The latest Fallout 76 update is available from September 14 and is free to all players. Earn new rewards, meet new NPCs with quests and dialogue trees, and rediscover the Trogs, an enemy first seen in Fallout 3‘s The Pitt. Download Fallout 76 now on Xbox Game Pass and prepare to jump into Expedition: The Pitt on September 14th. You can grab it here.
With the release of the new story-driven Expeditions mode coming to Fallout 76 that sees players take a trip to The Pitt, the classic post-apocalyptic vacation spot last seen in Fallout 3, we take a look at Fallout 76 in 2022. What’s changed since launch, the endgame, Seasons, loot, Power Armor, and more.
Fallout 76’s launch was undoubtedly rocky, presenting a vision for an online Fallout game in a shared world that excelled in some areas but missed the mark in others. No NPCs to chat to in a Fallout game? Yeah, crazy. But that was 2018, and we’re now in 2022. The Fallout 76 of today is very different from the one players experienced on day one, so much so that it now stands as one of the richest Fallout experiences you can have alone or share with others.
On top of countless bug fixes and several meaningful quality-of-life improvements, there have been massive overhauls to the story. From the arrival of Settlers, Raiders, and the Brotherhood of Steel, to expanded endgame progression, seasons, and events. Plus, living your best wasteland life with tonnes of new cosmetic additions. Let’s break it down – here’s everything you need to know about (and why you should be) playing Fallout 76 in 2022.
Classic Fallout Stories on the Appalachian Trail
Fallout 76 is a prequel to all other Fallout games, with its story taking place in 2102. For the timeline aficionados out there that’s a mere 25 years after the bombs fell and the planet was turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. And for reference’s sake, Fallout 4 took place in 2287. Taking on the role of a Vault dweller leaving the safety of Vault 76, you follow the trail of the Vault’s Overseer, discover a new threat in the form of the Scorched plague, and encounter varying factions that you can side with. From Settlers looking to rebuild to Raiders looking to plunder, even the Brotherhood of Steel has returned to Appalachia to uncover some of its technological secrets.
With a traditional Fallout story full of choice and discovery covering dozens of hours, pretty much all of that has been added to the game post-launch. On top of the main questlines and faction stories, there are countless side quests to discover and complete, covering everything from helping a robotic Mayor clean up the streets to fending off hordes of Super Mutants at a strange mountain-side monastic retreat.
A Friendly Post-Apocalyptic World
Fallout 76’s open-world Appalachia is several magnitudes larger than anything seen in Bethesda RPG to date, covering a huge land mass featuring green countrysides, mountains, irradiated wastes, and even a huge abandoned waterpark. As an online experience, Fallout 76’s servers support around 20 or so players in any instance which makes randomly running into another player something of a pleasant (and sometimes startling) surprise. The huge in-game map screen does let you see where all the others are roaming, but the small-scale nature of the online side of Fallout 76 has led to the unexpected consequence of pretty much everyone being helpful and friendly.
From giving supplies to new players to sharing rewards and loot, even though Fallout 76 features an optional PVP system, you’d be hard-pressed to find a game with a more open, sharing, and inviting community.
Setting Up C.A.M.P.
Fallout 76’s C.A.M.P. system is basically Fallout 4’s Settlement stuff done right. Instead of seemingly countless places on the map to build a home, you can drop your C.A.M.P. pretty much anywhere on the Fallout 76 map and create your own little base of operations. With Fallout 76 adding continuous new housing items and features to this side of the game, C.A.M.P. construction in Fallout 76 has evolved to become something of a game within the game. And with other players roaming around, and the ability to fast-travel to player C.A.M.P.s, getting visitors is a big part of the appeal. Or even customers, as you can sell any number of items from weapons to ammo to plans and materials at whatever Cap price you deem fair.
Of Perk Cards, Weapons, and Power Armor
With real-time first-person combat, this is a side of Fallout 76 that has seen great strides made since its initial debut. And a side that continues to see improvements made, with the most recent update bringing the ability to highlight corpses and loot multiple remains at once. This is super handy for the Public Events that can see everyone on the map swarm to. The Legendary gear to find and even create, robust crafting and modding systems, and Power Armor plans and pieces to find and put together, create a formidable post-apocalyptic arsenal to boot.
The Perk Card system also presents the most versatile build-creation tool in a modern Fallout game, where you get cards to equip across stats like Strength and Perception and so forth that offer buffs and abilities. And with no level cap, the post-launch Legendary Perk Card system adds a dose of endgame superpowers to your Fallout 76 character. With the flexibility to focus on specific weapon types or become an irradiated monster that mutates whenever they come into contact with radiation, the combat and RPG side of the game is strong.
Seasonal Journeys
Like many other online titles, Fallout 76 has introduced a Seasonal system for updates and rewards, giving players daily and weekly tasks to complete covering a huge range of activities – from completing mini-dungeons to simply getting drunk on moonshine. Each new season presents a new theme and board to complete too, with 100 levels of cool cosmetics, C.A.M.P. items, consumables, and other rewards on offer. Plus, seasons also play around with in-game Events from timed challenges to alien invasions and even appropriately Fallout-style holiday-themed content.
Expeditions and The Pitt
Fallout 76’s Expeditions: The Pitt launches on September 13, and it brings a brand-new mode to the game. For the first time, players will leave the confines of Appalachia as they take on missions into The Pitt – a location not seen since Fallout 3. The goal here isn’t simply to provide a few hours of new story content, Expeditions have been designed as repeatable missions that change every time you jump in. And with several exclusive rewards and goodies to unlock and work towards, it’s something that will appeal to new players, returning players, and veterans alike. There’s a story component too, with new factions and characters to meet. The best part is that Expeditions are set to become a Fallout 76 mainstay with more coming sometime in the future.
All Post Launch Content Has Been Free and it’s Available Now on PC, Game Pass, and PS Plus Extra
Like seasons, the massive Wastelanders update, and all other bits of new in-game content, Expeditions: The Pitt is free to all Fallout 76 players. In terms of monetisation, there’s the cosmetic-based Atomic Shop to buy skins and outfits and C.A.M.P. items, and the Fallout 1st subscription that offers currency and unlimited stash space for junk items – but everything in the actual wasteland is open to all players. And with Fallout 76 a part of Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and PlayStation Plus Extra, on top of being available as a standalone one-time purchase, its popularity hasn’t waned. No matter what time you jump on you’ll always see other players roaming the wasteland.
The latest Fallout 76 update is available from September 14 and is free to all players. Expeditions: The Pitt allows players to venture outside of Appalachia for the first time. Travel to the grim industrial wasteland of The Pitt and take on challenging new repeatable Missions. Earn new rewards, meet new NPCs with quests and dialogue trees, and rediscover the Trogs, an enemy first seen in Fallout 3‘s The Pitt. Download Fallout 76 now on Xbox Game Pass and prepare to jump into The Pitt. Grab it here.
