Summary
Fallout 76was the centerpiece of one of the most infamous video game launches of all time. A complete technical nightmare upon its initial release with far more bugs than evenBethesda’s most die-hard fanscould tolerate, a lack of NPCs that led to Appalachia feeling a bit too much like an empty wasteland, and a high-profile controversy surrounding some absurdly expensive canvas/nylon bags all led toFallout 76being branded a complete failure upon its debut in 2018
It’s taken a long time for Bethesda to build back that lost trust from its fan base, and it’s taken even longer to convince people thatFallout 76is actually a game worth playing. But that time is finally here. Over the last five years, Bethesda has gone out of its way to makeFallout 76the game it was always set to be, and for the most part, it’s succeeded. With five years' worth of content to dive into, andFalloutfever at an all-time high, it really is the perfect time for fans to finally jump intoFallout 76.
There’s Never Been a Better Time to Start Fallout 76
Fallout 76 Has Come a Long Way Since 2018
WhenFallout 76first launched,it was surprisingly lacking in terms of content. There were no human NPCs, barely any recorded dialogue, and very few actual narrative-driven quests. However, that’s no longer the case as, over the last five years,Fallout 76has delivered an impressive total of 18 major updates, the vast majority of which have added new enemies, new missions, new weapons, new items, new bosses, and new points of interest.
Though two sizable updates came before it, it wasFallout 76’s Wastelanders updatein April 2020 that really started to turn things around for the multiplayer game. This update finally brought NPCs to the game, along with a slew of new factions and story-rich quests. November 2020’s Steel Dawn update also brought a lot of fans back toFallout 76, with it introducing a Brotherhood of Steel storyline that would be continued in July 2021’s Steel Reign update.
In September 2022,Fallout 76received another update that would drastically change the game for the better. TitledExpeditions: The Pitt, thisFallout 76update added a new mission type that saw players briefly leave Appalachia to visit an iconic location from theFalloutfranchise’s past, with the first one being the titular bombed-out ruins of Pittsburgh. The two most recentFallout 76major updates, landing in December 2023 and March 2024 respectively, opened up a new set of Expeditions, this time allowing players to take a trip to Atlantic City.
Even after these updates,Fallout 76’s story is far from over. Set for release sometime in June,Fallout 76’s next major update, Skyline Valley, will add another mountain of content to the game. This time, rather than take players outside of Appalachia, this update is going to expandFallout 76’s main map, allowing players to visit new locations in the south of the Shenandoah Valley. This update will also bring a new enemy type, a new boss type, and a new Vault to the game, along with its own story quest.
While there have been a lot of changes over the last five years,Fallout 76’s onboarding process is still fairly accessible, though plenty of guides are out there if players need a bit of help.
Fallout 76 Will Scratch That Itch for a New Fallout
After the recent release ofAmazon’s live-actionFalloutshow, interest in the franchise is at an all-time high. Right now, fans are desperate for a newFalloutvideo game, and withFallout 5still probably being a good few years out,Fallout 76is the best option. It still might not be perfect, butFallout 76has come an incredibly long way since launch, and fans who have avoided the game up until this point have so much newFalloutcontent just ready and waiting.
Fallout 76
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley – a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type – The Lost.
