Fallout 76 is coming. Here’s all we know, from release date and platform predictions to the latest gameplay rumours.
Following an hours-long livestream of nothing but a Fallout-themed Standby message, Bethesda finally announced Fallout 76. But while fans of the RPG series were hoping for the next instalment in the open-world single-player game, rumours suggest that it could be something else entirely.
Here’s everything we know about Fallout 76, from release date and platform predictions to the latest gameplay rumours.
Bethesda is yet to announce the Fallout 76 release date, but the company has announced that we’ll find out more details during the Bethesda E3 2018 press conference. Considering that Bethesda has a track record of announcing and releasing games within the same year, we feel confident in predicting a late-2018 release date for Fallout 76.
But with E3 2018 only weeks away, we haven’t got long to wait to find out more about when to expect Fallout 76.
Much like the release date, official platform support for Fallout 76 is yet to be announced. While we expect it’ll be announced at E3 2018, we’re fairly confident that the game will be available for PS4, Xbox One and PC, much like Fallout 4. While there’s speculation that it could be the first Fallout title to appear on the Nintendo Switch, we’re dubious about it.
Why? If the game is an online survival game like rumours suggest, it’ll require an internet connection to play. That doesn’t fit with the portable nature of the Switch, which was designed to be played on-the-go as well as at home. Besides, it’s not quite as powerful as the PS4, Xbox One and PC, so we imagine that Bethesda would have to cut corners to make it available for the platform.
Vault 76 has been referred to in both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, but we never got to see the famed vault. Most importantly, Vault 76 was one of the ‘control vaults’ (i.e. a vault with no human experimentation) that was meant to keep its 500 inhabitants healthy, alive and sane in order to repopulate the world.
Back in Fallout 3, Vault 76 was listed on a Vault-Tec terminal in the Brotherhood of Steel’s Citadel, and was also mentioned on an audio log found on an alien ship in the Mothership Zeta DLC. The audio log contains the voice of Giles Wolstencroft, the then assistant CEO of Vault-Tec, explaining that he was inspecting the construction of the famed Vault 76 when he was abducted.
In Fallout 4, it’s mentioned in the news in the beginning scenes, with the reporter noting that it was due to make its debut in honour of America’s tercentenary.
While no gameplay was showcased in the teaser trailer, there are rumours circulating the internet that suggests Fallout 76 will be a Rust-like online survival game and not the next big single-player game in the series like some fans had hoped.
Though not confirmed, a tweet mentions the idea of a “Fallout-themed Rust clone” and even mentions Fallout 76 by name a day before the official reveal. That’s without noting that Nibel, the Twitter user, has a good track record when it comes to game leaks and rumours.
This is backed up by several other sources that all confirm that those expecting a single-player open-world Fallout RPG will be disappointed. The survival spin suggests that you’ll be one of the first Vault dwellers to emerge after the nuclear fallout with the aim of fighting for resources and building up your base.
For now, all we’ve got to go on is the teaser trailer found at the top of this page. Bethesda has confirmed that we’ll hear more about Fallout 76 during its’ E3 2018 press conference. It’s due to take place on 10 June 2018, and you can find out how to watch the Bethesda E3 2018 livestream here.
