Tarkov Secure Containers & Keys Glossary

By Treesz · Updated Nov 2, 2026

In Escape from Tarkov you lose almost everything you carry when you die in a raid. The secure container is the exception: whatever sits in it comes home with you. This page explains the container tiers, what Kappa and Alpha mean, how the KIBA Arms keys work, and the cases, key rooms and keycards that players mention most often.

The facts follow the community wiki and the game's patch notes for Escape from Tarkov 1.0 (released 15 November 2025) and later patches; the newest wiki entry checked was patch 1.3.0.0.48484 (30 October 2026).

Secure containers

The container tiers

Container	Slots	Weight	How you get it
Alpha	4 (2x2)	0.6 kg	Standard and Left Behind editions; Peacekeeper LL2
Beta	6 (3x2)	0.8 kg	Prepare for Escape edition; barter at Peacekeeper LL2
Epsilon	8 (4x2)	1.1 kg	Quest: The Punisher - Part 6
Gamma	9 (3x3)	1.2 kg	The Unheard or Edge of Darkness edition; Prestige 6 gives a Gamma variant
Theta	10	1.4 kg	Quest line that starts with Easy Money - Part 1 and needs Escape from Tarkov: Arena
Kappa	12 (3x4)	2 kg	Quest: Collector

Only certain item types fit inside: loot, provisions, meds, keys and keycards, currency, weapon mods (without magazines), melee weapons and a few cases such as the key tool, keycard holder, wallets and the S I C C pouch.

Kappa container

The Kappa is the largest secure container: 12 slots in a 3x4 grid, 2 kg, described in game as a secret TerraGroup invention. It is a reward for one quest, Collector, given by Fence.

Requirements listed on the wiki:

Player level 40.
Loyalty level 4 with Prapor, Therapist, Skier, Peacekeeper, Mechanic, Ragman and Jaeger.
Scav karma (Fence reputation) of at least +3.
Completed quests Chemical - Part 3, Sew it Good - Part 2, Shooter Born in Heaven and The Tarkov Shooter - Part 4.

The task itself is to hand over 44 different items found in raid, such as the Golden egg, the Raven figurine, the Gingy keychain and the Missam forklift key. Rewards are the Kappa container, the DEADSKUL armband and the achievement Dawn of a New Era.

Two more facts people mix up:

The Desecrated Kappa is a variant made by putting a Kappa into the Cultist Circle as a unique sacrifice (1 h 6 min).
In the PvP Seasons mode (Season 1, KORD BREACH, 3 August to 7 December 2026) the modifier Kappa Protocol gives a Kappa container immediately, at a cost of 12 modifier points. Seasons are played on a separate character.

Secure container Alpha

The Alpha is the starter container: a 2x2 grid with 4 slots, weighing 0.6 kg. Players with the Standard or Left Behind edition start with it, and Peacekeeper sells it at loyalty level 2. If you leave an Alpha in the pouch slot when you upgrade to an edition with a bigger container, the game removes it and puts the bigger one in.

Four slots go quickly, so use them for small items that cost a lot to lose. The Alpha accepts the key tool, keycard holder, document case, injector case, wallets and the S I C C pouch. The upgrade path in the table above is the answer to "how do I get a bigger one": the Beta is the next step for owners of Prepare for Escape, and the Epsilon is a quest reward for everyone.

KIBA Key 2

"KIBA Key 2" is the community name for the Kiba Arms inner grate door key. It is the second of two keys that open the KIBA Arms International outlet in the ULTRA shopping mall on Interchange; the first is the Kiba Arms outer door key. Both are 1x1 keys weighing 0.01 kg, and both are required for the quest Provocation.

Order: use the outer door key first, then the inner grate key. The doors are on the first floor near the middle of the mall.
Power: the outer key only works with the Interchange power station switched on.
Alarm: about 3 seconds after you open the outer door, an alarm starts. It can be turned off at a terminal in the first-floor security room.
Finding it: the key can be in jackets, drawers and the pockets and bags of Scavs. You can carry at most 5 of the outer key in a raid inventory.
Inside: two 4x4 weapon boxes, one 6x6 weapon box, two locked cash registers, loose mods, plates and ammo packs, plus guns on the wall racks.

The key fits a key tool, document case, S I C C pouch and secure container, but not a wallet.

Cases, key rooms and cards

S I C C case. A 2x1 pouch (0.187 kg) that holds 25 slots in a 5x5 grid, but only currency, keys and keycards, dogtags, posters and a few special items. It is not a secure container. You get it from Peacekeeper (loyalty level 1) after the task Wiring the Vessel, from a Jaeger LL4 barter, or as a reward for Stray Dogs and Keeper's Word.
Dorms 206 key. Opens room 206 on the second floor of the two-story dorms on Customs. It is needed for Operation Aquarius, and the room holds water items. Therapist LL1 trades it for 7 Pile of meds.
Dorms 214 key. Opens room 214 on the second floor of the three-story dorms on Customs, which contains a safe and loose ammo. The key can spawn between pallets in the garage marked 88 on the east side of the map.
ZB-014 key. Opens the room in the ZB-014 bunker in the west of Woods that contains an extraction (green flare means open). One is needed for the task Aid Stations.
Violet keycard. A TerraGroup Labs keycard for the security post R23 in The Lab. It drops from Cultists and The Goons, from rare valuables crates and from several bosses and marked rooms. At most 5 fit in a raid inventory.
Intelligence folder. An info item (2x1, 0.23 kg) that is not a key. The Intelligence Center needs 1 for level 1 and 3 for level 2, and it can pay for a Scav case run.

Common mistakes

Putting a key in a wallet. Wallets do not take keys; the key tool, document case and S I C C pouch do.
Expecting a case to protect its contents on its own. Protection comes from the secure container, so put the case inside it.
Planning a Kappa run before checking every Collector requirement, including Jaeger at loyalty level 4.

Guides and services

The keys guide covers which keys are worth carrying, and the money and looting guide shows how to pay for them. The Dawn of a New Era achievement from the Collector reward is part of the achievements guide. Related lots: Tarkov Roubles and the achievements boost.

FAQ

How many slots does the Kappa container have?

12 slots, in a 3x4 grid, and it weighs 2 kg. It is the biggest secure container and comes only from the Collector quest (or the Season 1 Kappa Protocol modifier).

What does the Collector quest need?

Level 40, loyalty level 4 with seven traders including Jaeger, Scav karma of at least +3, four earlier quests, and 44 found-in-raid items handed to Fence.

Do I keep the Alpha container after upgrading?

No. If you upgrade to an edition with a bigger container while the Alpha is in the pouch slot, the game removes it and replaces it with the larger one.

Which KIBA key do I use first?

The outer door key first, then the inner grate door key, which players call KIBA Key 2. The outer key also needs the Interchange power station switched on.

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