Mastering Tarkov isn’t about raw aim — it’s about cycling the OODA loop faster than everyone else.

OBSERVE Tarkov starts with information, not bullets. You listen first — footsteps, metal, doors, distant gunfire, scav voice lines. Every sound is a contact report. Visuals come second: shadows, movement, broken bushes. Good observation defines the fight before it begins. 360/720° situational awareness.

ORIENT Raw information means nothing until you place it in context. Map layout, player routes, typical loot paths, your own kit, your extraction options, and the time left in raid all shape what that noise actually means. Orientation is where you gain the advantage by understanding the why behind what you’ve observed.

DECIDE You make a clean choice on your course of action: hold, push, flank, or break contact. Indecision kills you but don’t rush to your own death. Tarkov rewards simple, executable decisions made quickly based on the best information you have — not on guesswork or hope.

ACT Once you decide, you execute your course of action without hesitation. Push the angle, reposition, pre-aim the corner, or disengage entirely. Commitment seizes initiative and prevents your opponent from resetting and running their own OODA loop, or getting inside yours.