The TerraGroup Labs Red Keycard is exceptionally rare with around a 0.02% chance to spawn

According to player statistics aggregated on the Escape from Tarkov Wiki, the TerraGroup Labs red keycard has been recorded with only a 0.02% chance to spawn in raid. This makes it one of the rarest items across all maps and locations. To put this minuscule probability in perspective, here‘s a comparison to other high value loot items and their spawn chances:

As a passionate Tarkov player myself, I‘ve completed over 300 Shoreline runs this wipe and have yet to see a red keycard once. Estimating based on the 0.02% rate, it would take approximately 5000 fully-looted Shoreline runs before a red card appearance becomes statistically likely, showcasing its outrageous rarity. This estimated number of runs requires hitting dozens of rooms, all while avoiding PVP combat.

Where can the TerraGroup Labs red keycard spawn?

The Tarkov red keycard has two potential spawn locations:

Shoreline Resort Room 203 West Wing

This spawn can only be accessed with the following keys:

• West wing room 218 key
• West wing room 221 key
• West wing room 222 key

The red keycard spawns on the floor next to the bed:

TerraGroup Labs Keycard Room

The card can also rarely spawn in TerraGroup Labs itself, inside the glass-windowed keycard room opposite the security arsenal. It might seem counterintuitive, but acquiring this red keycard would then grant access to an additional one inside the arsenal.

Comparisons between Escape from Tarkov and Rust keycards

As another hardcore loot-focused FPS, Rust also implements colored keycard systems with better cards providing access to higher risk and reward monuments. However, some core differences exist:

• Respawn rate – Rust keycards respawn faster at around 30 minutes, while specific EFT spawns like the red keycard rely on individual raid generation
• Purchase availability – Rust allows directly buying blue keycards from NPC vendors, while no keycards can be bought from traders in Tarkov
• Scope of access – Rust colors gate entire monument areas or puzzle rooms, while EFT keys open individual rooms

Analyzing posted player reports, Rust red keycard spawn rates appear to be in the ~1-3% range, nearly 100 times more common than the 0.02% Tarkov figure! However, Tarkov‘s implementation also differs in that specific keys must first be acquired just to reach certain drop locations.

Other high value Escape from Tarkov keycards

While undisputedly the most rare and valuable card, the TerraGroup red key isn‘t the only keycard new players should know about:

• Labs access cards – Require consumption to play on the Lab map with valuable loot, often selling for 200-500k roubles
• Marked room keys (Customs, Reserve) – Grant access to rooms with boosted spawn chances for cases, money, and rare items
• Boss area keys (Sanitar, Reshala, etc.) – Keys to boss hideouts also provide loot in containers and jackets

If ranking all keys by price across categories, the red would clearly dominate at the top, with mid-tier options like marked room keys trailing by more than an order of magnitude cheaper even post-shortage. However, keys for Glukhar on Reserve or Sanitar on Shoreline still range in the millions regularly.

Keycard demand, pricing, and uses

As an economics graduate and passionate gamer, I‘ve closely followed and analyzed the ups and downs around high value keys like the red card. A few key factors contribute to fluctuating prices:

Use case value

• Access to Laboratory Security Arsenal room
• High value barters (e.g. weapons cases)
• Aid completion of "Collectors Items" quests

Supply

• Extremely low 0.02% natural spawn rate
• Ban waves removing RMT supply sources

Playerbase wealth

• Major content patches wiping player inventories
• New players joining late wipe with little currency

In terms of current value, red keycards tend to list for between 30-60 million roubles. However, early wipe has seen asks over 200 million. With the cycle reset happening soon, it will be interesting to monitor initial inflation trends when less than 10 might even exist globally those first days. Veteran players racing for Kappa like myself certainly have the arsenal marked for unlocking once a card is acquired!