Highlights
- Fallout 76's new Expedition, Atlantic City, takes players to the Garden State of New Jersey, offering excitement, adventure, gambling, and the chance to encounter the legendary Jersey Devil.
- Divided into two parts, the Expedition features unique content and quests in Atlantic City and the Pine Barrens, with players interacting with the Municipal Government, The Family, and The Showmen factions.
- The legend of the Jersey Devil closely follows real-world folklore, and it is expected to feature as an enemy in Atlantic City.
Bethesda has announced the follow-up to the popular Expedition update in Fallout 76, The Pitt, and this time it brings players further up the Appalachian Trail to the state of New Jersey. Fallout 76's newest Expedition, Atlantic City, will allow players to explore the titular town on the East Coast of the Garden State for the first time in the Fallout franchise. This two-part update includes everything one would expect from a trip down to the Jersey Shore; excitement, adventure, gambling, and degeneracy, plus more than a fair chance to experience cryptid activity. Among the many new creatures, features, and locations to explore is one of New Jersey's most elusive icons, the Jersey Devil.
Fallout 76: Atlantic City is the second Expedition to be added to the game after The Pitt and the seventh major update since 76's release in 2018. Set to be released in two parts starting with Boardwalk Paradise on December 5 and following with America's Playground at an undisclosed date in the future. Each part of the Expedition is said to include unique content and quests in Atlantic City and the surrounding area, including the forests of Southern New Jersey known as the Pine Barrens. Deeply tied to the main quests of the Expedition is the legend of the creatures that lurk in these mysterious woods. Fans have long asked for it and soon cryptid hunters will get to investigate the Jersey Devil himself.
Fallout 76: Atlantic City's Jersey Devil Quest
Fallout 76's Atlantic City is shown as a well-functioning civilization compared to other locations in the franchise, featuring running water, electricity, and places of pleasure. The city is run by three distinct factions that players will interact with, The Municipal Government, The Family, and The Showmen. They maintain the cities' infrastructure, casinos/vices, and live entertainment, respectively. They each play a vital role in keeping Atlantic City functioning.
Though they may not always play nice, the first part of the Expedition is said to show these factions forced to work together in order to survive a threat lurking in the forests outside the city. As it turns out this threat is connected to the hordes of creatures called Devils, which are sort of mini Jersey Devils. In addition to these lesser cryptids, there is also a big bad Jersey Devil roaming among the Pines.
The Legend of the Jersey Devil in Fallout 76 closely follows real-world folklore. As it goes, a woman named Jane Leeds had given birth to 12 children and upon discovery of her pregnancy with a 13th, cursed the child to be born a devil. On a stormy night in 1735 in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Jane Leeds gave birth to a child with hooves, a goat's head, bat wings, and a forked tail. It is said the child escaped into the Pine Barrens and has remained there ever since.
The story of the Jersey Devil is recounted in Fallout 76 by one of the new characters, Antonio Russo. Russo is the head of the Russo crime family and a former member of the Lombardi Atlantic City mafia family. In the story of Fallout 76: Atlantic City, Russo killed a Jersey Devil once and discovered that its blood is a potent and addictive substance. He began selling it as a narcotic called Devil's Blood to high rollers in his casino.
It remains to be seen how the story develops further, but developers have stated that the Jersey Devil will play a role in the main quest line as a boss enemy at some point. As it is also depicted on one of the collectible cryptid trading cards in Fallout 76, the Jersey Devil will be a unique addition to the cryptids already in the game. Atlantic City is an interesting location with the ocean on one side and a dense pine forest on the other. Plus, with new creatures and factions to interact with, Fallout 76: Atlantic City should definitely be worth checking out.
Fallout 76 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.