Highlights

  • Fallout 76 has redeemed itself with 18 major updates, including NPCs, new quests, and locations, making it worth playing now.
  • The new Expeditions and upcoming Skyline Valley update offer fresh content and expand Fallout 76's world for fans to explore.
  • With Fallout fever at an all-time high, now is the perfect time to jump into Fallout 76 and experience the new improvements and features.

Fallout 76 was the centerpiece of one of the most infamous video game launches of all time. A complete technical nightmare upon its initial release with far more bugs than even Bethesda's most die-hard fans could tolerate, a lack of NPCs that led to Appalachia feeling a bit too much like an empty wasteland, and a high-profile controversy surrounding some absurdly expensive canvas/nylon bags all led to Fallout 76 being branded a complete failure upon its debut in 2018

It's taken a long time for Bethesda to build back that lost trust from its fan base, and it's taken even longer to convince people that Fallout 76 is actually a game worth playing. But that time is finally here. Over the last five years, Bethesda has gone out of its way to make Fallout 76 the game it was always set to be, and for the most part, it's succeeded. With five years' worth of content to dive into, and Fallout fever at an all-time high, it really is the perfect time for fans to finally jump into Fallout 76.

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There's Never Been a Better Time to Start Fallout 76

Fallout 76 Has Come a Long Way Since 2018

When Fallout 76 first launched, it was surprisingly lacking in terms of content. There were no human NPCs, barely any recorded dialogue, and very few actual narrative-driven quests. However, that's no longer the case as, over the last five years, Fallout 76 has delivered an impressive total of 18 major updates, the vast majority of which have added new enemies, new missions, new weapons, new items, new bosses, and new points of interest.

Though two sizable updates came before it, it was Fallout 76's Wastelanders update in April 2020 that really started to turn things around for the multiplayer game. This update finally brought NPCs to the game, along with a slew of new factions and story-rich quests. November 2020's Steel Dawn update also brought a lot of fans back to Fallout 76, with it introducing a Brotherhood of Steel storyline that would be continued in July 2021's Steel Reign update.

In September 2022, Fallout 76 received another update that would drastically change the game for the better. Titled Expeditions: The Pitt, this Fallout 76 update added a new mission type that saw players briefly leave Appalachia to visit an iconic location from the Fallout franchise's past, with the first one being the titular bombed-out ruins of Pittsburgh. The two most recent Fallout 76 major updates, landing in December 2023 and March 2024 respectively, opened up a new set of Expeditions, this time allowing players to take a trip to Atlantic City.

Even after these updates, Fallout 76's story is far from over. Set for release sometime in June, Fallout 76's next major update, Skyline Valley, will add another mountain of content to the game. This time, rather than take players outside of Appalachia, this update is going to expand Fallout 76's main map, allowing players to visit new locations in the south of the Shenandoah Valley. This update will also bring a new enemy type, a new boss type, and a new Vault to the game, along with its own story quest.

While there have been a lot of changes over the last five years, Fallout 76 's onboarding process is still fairly accessible, though plenty of guides are out there if players need a bit of help.

Fallout 76 Will Scratch That Itch for a New Fallout

After the recent release of Amazon's live-action Fallout show, interest in the franchise is at an all-time high. Right now, fans are desperate for a new Fallout video game, and with Fallout 5 still probably being a good few years out, Fallout 76 is the best option. It still might not be perfect, but Fallout 76 has come an incredibly long way since launch, and fans who have avoided the game up until this point have so much new Fallout content just ready and waiting.