Highlights

  • Fallout 76's lineup of cryptids includes local folklore creatures like Mothman and the Flatwoods monster.
  • Bigfoot's absence from the game is noticeable, though, making it an ideal candidate for a potential addition in the future.
  • Incorporating Bigfoot as a rare, challenging enemy with unique loot would fit the game's theme and provide a rewarding experience for players.

Fallout 76 may have had a rocky launch, but the game always succeeded in making the absolute most of its rural Appalachian setting. Setting its multiplayer online game in the wasteland formerly known as West Virginia, Bethesda brought some of the region's most iconic folklore to life. Cryptids like Mothman, the wendigo, and the Flatwoods monster make up countless stories from that area of the country, and incorporating them into the game was a wonderful strategy that allowed Bethesda to integrate some of the local flavor in a fun, creative way.

But any discussion about or collection of American cryptids isn’t really complete without addressing the nine-foot-tall ape in the room. Or, in Fallout 76’s case, the nine-foot-tall ape not in the room. Though the game’s rouges gallery of cryptids represents a pure slice of old school American folk culture, there’s one glaring omission from the roster. This creature is mentioned several times across multiple Fallout titles and its absence from a game that leans so heavily on cryptids is something Bethesda should rectify sooner rather than later.

Fallout 76 Lesser Devil in shadows
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Fallout 76's Cryptids Feel Incomplete Without Bigfoot

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, depending on personal preference, is a no-brainer inclusion for a future Fallout 76 update. It’s the most iconic American cryptid and the experience just won’t be complete until players encounter it in the darkest wooded areas wasteland. Whether it turns out that the creature has always existed in the Fallout universe or if ambient radiation caused normal creatures to mutate into the legendary beast, it would be right at home as an enemy in a franchise that’s no stranger to embracing the absurd and bizarre.

There’s a mile-long list of cryptids already in Fallout 76, and while they’ve been pulled straight out of the old stories of the Appalachians, a lot of them pale in comparison to the popularity/notoriety carried by America’s most famous monster. While all the enemies in the game offer something unique in terms of lore and gameplay, the creature roster is missing that extra little bit of star power that only Bigfoot can bring to the table.

All Cryptids in Fallout 76 So Far

  • Beast of Beckly
  • Blue Devils
  • Flatwoods Monsters
  • Grafton Monster
  • The Jersey Devil
  • Mega Sloths
  • Mothmen
  • Oguas
  • Sheepsquatch
  • Snallygasters
  • Wendigos

How Bethesda Can Incorporate Bigfoot in Fallout 76

Some might say Bigfoot sightings are typically a Pacific Northwest phenomenon, preventing its inclusion in a game set in West Virginia. But people report seeing creatures matching Sasquatch’s description all over the country. On the East Coast, particularly in the South, this creature is locally known as a Skunk Ape; a tonally perfect name for a Fallout creature, even if the region is just a tad far to the north.

Though most of Bigfoot’s true believers will claim the creature is part of an undiscovered species, Fallout 76’s Skunk Ape should stand alone as a unique enemy, meriting the creature’s level of fame in American culture. Fallout’s take on the granddaddy of all cryptids should be something akin to a raid boss; a single unique enemy, significantly difficult to fight, and massively rewarding to kill.

In keeping with its behavior in real life lore, the creature should be incredibly elusive, with rare and random spawns in wooded areas of the map. As far as gameplay goes, the creature should be a bruiser, packing the punch of a deathclaw, but with the agility of a wendigo. Killing the Skunk Ape/Bigfoot in-game should feel like almost as much of an accomplishment as finding one in real life would be. And just like such a find would net fame and fortune, dispatching Fallout 76’s Skunk Ape could also see players rewarded with fantastic loot should they manage to come out on top.