At E3 this year, Bethesda surprised the gaming world by announcing a new Fallout game — and not the one that fans were expecting. Instead of the mainline, single player sequel, gamers were clamouring for, long time Fallout creator Todd Howard took to the stage to reveal an online, quasi-survival sim called Fallout 76. With many gamers picturing another Elder Scrolls Online, most of the internet appeared to write off ’76 before we even really knew anything about it. Now, five months after its announcement, we’ve finally learned how it plays.
We went to West Virginia to explore the post-apocalyptic wastelands of 2076, and after three hours playing ’76 and time spent grilling Bethesda devs, we now know exactly what to expect from this mysterious new Fallout game. This session answered a ton of our questions, and, thanks to the folks over at Nukapedia, we had a bunch of your questions to answer, too. So, without further ado, check out our 19 minute deep dive video on Fallout 76 above — or scroll down for more news straight from the devs and our written impressions coming.
Will Fallout 76 feature crossplay?
With Sony recently caving on crossplay, gamers have been keen to know which other titles will join Fortnite in playing nicely with the other consoles. When FANDOM asked Bethesda about crossplay, its response was positive, saying that it’s looking into implementing it post-launch. For more on Fallout 76 and crossplay, check out the article above.
Mods and Private Servers
When it comes to Bethesda games, there is one thing that fans have come to expect – mods. From Skyrim hacks that make you undead, to Fallout mods that let you play as a cat in a box, Bethesda RPGs are renowned for letting players tweak and twist them into almost unrecognisable experiences. Yet, with Fallout 76 taking the wasteland online, it was hard to imagine a shared world that could be modded without turning it into a haven for cheaters. Thankfully though, when speaking to Bethesda in West Virginia, the team confirmed that it will be bringing private servers to the table, and with them — Fallout ’76 mods. For more info from Bethesda itself, check out the article above.
How Do Nukes Work?
Fallout games have always been defined by the destructive power of nuclear weapons. Yet, despite the series revolving around these tools of mass destruction, Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic series has never actually let players launch a full-size nuclear warhead of their own — until now. For the first time in Fallout history, Bethesda’s upcoming online-take on the series — Fallout 76 — will allow players to unleash nuclear devastation on its game world — and, more crucially, on other players too. You can read all about how they work at the link above.
Environmental Storytelling
Being the earliest game in the Fallout timeline — set a mere 25 years after the bombs dropped, instead of hundreds of years after — Fallout 76 is filled with the fresh detritus of non-vault folk who tried to eke out a living (and failed). Forget quest-giving NPCs. The world has moved on and you’re waking up to smell the ashes. Only ghost stories remain and they’re told passively to the eagle-eyed Vault-dweller with a detective spirit. You can read more about how 76 handles storytelling in the article above.