Highlights

  • One Fallout 76 fan has recently shared some impressive footage of a nuclear bomb detonation.
  • Despite playing for years, the fan said that this was the first time they had witnessed a nuke's actual moment of impact.

One Fallout 76 player has recently witnessed an astonishing view of a nuclear bomb detonation that is equal parts amazing and imposing. They later opted to share their experience online, impressing many other Fallout 76 fans.

Although nukes are the whole reason the Fallout universe is in the post-apocalyptic state that it's in, the series never really shied away from letting players use them. Bethesda's live-service RPG continued that long-standing tradition, as launching nukes has been a big part of the Fallout 76 endgame since its controversial 2018 debut.

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While inherently destructive, these detonations can also be mesmerizing. Reddit user HemingwayBells21121 can attest to that fact, having recently found themselves struggling to look away from an "Oppenheimer moment" of a nuke going off near the headquarters of Fallout 76's Foundation faction. They got there just in time to witness the bomb physically hitting the ground before creating a massive mushroom cloud that dispersed into the air. Despite playing since before the Wastelanders update dropped in spring 2020, the player said that this was the first time that they had actually seen such a moment of impact, as they'd usually just witness the aftermath.

But the game itself actually incentivizes players to get up close to a nuclear bomb detonation at least once. Namely, one of the many Fallout 76 achievements is Ground Zero, which is awarded for dying to a nuke. The way this trophy worked from day one required players to effectively headbutt a nuke, as just being at ground zero is not enough to trigger it. According to Valve's data, only 3.7% of Steam users have unlocked this achievement as of mid-2024, five and a half years since the RPG's release.

HemingwayBells21121's footage impressed thousands of fans, who voted to send it to the front page of the series' largest subreddit in late May. The bomb itself appears to have been aimed at the Whitespring Resort, which was once one of the most popular nuke targets in all of Fallout 76. That was primarily because nuking it triggered infinite Glowing Ghoul spawns, thus being an excellent way to farm XP and rare crafting materials such as Hardened and Glowing Mass.

Bethesda eventually removed these infinite spawns, leading to a decrease in nukes targeted at the Whitespring Resort. These days, players are mostly nuking areas to trigger special events in places like Fissure Site Prime and the Monongah Mine. The upcoming Skyline Valley update will introduce another such nuke-dependent activity once it hits the stable channel in June 2024.