Fallout 76 to add NPCs and a battle royale mode called Nuclear Wasteland

By Felicia Miranda June 9, 2019

Fallout 76 Hands-on — Bethesda

At the Bethesda E3 2019 Showcase, Todd Howard took to the stage and admitted Fallout 76’s launch had some serious issues. In an effort to revive player faith in the game, Howard announced it would be getting a free Wastelanders update that would not only add human NPCs, but a new main quest, choices and consequences, and new weapons and gear to the game.

Bethesda explained, “This is a long term story we’re telling. Year one was about the vault doors opening and all of you settling the wasteland. Year two is about people coming back to reclaim it. Like previous Fallout games, these characters have their own stories and goals. It’s up to you to decide how to interact with them and live with those consequences.”

In the preview shown, players could embark on quests with and fight alongside NPCs, and in conversations, certain dialogue options required statistics such as perception and charisma. The Wastelanders update will be coming this fall to all Fallout 76 players for free.

In a blog post, Bethesda elaborates on the role these NPCs will play. Two factions called the Raiders and the Settlers are trying to stake claim over Appalachia. Each faction has a story to tell, and helping them will earn players rewards such as weapons and armor. Ultimately, the choices players make will play into how their stories unfold. It’s up to players to decide which faction they will side with.

In an additional update, Fallout 76 will also be getting a new battle royale mode. In the Bethesda E3 2019 conference, a preview of the mode called Nuclear Winter showed vault dwellers throwing punches at one another, fighting off irradiated baddies, building shelters, shooting at one another, and seemingly dropping nukes in an effort to become the overseer of vault 51.

The battle royale mode will feature 52 players who will apparently also be able to level up with exclusive perks. Those perks were not shown during the conference, but we think they might be similar to those players get with Perk cards. A sneak peek of Nuclear Winter will be available starting June 10.

Starting tomorrow, players can play Fallout 76 on a free trial. The trial will run from June 10 – 17.

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Felicia Miranda

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Born in '89 and raised through the 90s, I experienced what I consider to be the golden age of video games. At an early age, I…

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