The Fallout series has taken players all over the wasteland of a post-apocalyptic United States, from New Vegas to the Capital Wasteland, and Fallout 76 players will soon get the chance to explore a brand new location to the series northeast of Vault 76: Atlantic City. Players have been exploring every corner of West Virginia's Appalachian region since the game's release in 2018 but were only able to venture outside the region with The Pitt expansion in 2022. Bethesda will continue this with one of its next big updates, which looks to appease players missing a New Vegas-style locale to explore and relax in.
Fallout 76 originally released in 2018 to mixed responses from critics and players due to a combination of technical issues and lack of engaging content to dig into, the latter of which remained an issue for the game's first few months. However, Bethesda's continued commitment to the game saw it grow thanks to expansions such as Wastelanders and Steel Dawn, along with various smaller updates adding additional content and refining the overall experience. Expeditions: The Pitt was the last major update to the game, taking players from their home in Appalachia to the dangerous streets of post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where players found themselves in the middle of a battle for the city between raiders and a group known as the Pittsburg Union.
Players learned where they would be venturing to next in Fallout 76 during the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase, which featured multiple reveals from Bethesda between Elder Scrolls Online and Starfield. While celebrating five-years of Fallout's MMO-RPG, the studio revealed the residents of Appalachia would soon get the chance to visit the streets of Atlantic City in one of the game's forthcoming updates. The trailer teased some of what is in store when players get the chance to visit the city, from losing money at the tables to the dangers lurking beneath the city streets.
The inclusion of Atlantic City marks the first new location to the Fallout series in five years and marks the first time players will be able to venture to the New York tri-state area in franchise history. Given the city's nickname as the "Vegas of the East Coast," it would not be surprising to see Bethesda take some cues from its design of New Vegas when creating a post-apocalyptic Atlantic City for both its aesthetic and available activities. This would mean casinos to gamble in and shows to enjoy, both of which were teased in the Xbox Showcase trailer.
The next question is when players will be able to venture out from Appalachia to Atlantic City, though no date has been announced as of this writing. Players could speculate the update could drop as soon as Fall 2023 if the timetable was similar to Expeditions: The Pitt, which was announced in June 2022 and released in September 2022.
Fallout 76 is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
