside the administrator’s office
- Near the water cooler in the Garage Gate control room
- The server racks inside the central security monitoring room
Mechanic provides three devices when the task begins, and one is consumed after each successful placement.
Do Wedge’s guards count for Patch the Vulnerability?
No. The Wedge’s personal guards do not count toward the task’s ten required Black Division eliminations. Black Division encountered on Icebreaker also does not count, so focus on regular Black Division operatives inside The Lab.
What counts toward If I Can’t Have It after the balance update?
Any valid target eliminated on The Lab can contribute. This includes regular Black Division operatives, Raiders, AI PMCs, and other eligible enemies. The task originally required 15 PMC kills, but the July 17 update changed it to 30 eliminations against any valid targets.
Is the Blackout event available in PvE, and what changes from PvP?
Yes. Blackout is available in both PvP and PvE. PvP raids last 30 minutes, while PvE raids last 35 minutes. PvE also has fewer Black Division operatives and more PMC bots. The quests, emergency code, locked office, extracts, and rewards remain available in both modes.
Where does The Wedge spawn, and how do you defeat him?
The Wedge does not have one dependable spawn that should be treated as permanent, since event spawn behavior can change between patches. When fighting him, use NVGs or thermal optics, bring ammunition capable of penetrating armored targets, and isolate him or his guards with walls and doorframes. Gas protection is also useful because he can deploy Model 8230 CS gas grenades.
What rewards do you get from the Blackout quests and the Going Dark achievement?
The five tasks award experience, base Roubles, thermal optics, Black, Red, and Violet Labs keycards, M4A1 rifles, M995 ammunition, M60E6 machine guns, Capco 100-round boxes, and M61 ammunition packs. Completing the entire taskline also unlocks the legendary Going Dark achievement.
