Late last month, Bethesda offered up a teaser of Fallout 76. The short video led to endless speculation based on everything from the song it featured to how this story might fit into Fallout series lore. Now, we finally know a little more about Fallout 76, including when its release date will arrive.
Fallout 76 is a prequel to the entire Fallout franchise. Survivors from Vault 76, which was considered one of the lost vaults, were the first to return to the world after the Great War. One thing noticeable in the trailers is how the Wasteland is still “fresh” in its destruction. There’s grass and trees, which might seem out of place if you’re used to the previous Fallout games.
As expected, Fallout 76 takes place shortly after the nuclear holocaust that series that sets off the series. You’ll emerge from Vault 76 to explore the new world and explore the new world of West Virginia. Todd Howard, Fallout 76 lead director, said the game will be four times the size of Fallout 4.
Fallout 76 is also an online game where you’ll play with several other dozen players exploring the world. You can also opt to go it alone if you prefer, but this Destiny-style gameplay actually looks pretty fun. For players that want to team up, groups of four can explore the Wasteland or craft with each other. There are even Power Armors available for individuals to wear in order to deal more damage.
Speaking of crafting, players can build their own encampments. Just watch out for enemies who will come to ransack these areas. There are lots of new monsters in Fallout 76, including the giant Scorchbeast that looks like a giant flying bat with some cat-like design elements.
As is the case with most online games, the biggest threat is other players, and Fallout 76 takes that idea to the next level. Across the map, there are multiple nuclear sites that can be used to set off a nuke. A code is needed to access these sites and pieces of the code are scattered on enemies across the world. Group can combine their pieces of code to launch a weapon, destroy an area, and then visit the destruction to gain some special rewards.
Fallout 76 launches on November 14, 2018. Ahead of the official release, Fallout 76 is using a beta (which in this case stands for “Break-It Early Test Application”) to test for bugs There will also be a collector’s edition for the game with a glow-in-the-dark map and a wearable power armor helmet for an extra price.
