The Brotherhood of Steel is coming to the Appalachian Wasteland in Fallout 76’s Steel Dawn expansion, which launches for free on December 1.
In Steel Dawn, players will explore new locations, meet new NPCs, acquire new high-tech weapons and armor, and build advanced underground C.A.M.P. shelters. The expansion’s main draw is the new Brotherhood of Steel questline that introduces the iconic Fallout faction to the Appalachian Wasteland. Dedicated fans of the franchise should know that while the Brotherhood is generally regarded as a benevolent faction, they tend to initiate violence and power struggles wherever they go.
Bethesda made the announcement with a gameplay trailer showcasing what players can expect from the Brotherhood’s arrival. In the trailer, Paladin Leila Rahmani, the leader of the Brotherhood of Steel faction in the upcoming expansion, is dispatched from California to found a new Brotherhood of Steel chapter in the Appalachian Wasteland.
The Brotherhood is known for its affinity for advanced technology, and its main objective in past Fallout games has been to secure and protect any high-tech tools and equipment the group comes across. Some chapters of the Brotherhood have also dedicated themselves to restoring society to something resembling pre-war America, though not all Brotherhood chapters share this goal.
Players will get to decide whether to work for or against the Brotherhood in the upcoming Fallout 76 expansion. A faction of raiders opposing the Brotherhood was shown at the end of the gameplay trailer, hinting that players may have the option to align themselves with this raider faction instead of the Brotherhood.
According to Bethesda, Steel Dawn is the first chapter in a new Brotherhood questline. This suggests that more Brotherhood of Steel expansions may follow, though these additional expansions may not be free like Steel Dawn. So far, all of Fallout 76’s major expansions have been free to all players who purchased the game.
Fallout 76 got off to a rough start when it first released in the fall of 2018. At the time, many players were put off by the game’s bugs and lack of NPCs but over the past two years, Bethesda has continued to add content, including the Wastelanders expansion that arrived earlier this year and introduced NPCs. The expansions have helped improve the game's reputation, as Fallout 76 is now well on its way to becoming one of the most popular small-scale MMOs on consoles. It seems that Steel Dawn aims to continue down the path that Wastelanders started.
Fallout 76 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
