Keycard Violet in Tarkov: What Does It Mean?

The Violet keycard (TerraGroup Labs keycard, Violet) is a rare keycard in Escape from Tarkov that opens the laboratory security post, room R23, on the second level of The Lab. The room holds weapon boxes, valuables and a chance at high-end items such as the UHF RFID Reader, which is why the card is one of the most valuable keys in the game.

How It Works

The card is a 1x1 item weighing 0.01 kg and is described in game as a United Security-issued TerraGroup Labs keycard for laboratory staff. It fits in a wallet, a documents case, a SICC case or your secure container, but not in a key tool. To use it you must first get into The Lab, which requires a TerraGroup Labs access keycard that is consumed on entry (each member of a group needs their own).

Behind the door, the security post can contain:

• a possible UHF RFID Reader on the server rack, an item needed for Labs keycard crafts;
• weapon mods on the corner shelves;
• two large and one smaller weapon box;
• money on the desk and valuables on the shelf by the door and on the far-left table;
• a possible MP5SD and a modded M4A1;
• possible TerraGroup Blue Folders materials or an Intelligence folder on the shelf to the right of the entrance.

Where You'll See It

The Violet keycard is one of the hardest items to find. Known sources include:

• Bosses and special enemies: Cultists, the Goons, Tagilla, Killa, Glukhar, Kaban, Shturman and Partisan can carry it.
• Rare valuables crates, which can hold Labs keycards among other high-value loot.
• Marked rooms: Dorm room 314 on Customs, the RB-BK, RB-PKPM and RB-VO marked rooms on Reserve, and the abandoned factory and Chekannaya 13 marked rooms on Streets of Tarkov.
• Fixed spots: Voron's hideout on Shoreline, the giving tree near the Old Gas Station on Customs, and several cars and a brick house around the lumber camp on Woods.
• The Lab itself: Kruglov's office and its safe, near a sink in the main work area, on a desk in the tented hallway on the first level and in the glass conference room of the administrative office.

It can also be crafted at Intelligence Center level 3 from a UHF RFID Reader, ten Labs access keycards, a Yellow keycard, four Intelligence folders and a secure magnetic tape cassette. The craft takes well over five days, so it is a long-term project rather than a quick source.

Tips

• Check the remaining uses shown on the card before planning a run, and decide in advance whether the room is worth the use.
• The Lab has no insurance returns, so bring a kit you can afford to lose and keep the best finds in your secure container.
• R23 is on the second level near other high-traffic rooms, so expect players who are heading to the same loot. Clear the hallway before you start looting.
• Know your extract before you open the door. Several Labs extractions need power or a switch first, and activating them can attract Raiders.
• If you find a Violet card on a boss or in a marked room, the safest choice is often to extract and plan a dedicated Labs run later.

FAQ

What does the Violet keycard open?

The laboratory security post (R23) on the second level of The Lab.

Can I buy the Violet keycard from a trader?

No trader sells it in its standard list. You can find it, take it from bosses or marked rooms, or craft it at a level 3 Intelligence Center.

Is the Violet room worth it?

It is one of the richer rooms in Tarkov, but the value depends on spawns. The real prize is a chance at the RFID reader, Blue Folders and valuables, combined with weapon boxes that are almost always worth checking.