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''Fallout 76'' is a 2018
action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a video game genre that combines core elements from both the action game and Role-playing video game, role-playing game genres. Definition Action role-playing games empha ...
developed by
Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. It is best known for its action role-playing franchises, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', '' Fallout'', and '' Starfield''. B ...
and published by
Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a Division (business), division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of Z ...
. It is an installment in the ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
'' series and a
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...
to previous entries. Initially set in the year 2102, players control a resident of Vault 76 who must venture out into the dilapidated
open world In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the Gamer, player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay. Notable games in this category include ''The Legend of Zelda (video game ...
set in
Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...
in order to re-colonize the region and uncover a mysterious plague that has killed off its inhabitants. ''Fallout 76'' is Bethesda Game Studios' first
multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
game. Development began in 2013, and involved a collaboration with developer BattleCry Studios. The game uses a modified version of Bethesda's Creation Engine, which allowed the accommodation of multiplayer gameplay and a more detailed game world than in previous games. ''Fallout 76'' was reportedly subject to a troubled development, which included a restrictive crunch schedule. It saw a high turnover of staff, attributed to both a lack of leadership and clarity about the game's design, while numerous
glitch A glitch is a short-lived technical fault, such as a transient one that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among pl ...
es were ignored by
quality assurance Quality assurance (QA) is the term used in both manufacturing and service industries to describe the systematic efforts taken to assure that the product(s) delivered to customer(s) meet with the contractual and other agreed upon performance, design ...
. ''Fallout 76'' was released to generally mixed reviews, with criticism for the game's technical issues, overall design, lack of gameplay purpose, and initial absence of human
non-playable character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
s. A number of Bethesda's responses and attempts to provide ongoing support for ''Fallout 76'' in the months following its launch were met with criticism. In October 2019, a premium subscription service called ''Fallout 1st'' was added to the game. The first major update, ''Wastelanders'', which introduced human non-playable characters, was released in April 2020, to more favorable reception. The game was the subject of several controversies, chiefly with regard to the quality of physical content, and is notable for its negative reception. The game sold 1.4 million copies by the end of 2018. ''Fallout 76'' saw an increase in player count over time, peaking in 2024 with the release of Amazon Prime's television series ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
''.


Gameplay

''Fallout 76'' is an
action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a video game genre that combines core elements from both the action game and Role-playing video game, role-playing game genres. Definition Action role-playing games empha ...
that can be played from either a first-person or third-person perspective. Set in the
Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...
n region of
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, the player controls a character who leaves a
fallout shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Durin ...
25 years after a
nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
left much of the United States decimated. The game is entirely
online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...
, and utilizes
dedicated servers A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone else. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have ...
. While players are able to play the game solo, they are encouraged to complete
quests A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. It serves as a Plot (narrative), plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult Travel, journey towards a goal, often symbolic or Allegory, allegorical. Tales of quests figure promine ...
with other players on the server. Additionally, players can trade with each other, and engage in
combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...
. Private servers are only available through the use of the monthly membership ''Fallout 1st''. ''Fallout 76'' features an
open world In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the Gamer, player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay. Notable games in this category include ''The Legend of Zelda (video game ...
map that the player can freely explore. The map replicates many real locations from West Virginia, such as the cities of Charleston and Morgantown, as well as landmarks like
The Greenbrier The Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in the United States. Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of t ...
resort and
New River Gorge Bridge The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. With an arch long, the New River Gorge Bridge was the world's longest ...
. The game features numerous enemies, including raiders, mutated animals, and ghouls. Some enemies come from
West Virginia folklore West Virginia has a rich tradition of folklore – including folktales, legends, and superstitions – resulting from the diverse ethnicities, religions, languages, and culture of migrants who moved there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...
, such as the Mothman and the Flatwoods monster. The player is equipped with a
wearable computer A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches. Wearables may be for general ...
called the Pip-Boy. The device serves as a
menu In a restaurant, the menu is a list of food and beverages offered to the customer. A menu may be à la carte – which presents a list of options from which customers choose, often with prices shown – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-est ...
, and allows the player to access items they have acquired, view detailed character statistics and active quests, and look at the map. The player can use the Pip-Boy to fast travel to previously discovered locations, and as a radio to listen to makeshift broadcasts. There are a variety of weapons in the game, including standard guns, energy-based guns, melee weapons, and explosives. While in combat, the player can utilize a gameplay mechanic known as V.A.T.S., which automatically targets an enemy and displays a percentage chance of hitting the enemy with an attack. Unlike in previous ''Fallout'' games, V.A.T.S. does not pause or slow down time, and instead displays information in real time. The player accrues
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s by completing quests, killing enemies, and crafting items. Once the player earns a certain amount of experience points, they can level up. Each level up allows the player to increase one of seven attributes: strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck. These attributes, known as S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, govern certain aspects of the player character; for example, the strength stat determines how many items the player can carry, as well as the damage of melee attacks. Additionally, the number of points the player has for a S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat directly correlates to the number of perk cards they can use, which act as permanent beneficial upgrades. For example, the endurance perk card Rifleman increases the damage of non-automatic rifles. Perk cards can be reassigned or removed at any point in the game. An important mechanic in ''Fallout 76'' is the ability to build and defend bases. At the start of the game, the player is given an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform (C.A.M.P.), which allows the player to convert raw materials into base structures. C.A.M.P. bases can be placed anywhere on the map, and can be moved at anytime. At a C.A.M.P. base, the player can craft weapons, armor, and modifications. Enemies can attack bases, and the player can mitigate their attack by equipping the base with turrets and traps. If the player joins a server that already features another base where their existing base should be, the player's base will be removed, and can be replaced in a different location. ''Fallout 76'' features an in-game currency called atoms, which can be used to purchase items from a marketplace called the Atomic Shop. Atoms can either be purchased with real-world money through
microtransaction Microtransaction (mtx) refers to a business model where users can purchase in-game virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransactions ...
s or by completing in-game challenges, such as crafting a piece of armor or leveling up. The Atomic Shop sells cosmetic items, such as outfits and short character gestures called emotes.


Premise

''Fallout 76'' is a narrative prequel to previous ''Fallout'' games. It is set in an
alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
, and takes place in 2102, twenty-five years after a
nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
that devastated the Earth. The player character is a resident of Vault 76, a
fallout shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Durin ...
that was built in
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
to house America's best and brightest minds. The player character exits the Vault on "Reclamation Day" as part of a plan to re-colonize the Wasteland.


Plot

Twenty-five years after the Great War, Vault 76 is opened up and its residents given the task of repopulating the Wasteland. Shortly after they emerge from the Vault, the player character is contacted by the Vault Overseer. She reveals that Vault 76 was given a secret mandate to secure an arsenal of nuclear weapons deployed throughout Appalachia in three still-functioning nuclear missile silos: Site Alpha, Site Bravo, and Site Charlie. The player character is directed to contact the Responders, a faction of emergency services personnel who tried to aid the residents of Appalachia during the war; however, they discover that the Responders evacuated after they came under attack from the Scorched. Further investigation reveals that the Scorched are human beings infected by the "Scorched Plague", and are led by the Scorchbeasts; massive mutated bats that came into contact with an Enclave bioweapon kept in an old mining facility, causing exponential growth and a symbiotic control over the plague that created them. This relationship with the plague elevates a single Scorchbeast to the role of Queen, making it far larger and more dangerous, and allowing it to lead the legions of humans and animals in Appalachia through the use of a hivemind. As the Scorched represent a threat to the Wasteland beyond Appalachia, the player character decides to secure a nuclear weapon and use it to destroy a Scorchbeast nest. In order to achieve this, they start searching the bunkers of survivalists calling themselves the Free States who were working on the means to detect the Scorched until the Scorched overran them. The player character is able to build a radar system that detects the viral signature of the Scorched, but its limited range makes it ineffective. The player attempts to boost the signal first by gaining the friendship of Rose, a Miss Nanny robot trying to rebuild the local Raider gangs that lived in Appalachia before being scared off by the Scorched; and by investigating research done by the local Brotherhood of Steel into the Scorchbeast as they had tried to stop it spreading from its main lair. The player hacks into a government network and draws the attention of the Enclave, the remnants of the United States government. The Enclave are led by MODUS, a centralized artificial intelligence system located in a secure
nuclear fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the mushroom cloud, radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is ...
bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...
beneath the Whitespring Resort. MODUS asks the player character to help connect them to a series of isolated computer networks across Appalachia through the Sugar Grove
SIGINT Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is the act and field of intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly u ...
base and reestablish contact with the Kovac-Muldoon orbital platform, and in return offers to connect to the radar system to detect Scorched across the region. Once connected to MODUS, the player gains the ability to locate the Scorchbeast nest, known as Fissure Site Prime. This nest is situated near the site where the Brotherhood of Steel had previously attempted to combat the Scorchbeast menace, ultimately meeting with failure. Guided by MODUS, the player is directed to one of three nuclear silos and launches a missile at the nest. Upon entering the irradiated area, the player discovers a laboratory at the heart of the nest, which had also been discovered by the Brotherhood of Steel. This suggests that the Scorchbeasts might have been artificially created. The missile detonation awakens a formidable Scorchbeast Queen, forcing the player to engage in combat with her. Upon vanquishing the Queen, the collective consciousness of the Scorchbeasts is shattered, and the danger they posed to the wider wasteland is neutralized. Having successfully defeated the Scorchbeasts, the player rejoins the other residents of Vault 76 in their collective efforts to rebuild the post-apocalyptic wasteland.


''Wastelanders''

In 2103, a year following the opening of Vault 76, individuals start to make their way back to Appalachia. Drawn by rumors of safety and hidden treasures within the mountains, these newcomers seek refuge in the region. The Vault 76 Overseer becomes increasingly concerned for their well-being due to the persisting threat of the Scorched and Scorchbeasts in Appalachia. To address this, she directs the surviving Vault 76 residents to establish connections with the new arrivals, all the while working to uncover the origin of these rumors. Two major factions emerge among the new arrivals: the Settlers, led by Paige; and the returning Raiders, led by Meg. After the player reunites with the Overseer, they then assist the Overseer in mass-producing a vaccine at the defunct Nuka-Cola plant, which is then distributed to the population in the form of Nuka-Cola soft drinks, albeit after having to convince the faction leaders of the severity of the threat. With the Settlers and Raiders protected, the Overseer and Vault 76 resident then turn their attention to the rumors of treasure. According to the Overseer, Vault-Tec University housed a secret area where top executives would meet to discuss Top Secret corporate information. She and the resident travel to Vault-Tec University in Morgantown to learn more. They discover that Vault 79 holds the entirety of the United States' gold reserve, transferred there from
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
for safe-keeping in the event of
nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
, and is well-protected by a series of security defenses. The resident must choose between an alliance with the Settlers or the Raiders when venturing into Vault 79 to acquire the gold. After a series of quests related to "assembling a crew", the time comes to raid the vault, wherein it is discovered that remnants of the
Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For i ...
garrison is trapped. After deliberation with the agent in charge, the resident and their crew can agree to save the remaining agents in exchange for 1000 gold bars worth of bullion, inaccessible to the agents, and stuck in the processing room. After acquiring the bars, and lifting the accidental lockdown, the resident can divide the gold however they see fit, either keeping every bar, keeping half and giving the other half to the faction they raided with, or keeping half and giving both factions a quarter. This bullion is to be used to re-establish a gold backed currency all across America, though depending on the player's choices and greed, it could spell immense recession and strife across the region, pitting the Settlers and Raiders against each other in a battle for total conquest, and returning Appalachia to the turmoil it just broke free from.


''Steel Dawn''

Several months after people began returning to Appalachia, Elder Maxson has sent The Brotherhood's First Expeditionary Force from New California to Appalachia to not only find out what happened to Paladin Taggerdy's Brotherhood, but to reestablish the Brotherhood of Steel's presence in the region as well. However, despite losing most of the initial group to Raider attacks on the way across the devastated United States, Paladin Rahmani, Scribe Valdez, and Knight Shin make it to Appalachia, and using the fortified ATLAS Observatory as their new base of operations, renaming it Fort Atlas, they begin to rebuild the Brotherhood's presence in the region, all while dealing with gaining the alliance and friendship of the Settlers of Foundation, and the hostility of the Raiders at the Crater, with being supported by the residents of Vault 76 with securing munitions and other resources to help protect everyone in the region from the continued threat of the Scorched and Scorchbeasts.


''Steel Reign''

By the year 2104, things have been going well in the Appalachian Wasteland thanks to the residents of Vault 76 and their continued support of both the Settlers in Foundation, and the Raiders in Crater, but the Brotherhood of Steel First Expeditionary Force that arrived some time ago is still splintered because of hostilities between Paladin Rahmani and Knight Shin over their primary objective, not helped by the continued attacks by Super Mutants and other threats that were released by the Enclave before they were wiped out in the years before Vault 76 opened. The residents have to make a tough choice with deciding what the primary objective for Rahmani's Brotherhood will be from this point onward: Support and protect the people of the Appalachian Wasteland, or continue the Brotherhood's duty of securing all manner of weapons from the pre-War world to ensure they don't fall into the wrong hands. Without contact with Maxson and Lost Hills anymore, the Brotherhood's future may depend on the residents of Vault 76.


''Expeditions: The Pitt''

After being wiped out by the Scorchbeasts prior to the opening of Vault 76, the Responders have returned to Appalachia and set up their new home base at the Whitespring Resort, also having gained access to a still-working Vertibird to travel beyond Appalachia to help others in need of assistance, such as those people surviving in the ruins of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, now known as "The Pitt" following the Great War. With the help of the residents of Vault 76, the Responders are able to aid the Pittsburgh Union, a group of survivors under attack from a raider group known as the Fanatics, and continue to aid them thanks to the Vault 76 residents to further help rebuild the United States from the ashes of nuclear annihilation.


''Expeditions: Atlantic City''

Come the year 2105, the Responders and residents of Vault 76 are soon called away from Appalachia to a new location that required their assistance like with The Pitt. This time, the location was
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, where three factions had emerged in the war-torn famous seaside resort city home to many casinos and hotels: The Showmen, the Atlantic City Municipal Government, and the Lombardi Family. Back home in Appalachia, the Russo Family had moved into the old Ingram Mansion that once belonged to the Cult of the Mothman, renovating it to a nightclub.


Development

The origins of ''Fallout 76'' date back to 2013. During the development of ''
Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for Microsoft Windo ...
'',
Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. It is best known for its action role-playing franchises, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', '' Fallout'', and '' Starfield''. B ...
began conceptualizing what a potential multiplayer game mode would look like. The ideas presented were considered too large in scope, and were set aside in favor of the single-player campaign. During this period, Jason Hasenbuhler of the then-recently formed BattleCry Studios in
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, met with Bethesda executive producer
Todd Howard Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, Creative director, director, and Video game producer, producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the ...
. Hasenbuhler noted that several developers at BattleCry had experience with large multiplayer games like ''
Star Wars Galaxies ''Star Wars Galaxies'' (''Galaxies'') is a discontinued '' Star Wars-''themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and published by LucasArts. The open worl ...
'', and asked Howard to let the studio work on a ''Fallout'' multiplayer game using the ideas proposed. Bethesda greenlit the project after the release of ''Fallout 4'' in November 2015. They had already begun work on
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
for ''Fallout 4'' as well as preliminary work on '' Starfield'', and felt a ''Fallout'' multiplayer game would help fill in the downtime between their games. BattleCry had recently placed their upcoming
free-to-play "Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
game ''BattleCry'' on indefinite hiatus, and agreed to Bethesda's request. Bethesda provided BattleCry with ''Fallout 4'' Creation Engine, a
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...
that had been exclusively used in single-player games. The Creation Engine proved difficult to work with, as it was still using code written for '' The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' in 2002, and any part of the map the player was not currently in would not be loaded. BattleCry believed their best option to retrofit the engine with multiplayer capabilities was to implement the netcode used in older '' Quake'' games. While BattleCry worked with the engine, a small team at Bethesda's main studio in
Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fourth ...
began brainstorming the premise for the game. They decided the map needed to be larger to compensate for multiple players, and chose the Appalachian region of West Virginia as the setting. The last two ''Fallout'' games developed by Bethesda were set in major cities along the
East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the region encompassing the coast, coastline where the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean; it has always pla ...
, and the team wanted to instead explore a more rural location that would not have been targeted by nuclear warfare. This meant the local flora and fauna would have largely survived and mutated, and forests could encompass parts of the map. ''Fallout 76'' takes place just 25 years after the Great War, which affected some decisions regarding the gameplay and plot, the largest of which was the initial decision to not include human NPCs. A
behind-the-scenes https://www Googlefinans.co= In filmmaking, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK ( ...
documentary about the game gave two reasons for the decision. From a lore perspective, Bethesda reasoned it would take longer than 25 years for hostile factions to form and take control of the area, and from a gameplay perspective, the team wanted players to know that any human characters they ran across were in fact other players and not NPCs. Bethesda compensated for the lack of gun-wielding enemies by creating a new type of ghoul enemy that still had some mental faculties and knew how use weapons. In a 2022 retrospective article published by ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'', anonymous developers stated that nearly everyone at BattleCry disliked the decision to not include human NPCs, although Howard was insistent on their exclusion until after the game released. Executives at Bethesda felt it would take a significant amount of time to update the engine for multiplayer capabilities, and decided that replacing NPCs with text-based storage devices and moments of environmental storytelling would convey the same level of narrative storytelling.


Troubled development

The developers interviewed for the aforementioned ''Kotaku'' article revealed that ''Fallout 76'' had a troubled development history. One said, "No one wanted to be on that project because it ate people. It destroyed people ... The amount of people who would go to that project, and then they would quit ethesdawas quite high." To compensate for the turnover rate, some developers working on ''Starfield'' and the
Arkane Austin Arkane Studios SASU is a French video game developer based in Lyon. It was founded in 1999, and released its first game, ''Arx Fatalis'', in 2002. The studio has created the popular Dishonored (series), ''Dishonored'' series as well as developi ...
game '' Redfall'' were moved onto ''Fallout 76''. One reason attributed to why the game struggled to retain workers was the lack of leadership. Some members of BattleCry were led to believe Howard was in charge of the project, although he was in fact working on ''Starfield''. Howard would occasionally visit BattleCry but his involvement was deemed inadequate by the developers. One developer disclosed he shot down any new ideas proposed by the design team, while another claimed he leaned too heavily into the "bigger is better" design philosophy with no thought given to how it would work. In general, it was revealed Bethesda did not provide enough information about important aspects of the game, such as the maximum amount of players per
server Server may refer to: Computing *Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides requested information for other programs or devices, called clients. Role * Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending custome ...
, or how
griefing A griefer or bad-faith player is a player in a multiplayer video game who deliberately annoys, disrupts, or trolls others in ways that are not part of the intended gameplay. Griefing is often accomplished by killing players for sheer fun, destr ...
would be handled. Those interviewed also claimed there was a level of resentment toward BattleCry from the Rockville studio, particularly for Bethesda's decision to structure ''Fallout 76'' as a
live service game In the video game industry, a live service game (also referred to as games as a service, abbrevated to GaaS) represents providing video games or game content on a continuing revenue model, similar to software as a service. Live service games are ...
. The free-to-play ''
Fallout Shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Durin ...
'' had grossed over $100 million in four years, and as a result, Bethesda took a greater interest in games that could continuously generate revenue after their release. Emil Pagliarulo was singled out as a designer from the Rockville studio that ignored BattleCry. A developer said, " agliarulodidn't seem to want to be involved with the product at all. He didn't want to have any contact with it ... or read anything that we put in front of him." The issues of resentment were compounded as some members from the Rockville studio that were brought in to work on ''Fallout 76'' were dismayed that they were working on a multiplayer game despite joining a studio that had exclusively produced single-player games. Another developer stated, " ethesdahas a lack of respect for folks who are working on things that they consider theirs." Members of the game testing department were also interviewed for the ''Kotaku'' article, and shared similar stories about the game's development. Testers were subject to significant crunch, and the exhaustive work took a toll on their mental health. Testers dealt with what they described as "voluntold overtime"; if no one volunteered for weekend overtime hours, then the entire department would be called in.
Peer pressure Peer pressure is a direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups with similar interests and experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person's beliefs, values, religion and beh ...
became commonplace among testers, as those who did not complain about the crunch had increased odds of being converted to full-time employees instead of contract workers. When these issues were brought up to the studio's parent company
ZeniMax Media ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American video game holding company based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded in 1999 by Christopher Weaver and Robert A. Altman as the parent company for Weaver's video game publisher Bethesda Softworks. ...
, it was either ignored or outright denied. Testers claimed their breaks were timed, and that some testers were even followed into restrooms by what they described as "chronic snitches". Nearly every build for ''Fallout 76'' during its development suffered from
glitch A glitch is a short-lived technical fault, such as a transient one that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among pl ...
es, most of which stemmed from the Creation Engine. When asked what parts of the game were subject to glitches, one developer said, "Tongue in cheek: the whole game. In general, every major bug in ''76'' hat appeared at launchwas known by uality assurance" The engine was poorly optimized, and simply updating to a new build could potentially break the game. Game testers were forbidden from discussing problems found in the game directly to the developers, and instead had to bring up any issues with the
quality assurance Quality assurance (QA) is the term used in both manufacturing and service industries to describe the systematic efforts taken to assure that the product(s) delivered to customer(s) meet with the contractual and other agreed upon performance, design ...
department. This in turn delayed work on game-breaking glitches for sometimes months. Developers assumed ''Fallout 76'' would be delayed, but Bethesda and BattleCry worked on tight schedules, and would not delay any preset deadlines.


Release


Pre-release

''Fallout 76'' was announced on May 30, 2018; the announcement was preceded by a twenty-four-hour live stream on Twitch showing a Vault Boy bobblehead toy in front of a monitor with a "Please Stand By" test pattern screen, a signature image of the series. This stream was watched by a total of over two million people, with more than one hundred thousand people watching at any time. Details of the game were announced by Bethesda Executive Producer
Todd Howard Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, Creative director, director, and Video game producer, producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the ...
during Bethesda's press conference at E3 2018 on June 10, 2018, including its anticipated release date of November 14, 2018. As it is Bethesda Game Studios' first experience with a fully online game, Howard confirmed that there would be an open beta phase, beginning on October 23, 2018, for Xbox One, and October 30, 2018, for PlayStation 4 and PC. In response to the announcement that ''Fallout 76'' would feature only multiplayer, a petition was created by fans of the series which called for the game to include a single-player mode. The petition received thousands of signatures within a day. Following the game's announcement, there was a burst of interest in tourism in West Virginia. The website "West Virginia Explorer" reported an increase of fifteen times the visitors to the site in the days after the announcement, while management of the Camden Park amusement park said there was an increase in people looking to purchase park merchandise. The teaser trailer shown at E3 2018 featured a
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...
's song "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
". Fans of the series expressed interest in the song, prompting Bethesda to announce plans to release the song on digital musical services, with all proceeds from it being donated to
Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...
, assuring a minimum donation. In Australia, a free ''Fallout 76''
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
containing the cover of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was included as a promotion with the December 2018 issue of ''Stack'' magazine, available at retailer
JB Hi-Fi JB Hi-Fi Limited is an Australian consumer electronics retail company. It is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Its headquarters are located in Southbank, Melbourne, Victoria. As of June 2024, the company operates 330 sto ...
.


Post-release

Beyond the launch of ''Fallout 76'', the game continued to receive further development support from Bethesda to improve or alter its design, combat technical issues, and take action against users seen as
cheating Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert or disobey rules in order to obtain unfair advantages without being noticed. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given pr ...
. However, many of the decisions undertaken by the publisher to implement these aims garnered disgruntlement and criticism from players and gaming outlets. In December 2018, the prices of ''Fallout 76'' in-game cosmetics received increasingly negative attention from players for being too expensive, particularly in regards to items added for the 2018 holiday season. ''Eurogamer'' noted how a set of
Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
outfits and a large sign cost $20 and $14 worth of in-game currency (called Atoms), respectively, with players arguing similar pricing was enough to buy ''
Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for Microsoft Windo ...
''
season pass A season ticket, or season pass, is a Ticket (admission), ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time. History The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' has illustrative quotations which show the term ''season ticket'' used in the ...
with all add-ons. In the spring and summer of 2019, the game introduced items that managed a player's surplus inventory and improved the quality of their weapons, both of which could be acquired through spending Atoms. However, the implementation drew criticism from players, who felt that it favored those that paid for Atoms with real money instead of gaining them through hours of playtime. Additional items released later that provided gameplay advantages and were buyable with Atoms drew similar criticism. ''Polygon'' wrote the in-game store had "slowly warped over time", particularly as it had initially only offered cosmetic items for sale. In the weeks following release, Bethesda banned numerous players from the game for using mods and exploiting technical issues for various purposes. Such examples included duplicating in-game items, and gaining access to the game's developer room, an off-limits area created for testing purposes which contained copies of every item. Many of these players found that their accounts had been closed without warning, and were emailed by Bethesda asking them to write an essay explaining why cheating and using mod software was damaging to online video games. Bethesda's reaction received backlash from users as many felt they had been unfairly targeted for using mods to fix graphical or technical issues with the game, rather than with the intention to gain unfair advantages. ''Fallout 76''s in-game currency became affected by hackers due to the mass duplication of items, much of which were sold using unofficial methods outside of the game. Various players took it upon themselves to combat item duplication by hunting down and killing any player-characters suspected of using them, despite a number being in fact innocent. Other examples of hacking were achieved in ''Fallout 76''; for example, in December 2019 alone, users succeeded in incorporating numerous NPCs and objects into the game, some of which had been taken from ''Fallout 4''. Later that same month, hackers managed to open other online players' inventories and steal hundreds of their items. While Bethesda took action to combat these, many users called on the publisher to implement more rigorous anti-cheat protection for the game and to be more forceful in banning the accounts of those caught hacking.


''Fallout 1st''

On October 23, 2019, Bethesda announced it would be selling a premium subscription service for ''Fallout 76'', titled ''Fallout 1st'', priced at $12.99 per month or $99.99 per year. The subscription allows payees to play the game in a private online server (either alone or in a group of up to seven people, who do not have to be subscribers). It also introduces new content such as a box allowing unlimited storage for crafting materials, a placeable fast travel system with supplementary supplies, 1650 atoms per month, and exclusive cosmetic items. The choice to release a subscription model for the game drew criticism and was considered an audacious move from Bethesda, particularly as content like private worlds had been requested before the game's launch by players but was instead now included behind a
paywall A paywall is a method of restricting access to content (media), content, with a purchase or a subscription business model, paid subscription, especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their website ...
. Some noted that subscription services for exclusive content in full-priced games were being shunned in favor of other models. ''Kotaku'' contested the high price, writing how the base game, while having improved in time through new content following its poor launch, still suffered from various problems, and additionally was continuing to be sold for a discounted price at most retailers.


Reception


Critical response

According to review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the PC and PlayStation 4 versions received "mixed or average" reviews, while the Xbox One version received "generally unfavorable" reviews. The numerous negative reviews from critics led ''Forbes'' to describe the release of ''Fallout 76'' as a "historically bad launch" and to question if Bethesda would consider the property "worth saving" moving forward. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' called the game "a pointless walk in the post-apocalypse" featuring "half-baked conflict and witless quests to unearth the dead". According to ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'', ''Fallout 76'' was a "huge, rare, total miss" by Bethesda. ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
'' described the game as a "bizarre, boring, broken mess", adding that, shortly after its launch, it should be considered as a "failed experiment". ''
Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...
'' described ''Fallout 76'' as "a jumble of disparate video game elements set loose in an online world, held together by a string of pointless fetch quests and experience points". ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' said that moments of the enjoyment during their review were "outweighed by the near-constant performance issues and poorly executed game systems", adding that they were disappointed in the game despite being fans of the series. ''
PCWorld ''PC World'' (stylized as PCWorld) is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. Since 2013, it has been an online-only publication. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal te ...
'' ended their review early due to their frustration with the game's technical performance, and said that it still would not be a great game to them even if it "functioned properly". ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' said that the game "can look and feel like its illustrious predecessors at times, but it's a soulless husk of an experience." According to ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'', "The rich wasteland map of ''Fallout 76'' is wasted on a mess of bugs, conflicting ideas, and monotony." ''
Giant Bomb ''Giant Bomb'' is an American video game website and wiki that includes personality-driven gaming videos, commentary, news and reviews, created by former ''GameSpot'' editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis. The website was voted by ''Time (maga ...
'' has said they will not publish a full review due to lack of interest of the staff to play it enough to reach a final verdict. Editor and co-founder
Jeff Gerstmann Jeff Gerstmann (born August 1, 1975) is an American video game journalist. Former editorial director of the gaming website ''GameSpot'' and the co-founder of the gaming website '' Giant Bomb'', Gerstmann began working at ''GameSpot'' in the fal ...
stated on their podcast "No one on staff wants to play any more of this video game." The game was also criticized for its initial absence of interactive human
NPCs A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
. ''GameSpot'' said that "without having any of those people present to tell their stories personally, 'Fallout 76''s world is limited to being little more than just an environmental exhibit with things to kill", and that "there are no strong emotional anchors to help you become truly invested...". They also wrote that quests simply exist of "long monologues and one-way directives from a person who no longer exists and you can't interact with ... your actions ultimately won't affect anyone, or the rest of the world for that matter". ''PC World'' similarly took issue, writing "robots aren't really NPCs as much as quest dispensers ... they don't talk with you, they talk at you". Additionally, they disliked the readable terminals and holotapes: "none of it feels important or even particularly interesting" as they were "no substitute for an actual conversation". Many reviewers noted a large number of bugs and glitches present in ''Fallout 76'', affecting numerous aspects of the game, as well as stability, performance and graphical issues. In response, Bethesda issued several patches, the size of the first being 50 GB, which nearly eclipsed the size of the game itself. However, many of the attempted fixes garnered player disgruntlement for failing to resolve some of the more notable technical issues, removing features previously thought intentional, and inadvertently resulting in further bugs, some of which had been fixed previously. A number of fans subsequently expressed their desire for Bethesda to use a public test server for new patches before their release. The game's controversial subscription service also received further negative attention upon its launch in October 2019 due to a range of issues. In particular, players reported that private servers used to present a newly created version of the game's world contained dead NPCs and looted areas, implying that the servers were recycled instances that people had already used. Additionally, players found that they were not able to go "invisible" and restrict their private server to a few select friends; instead, anyone on their friends list could see and join the server. Another technical issue with the subscription model concerned a box that allowed for an unlimited depositing of crafting materials, with players storing their items accordingly and then returning later to find that the contents of the box had disappeared. On December 22, 2018, as a way of apology for the criticism surrounding ''Fallout 76'', Bethesda announced that they would give all players of ''Fallout 76'' a free copy of the ''Fallout Classic Collection'', available on PC, which consists of ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
'', ''
Fallout 2 ''Fallout 2'' (also known as ''Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game'') is a 1998 role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Productions. It is a sequel to ''Fallout (video game), Fallout'' (1997), ...
'', and '' Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel''. In an interview with ''IGN'' on June 2, 2019, Todd Howard addressed the launch of ''Fallout 76'' and that the negative reactions had been anticipated by Bethesda, saying, "We knew we were going to have a lot of bumps. That's a difficult development; a lot of new systems and things like that ... a lot of those difficulties ended up on the screen. We knew, hey look, this is not the type of game that people are used to from us and we're going to get some criticism on it. A lot of that—very well-deserved criticism ... This is not gonna be a high Metacritic game. This is not what this is." Howard also expressed regret at not releasing a beta version of the game several months before release to gain feedback. Despite this, he believed that ''Fallout 76''s reception would improve over time from ongoing support, and that this mattered more for a game than how it started out: "It's not how you launch, it's what it becomes ... It's 'Fallout 76''really turned around. It's a fabulous game with an incredible community."


''Wastelanders''

With the release of the ''Wastelanders'' expansion, the game saw improved reception from critics. On Metacritic, the Wastelanders expansion had an aggregate score of 68/100 for Windows, and 63/100 for PlayStation 4 based on updated reviews. ''IGN'' David Jagneaux's review of ''Wastelanders'' scored the update a 6 of 10, but stated that ''Wastelanders'' "is a dramatic overhaul of Appalachia from top to bottom it desperately needed. It finally introduces mostly interesting human NPCs, an abundance of fun new quests, and satisfying alterations to existing areas. As a result, ''Fallout 76'' is starting to feel like a true Fallout game – even if it's still not as consistently enjoyable as its predecessors." ''PCWorld'' said "It's still not as good as a proper offline Fallout sequel, but Fallout 76's Wastelanders expansion injects some much-needed personality into post-apocalyptic West Virginia." ''GameSpot'' wrote that "Wastelanders introduces some of the best Fallout sequences in recent years, but you'll have to dig through a lot of Fallout 76's enduring issues to experience them." Nate Crowley of ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' said of the improvements, "The mood of the game, for want of a better word, is transformed: what was once hollow now feels fleshed out, and what was lifeless now feels at least intermittently busy. I've still got a lot of issues with Fallout 76, but they're starting to feel fixable, or at least easier to overlook." When the game, with the new ''Wastelanders'' expansion, was released on
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
in April 2020, it was initially
review bomb A review bomb is a malicious Internet phenomenon in which a large number of people or Sock puppet account, a few people with multiple accounts post negative user reviews online in an attempt to harm the sales or popularity of a product, a service, ...
ed by users generally upset over the game's original state when it was first released. However, other users on Steam and other community sites have worked to try to counter that perception of the game to newer players or interested buyers, pointing out that, like '' Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn'' and ''
No Man's Sky ''No Man's Sky'' is an Action-adventure game, action-adventure survival game developed and published by Hello Games. It was released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 and Windows in August 2016, for Xbox One in July 2018, for the PlayStation 5 an ...
'', the updates since launch, particularly with the Wastelanders update included with the Steam release, had significantly improved the game, and that those interested in trying it should ignore the negative reviews.


Sales

Upon launch, ''Fallout 76'' debuted at third place in the UK's all-format sales charts, behind '' Spyro Reignited Trilogy'' and ''
Red Dead Redemption 2 ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the ''Red Dead'' series and a prequel to the 2010 game ''Red Dead Redemption''. The story is set in a fictiona ...
'', and fifth place in the Switzerland all-format sales charts. According to the NPD Group, the game had lower launch sales than either ''
Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for Microsoft Windo ...
'' or '' Fallout: New Vegas''. The game saw a price drop in North America less than one week after its initial release, with some pundits listing poor sales as a reason for the cut in price. In their respective opening months, the game's physical sales were less than one fifth of ''Fallout 4'' (down 82%). In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 73,489 copies within its debut week, which made it the second bestselling retail game of the week in the country. SuperData estimated that, as of the end of 2018, ''Fallout 76'' had sold 1.4 million digital copies. In November 2021,
Todd Howard Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, Creative director, director, and Video game producer, producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the ...
revealed the game had 11 million players in total. In March 2024, the game had 17 million players. The following month, following the release of the Amazon Prime ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
'' television series, ''Fallout 76'''s player count reached an all-time high six years after its release, with a million people logging in within a single day.


Accolades

Despite the mixed reviews, the game was nominated for "Fan Favorite Fall Release" at the Gamers' Choice Awards, for "Game of the Year" at the Australian Games Awards, and for the Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game at the New York Game Awards. The game won the "Best Video Game TV Spot" award at the 2019 Golden Trailer Awards.


Controversies

''Fallout 76'' Power Armor
special edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition or expanded edition are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as b ...
drew controversy upon release. Bethesda advertised that the edition would include a
canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...
duffel bag A duffel bag, duffle bag, or kit bag is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic fabric (typically canvas or nylon). History Historically a duffel bag had a top closure using a drawstring. Later bags had a webbing hand grip, along with ...
, but a
nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...
one was included instead. Responding to customer complaints, Bethesda claimed that the bag had to be changed due to unavailability of materials, and initially stated the intention to take no action. The publisher received criticism for not making the change known beforehand, with ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
'' pointing out that the bag's description on Bethesda's website had only changed to read "nylon" after complaints had been submitted. Bethesda later offered affected customers free in-game currency of 500 atoms as compensation, equivalent to . Critics pointed out this amount of currency was not enough to purchase the in-game postman uniform (700 atoms), which includes a canvas bag. Additionally, it was discovered that Bethesda had produced a different ''Fallout 76''–themed canvas bag and given them for free to online influencers, further adding to the fan outrage. Bethesda announced on December 3, 2018, that they would be producing canvas bags for all owners of the Power Armor special edition, In June 2019, the bags were delivered to customers. A
data breach A data breach, also known as data leakage, is "the unauthorized exposure, disclosure, or loss of personal information". Attackers have a variety of motives, from financial gain to political activism, political repression, and espionage. There ...
occurred on December 5, 2018, when a glitch in Bethesda's support system revealed personal information of approximately 65 ''Fallout 76'' customers who had submitted a support ticket to receive the canvas bag. Users were able to open and close tickets of other customers and view personal information, including names, addresses, emails and partial credit card information. In a statement given to ''
Ars Technica ''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
'', Bethesda said that the breach occurred via "an error with our customer support website" and that they are "investigating the incident and will provide additional updates as we learn more". The publisher clarified that the only information leaked were details that the support site would have requested, rather than credit card numbers or passwords, and that they would notify all affected customers. In 2018, Bethesda partnered with the Silver Screen Bottling Company to create "Nuka Dark Rum", an alcoholic beverage based on the in-game "Nuka-Cola Dark" introduced in the '' Fallout 4: Nuka-World'' add-on. The rum was available to be pre-ordered in August 2018 for . While its release was expected to coincide with the launch of ''Fallout 76'', the rum was delayed and was shipped instead in late December 2018. Upon receiving it, fans criticized the fact that the rum bottle advertised, expected to be in the missile-like shape of the Nuka-Cola item, had turned out to be a standard glass bottle encased in a plastic cover. The rum's asking price of $80 was subsequently condemned from expectations that the design would be of high quality, since none of the marketing had stated what the bottles would be made of. In September 2019, collectible "Nuka Cola"–themed ''Fallout'' helmets produced by Chronicle Collectibles, of which only 32 of the 20,000 manufactured were sold, were recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission due to containing high levels of mold and posing a health risk. No incidents or injuries were reported.
GameStop GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer, headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas). The brand is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operated 3,203 stor ...
, which sold the helmets, notified all customers who had purchased a helmet and offered them a full refund.


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links

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