Ground Zero is the first map most PMCs ever load into — and in Season 1 "Kord Breach" (patch 1.0.6) it's where every fresh character under level 21 is funneled. That makes it the single most-played map in the game right now, and the fastest place to build your first few million roubles before the flea market opens. This guide breaks down exactly where the money is, which extracts to use, which keys pay for themselves, and the loot run that nets the most roubles per raid on Ground Zero as of the current wipe.
Escape from Tarkov - Roubles
Get millions of Roubles in 10 minutes
Quick answer: how to make money on Ground Zero (1.0.6)
The fast version: Ground Zero has two versions — a beginner map (level 1–20) with reduced loot, and a full level 21+ version with GPUs, LedX, sealed weapon crates and far better spawns. On either version, your best money run is a fast loop through the office buildings, pharmacies and PC rooms (grab graphics cards, meds, tech items and any sealed weapon boxes), then extract at Emercom Checkpoint or transit to Streets of Tarkov next to Mira Ave. A clean 21+ run realistically pulls 300,000–700,000+ roubles in under 10 minutes, and TerraGroup loot spikes can push a single raid past 1 million.
- Best for: fresh Season 1 characters (sub-21 are locked to Ground Zero anyway), early quests, and safe, fast rouble runs.
- Biggest earners: graphics cards from PCs, LedX and meds from pharmacies, tech items from offices, sealed weapon crates.
- Fastest cash-out: Emercom Checkpoint (free PMC extract) or a Streets transit to keep looting.
- Season 1 note: the Safecracker Kord Breach modifier lets you open safes without keys — that changes which loot spots are worth hitting (more on this below).
If you'd rather skip the sub-21 grind entirely, timesaver.gg runs Tarkov roubles, leveling boosts and raid carries with pro players — but if you're grinding it yourself, here's everything you need.
What is Ground Zero? (and why it matters in Season 1)
Ground Zero is the tenth map added to Escape from Tarkov (originally introduced in patch 0.14) and represents the central business district of Tarkov — the streets around TerraGroup's headquarters, where the whole outbreak began. As the official Escape from Tarkov Wiki puts it: "The business center of Tarkov. This is where TerraGroup was headquartered. This is where it all began." It's a compact, dense urban map: office towers, a pharmacy, a café, apartments and a construction site, all packed into a small footprint.
The critical thing to understand in patch 1.0.6 / Season 1 Kord Breach is that Ground Zero is split into two matchmaking pools:
- Level 1–20 (beginner version): reduced loot chances. PCs mostly hold graphics cards, drawers hold lab keys and low-to-mid tier items. There are no bosses, and threats are limited — it's built to teach core mechanics.
- Level 21+ (experienced version): the same map with much richer loot tables, sealed weapon crates, better tech spawns, roaming Cultists, and hazards like stationary AGS-30 grenade launchers, NSV Utyos heavy machine guns, minefields, claymores and border snipers around the edges.
Matchmaking groups by the highest-level member of your squad, so a level-19 friend queuing with a level-30 will land you both in the harder 21+ pool. For a Kord Breach fresh character, that's the whole progression arc on this map: grind the beginner version to 21, then unlock the far more profitable version.
Best loot on Ground Zero: where the roubles are
Ground Zero rewards a tight, room-clearing route rather than long sightlines. Prioritize these in order:
| Loot area | What to grab | Value tier |
|---|---|---|
| Office buildings (Tartowers & TerraGroup floors) | Tech items, folders, GPUs, sealed drawers | High |
| Pharmacy / medical spots | LedX, meds, injectors, Ophthalmoscope | High |
| PC rooms & server spots | Graphics cards, tech components | High |
| Café & restaurant | Provisions, quest items, cash registers | Medium |
| Apartments (Nakatani) | Valuables in safes/drawers, quest items | Medium–High |
| Construction site | Building materials, tools (hideout barters) | Medium |
Graphics cards are the backbone of a Ground Zero run — they spawn in PCs across the offices and can be crafted straight into a Bitcoin farm or sold for a fast profit. Pharmacies are the jackpot: a single LedX is worth six figures and covers your whole raid. Because the map is small, you can hit three or four of these zones and be at an extract inside ten minutes.
Ground Zero keys: which ones are worth buying
You do not need keys to have a profitable Ground Zero run — the map has plenty of free-loot floor and container spawns. But a few keys unlock rooms with concentrated high-value loot (safes, marked drawers, PCs holding GPUs and quest items). Consult the live tarkov.dev Ground Zero key list for current room contents and spawn odds before you commit roubles — key values shift wipe to wipe.
Season 1 twist: if you've picked the Safecracker Kord Breach seasonal modifier, you can open safes without any key at all. That turns several "key-locked" safe rooms into free loot and makes buying safe keys a waste of roubles for the season. Prioritize keys that open PC/office rooms (which Safecracker doesn't help with) over safe keys if you're running that modifier.
All Ground Zero extracts (PMC, Scav & transit)
Ground Zero is small, so extracts are close — but several are conditional. Always check your available exits at the start of the raid (bottom-left of the screen).
- Emercom Checkpoint — free PMC extract, no requirements. Your reliable default.
- Nakatani Basement Stairs — free extract near the apartments.
- Mira Ave — flare/switch extract; requires firing an RSP-30 reactive signal cartridge (green) and is one-time use per raid.
- Transit to Streets of Tarkov — located next to the Mira Ave extraction. This keeps your gear and lets you continue looting into Streets instead of ending the raid — great for stacking value once you're geared.
- Scav extracts — Scav runs have their own additional exits; use them to farm the map risk-free with a Scav character on cooldown.
The Streets transit is the underrated money move: clear Ground Zero fast, transit into Streets with your loot secured, and run a second high-value map on the same raid.
Escape from Tarkov - Leveling
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The best Ground Zero money run (step by step)
- Spawn and orient — Ground Zero is small; identify the nearest office cluster.
- Hit PCs first — grab every graphics card you can. These are your guaranteed baseline profit.
- Sweep the pharmacy/medical spots — LedX and meds are the raid-makers.
- Clear one office/apartment room — folders, tech, and safe contents (free with Safecracker).
- Decide: cash out or transit — if you're light on time or heavily loaded, extract at Emercom. If you're geared and greedy, transit to Streets for round two.
Run this loop and a level 21+ raid will average 300k–700k roubles, with LedX or TerraGroup tech spikes pushing individual raids past a million. On the beginner version, expect 100k–300k — still an excellent early-wipe income when the flea market is locked.
Ground Zero in Season 1 Kord Breach: fresh-character strategy
Because sub-21 characters can only play Ground Zero, it's the entire early game in Season 1. Treat it as your leveling and income engine:
- Level to 21 here doing early tasks and PC/pharmacy runs, then graduate to the loot-rich 21+ version.
- Feed your hideout — graphics cards go straight into the Bitcoin farm; the Handyman Kord Breach modifier (−50% crafting time, crafting skill starting at level 51) makes early hideout crafts hugely profitable.
- Pick your modifiers with money in mind — Safecracker (keyless safes) and Street Tax (Scavs pay you weekly) both directly boost your Ground Zero income.
For the full seasonal breakdown, see our Kord Breach fresh start guide, Season 1 leveling guide and hideout upgrade order. Once you're 21+ and want a bigger map, our Streets of Tarkov money guide is the natural next step — conveniently, there's a transit straight there.
Skip the grind: Tarkov services
If you want the roubles, levels or Kord Breach progress without farming Ground Zero for hours, timesaver.gg has you covered:
Fast, safe, pro-player Tarkov boosting:
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- Tarkov Leveling Boost — power past level 21 · secure
- Tarkov Raid Carry — pro players run it with you
FAQ
Is Ground Zero worth looting in Tarkov 1.0.6? Yes — especially the level 21+ version, which holds graphics cards, LedX, tech items and sealed weapon crates. A clean run averages 300k–700k roubles in under 10 minutes, and it's the only map sub-21 characters can play in Season 1, so it's unavoidable early anyway.
What level do you need for the good version of Ground Zero? Level 21. From level 1–20 you play a beginner version with reduced loot; at level 21+ you're matched into the richer version with better spawns, Cultists and heavier map hazards. Squads match by their highest-level member.
Does Ground Zero have a boss? There is no boss in the beginner (sub-21) version. The level 21+ version can feature Cultists and heavier scripted hazards (AGS-30 emplacements, NSV Utyos, border snipers), but no traditional named Scav boss camps the map the way Reshala or Glukhar do elsewhere. Always verify current spawns on tarkov.dev.
What are the best extracts on Ground Zero? Emercom Checkpoint is the reliable free PMC extract. Nakatani Basement Stairs is another free exit. Mira Ave requires an RSP-30 green flare and is one-time use. The best value play is the transit to Streets of Tarkov next to Mira Ave — it keeps your loot and lets you run a second map.
Do I need keys for Ground Zero? No — the map is profitable with floor and container loot alone. A few keys open concentrated high-value rooms, but if you took the Season 1 Safecracker modifier you can open safes without keys, so prioritize PC/office keys over safe keys. Check tarkov.dev for current room contents before buying.
How much money can you make per Ground Zero raid? On the 21+ version, roughly 300k–700k roubles on an average run, with LedX or TerraGroup tech spikes pushing past 1 million. The beginner version runs closer to 100k–300k — still strong early-wipe income while the flea market is locked.
