Promotion and release

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Promotional material for Fallout 76 at Gamescom 2018

Fallout 76 was announced on May 30, 2018.[1] The announcement was preceded by a twenty-four-hour live stream on Bethesda's Twitch channel that displayed a Vault Boy bobblehead toy in front of a monitor with a "Please Stand By" test pattern screen.[2] The stream ended with a teaser trailer, which featured a cover of the John Denver song "Take Me Home, Country Roads".[1] During Bethesda's press conference at E3 2018, Todd Howard described the game in greater detail.[3] Howard emphasized the scale of Fallout 76, with quotes such as "four times the size of Fallout 4" and "sixteen times the detail" compared to previous Fallout games.[3] He also noted that Fallout 76 was an entirely online game, which caused some derision within the Fallout fandom.[4] In response to the E3 press conference, a petition was made on Change.org which called for the inclusion of a single-player mode.[4]

Following the game's announcement, there was a burst of interest in tourism in West Virginia. The website "West Virginia Explorer" reported an increase of fifteen times the visitors to the site in the days after the announcement, while management of the Camden Park amusement park said there was an increase in people looking to purchase park merchandise.[5] Additionally, the trailer's usage of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" led to an increase in the song's popularity.[6] It reached number one on the iTunes singles chart, and sold enough copies to reach number 41 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and number 21 on the Country Digital Songs chart.[6] In response to the song's popularity, Bethesda announced that all proceeds would be donated to Habitat for Humanity, and assured a minimum US$100,000 donation.[7]

Fallout 76 was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 14, 2018.[8] The game was originally not available on Steam, the largest digital distributor for computer games, and was instead released on Bethesda's own computer game launcher.[9] It was eventually released on Steam on April 7, 2020.[10]

Sales

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According to the American market research firm The NPD Group, Fallout 76 was the fourth best selling video game in the United States in November 2018.[11] The game's physical sales for the month of release were the third highest in the series, behind Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas.[11] A separate market research firm, SuperData, used a Nielsen Media Research report to estimate that Fallout 76 sold 1.4 million digital copies in November.[12] If that number is accurate, it would represent a 48% decrease in digital sales in the month of release when compared to Fallout 4.[12] In the United Kingdom, Fallout 76 debuted at third place on the physical sales charts, behind Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Red Dead Redemption 2.[13] The game's physical sales in the United Kingdom were 82% lower than Fallout 4's within the first week of release.[13] Due to the game's high retail price however, it generated the most revenue of any game on the chart.[13] In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 73,489 copies within its debut week, which made it the second best selling retail game of the week, only behind Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.[14]

Since 2018, Fallout 76's player count has steadily grown.[15] In December 2023, Bethesda reported the game had over 17 million players.[15] Following the premiere of the Fallout television series in April 2024, Fallout 76's player count reached an all-time high, with over million people logging in within a single day.[16] Eddie Makuch of GameSpot notes that player count does not automatically correlate with sales, as players who subscribe to Xbox Game Pass service can download and play the game without purchasing it.[17]

Post-release

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Beyond the launch of Fallout 76, the game continued to receive further development support from Bethesda to improve or alter its design, combat technical issues, and take action against users seen as cheating. However, many of the decisions undertaken by the publisher to implement these aims garnered disgruntlement and criticism from players and gaming journalists.[18]

In December 2018, the prices of Fallout 76's in-game cosmetics received increasingly negative attention from players for being too expensive, particularly in regards to items added for the 2018 holiday season. Eurogamer noted how a set of Santa Claus outfits and a large sign cost $20 and $14 worth of in-game currency (called Atoms), respectively, with players arguing similar pricing was enough to buy Fallout 4's season pass with all add-ons.[19] In the spring and summer of 2019, the game introduced items that managed a player's surplus inventory and improved the quality of their weapons, both of which could be acquired through spending Atoms. However, the implementation drew criticism from players, who felt that it favored those that paid for Atoms with real money instead of gaining them through hours of playtime.[20][21] Additional items released later that provided gameplay advantages and were buyable with Atoms drew similar criticism. Polygon wrote the in-game store had "slowly warped over time", particularly as it had initially only offered cosmetic items for sale.[22]

In the weeks following release, Bethesda banned numerous players from the game for using mods and exploiting technical issues for various purposes. Such examples included duplicating in-game items, and gaining access to the game's developer room, an off-limits area created for testing purposes which contained copies of every item. Many of these players found that their accounts had been closed without warning, and were emailed by Bethesda asking them to write an essay explaining why cheating and using mod software was damaging to online video games. Bethesda's reaction received backlash from users as many felt they had been unfairly targeted for using mods to fix graphical or technical issues with the game, rather than with the intention to gain unfair advantages.[23][24][25]

Fallout 76's in-game currency became affected by hackers due to the mass duplication of items, much of which were sold using unofficial methods outside of the game.[26] Various players took it upon themselves to combat item duplication by hunting down and killing any player-characters suspected of using them, despite a number being in fact innocent.[27] Other examples of hacking were achieved in Fallout 76; for example, in December 2019 alone, users succeeded in incorporating numerous NPCs and objects into the game, some of which had been taken from Fallout 4. Later that same month, hackers managed to open other online players' inventories and steal hundreds of their items. While Bethesda took action to combat these, many users called on the publisher to implement more rigorous anti-cheat protection for the game and to be more forceful in banning the accounts of those caught hacking.[28][29]

On October 23, 2019, Bethesda announced it would be selling a premium subscription service for Fallout 76, titled "Fallout 1st", priced at $12.99 per month or $99.99 per year. The subscription allows payees to play the game in a private online server (either alone or in a group of up to seven people, who do not have to be subscribers). It also introduces new content such as a box allowing unlimited storage for crafting materials, a placeable fast travel system with supplementary supplies, 1650 atoms per month, and exclusive cosmetic items.

The choice to release a subscription model for the game drew criticism and was considered an audacious move from Bethesda,[30][31] particularity as content like private worlds had been requested before the game's launch by players but was instead now included behind a paywall. Some noted that subscription services for exclusive content in full-priced games were being shunned in favor of other models.[32][self-published source] Kotaku contested the high price, writing how the base game, while having improved in time through new content following its poor launch, still suffered from various problems, and additionally was continuing to be sold for a discounted price at most retailers.[33]

Reception

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Critical response

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According to review aggregator Metacritic, the PC and PlayStation 4 versions received "mixed or average" reviews, while the Xbox One version received "generally unfavorable" reviews.[44][45][46] The numerous negative reviews from critics led Forbes to describe the release of Fallout 76 as a "historically bad launch" and to question if Bethesda would consider the property "worth saving" moving forward.[47][self-published source]

The Guardian called the game "a pointless walk in the post-apocalypse" featuring "half-baked conflict and witless quests to unearth the dead".[40] According to Forbes, Fallout 76 was a "huge, rare, total miss" by Bethesda.[48][self-published source] Eurogamer described the game as a "bizarre, boring, broken mess", adding that, shortly after its launch, it should be considered as a "failed experiment".[49] Business Insider described Fallout 76 as "a jumble of disparate video game elements set loose in an online world, held together by a string of pointless fetch quests and experience points".[50] Newsweek said that moments of the enjoyment during their review were "outweighed by the near-constant performance issues and poorly executed game systems", adding that they were disappointed in the game despite being fans of the series.[51]

PCWorld ended their review early due to their frustration with the game's technical performance, and said that it still would not be a great game to them even if it "functioned properly".[52] GameSpot said that the game "can look and feel like its illustrious predecessors at times, but it's a soulless husk of an experience."[35] According to IGN, "The rich wasteland map of Fallout 76 is wasted on a mess of bugs, conflicting ideas, and monotony."[37] Giant Bomb has said they will not publish a full review due to lack of interest of the staff to play it enough to reach a final verdict. Editor and co-founder Jeff Gerstmann stated on their podcast "No one on staff wants to play any more of this video game."[53]

The game was also criticized for its initial complete absence of interactive human NPCs. GameSpot said that "without having any of those people present to tell their stories personally, [Fallout 76]'s world is limited to being little more than just an environmental exhibit with things to kill", and that "there are no strong emotional anchors to help you become truly invested...". They also wrote that quests simply exist of "long monologues and one-way directives from a person who no longer exists and you can't interact with [...] your actions ultimately won't affect anyone, or the rest of the world for that matter".[35] PC World similarly took issue, writing "robots aren't really NPCs as much as quest dispensers [...] they don't talk with you, they talk at you". Additionally, they disliked the readable terminals and holotapes: "none of it feels important or even particularly interesting" as they were "no substitute for an actual conversation".[52]

Many reviewers noted a large number of bugs and glitches present in Fallout 76, affecting numerous aspects of the game, as well as stability, performance and graphical issues.[54][55][56] In response, Bethesda issued several patches, the size of the first being 50GB, which nearly eclipsed the size of the game itself.[57][58] However, many of the attempted fixes garnered player disgruntlement for failing to resolve some of the more notable technical issues, removing features previously thought intentional, and inadvertently resulting in further bugs, some of which had been fixed previously.[59][60][61][62] A number of fans subsequently expressed their desire for Bethesda to use a public test server for new patches before their release.[63][20][21] The game's controversial subscription service also received further negative attention upon its launch in October 2019 due to a range of issues. In particular, players reported that private servers used to present a newly created version of the game's world contained dead NPCs and looted areas, implying that the servers were recycled instances that people had already used. Additionally, players found that they were not able to go "invisible" and restrict their private server to a few select friends; instead, anyone on their friends list could see and join the server. Another technical issue with the subscription model concerned a box that allowed for an unlimited depositing of crafting materials, with players storing their items accordingly and then returning later to find that the contents of the box had disappeared.[64][self-published source][65][66]

On December 22, 2018, as a way of apology for the criticism surrounding Fallout 76, Bethesda announced that they would give all players of Fallout 76 a free copy of the Fallout Classic Collection, available on PC, which consists of Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel.[67] In an interview with IGN on June 2, 2019, Todd Howard addressed the launch of Fallout 76 and that the negative reactions had been anticipated by Bethesda, saying, "We knew we were going to have a lot of bumps. That's a difficult development; a lot of new systems and things like that [...] a lot of those difficulties ended up on the screen. We knew, hey look, this is not the type of game that people are used to from us and we're going to get some criticism on it. A lot of that—very well-deserved criticism [...] This is not gonna be a high Metacritic game. This is not what this is." Howard also expressed regret at not releasing a beta version of the game several months before release to gain feedback. Despite this, he believed that Fallout 76's reception would improve over time from ongoing support, and that this mattered more for a game than how it started out: "It's not how you launch, it's what it becomes [...] It's [Fallout 76] really turned around. It's a fabulous game with an incredible community."[68][69]

Wastelanders

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With the release of the Wastelanders expansion, the game saw improved reception from critics. On Metacritic, the Wastelanders expansion had an aggregate score of 68/100 for Windows,[70] and 63/100 for PlayStation 4 based on updated reviews.[71] IGN David Jagneaux's review of Wastelanders scored the update a 6 of 10, but stated that Wastelanders "is a dramatic overhaul of Appalachia from top to bottom it desperately needed. It finally introduces mostly interesting human NPCs, an abundance of fun new quests, and satisfying alterations to existing areas. As a result, Fallout 76 is starting to feel like a true Fallout game – even if it's still not as consistently enjoyable as its predecessors."[72] PCWorld said "It's still not as good as a proper offline Fallout sequel, but Fallout 76's Wastelanders expansion injects some much-needed personality into post-apocalyptic West Virginia."[73] GameSpot wrote that "Wastelanders introduces some of the best Fallout sequences in recent years, but you'll have to dig through a lot of Fallout 76's enduring issues to experience them."[74] Nate Crowley of Rock, Paper, Shotgun said of the improvements, "The mood of the game, for want of a better word, is transformed: what was once hollow now feels fleshed out, and what was lifeless now feels at least intermittently busy. I've still got a lot of issues with Fallout 76, but they're starting to feel fixable, or at least easier to overlook."[75]

When the game, with the new Wastelanders expansion, was released on Steam in April 2020, it was initially review bombed by users generally upset over the game's original state when it was first released. However, other users on Steam and other community sites have worked to try to counter that perception of the game to newer players or interested buyers, pointing out that, like Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and No Man's Sky, the updates since launch, particularly with the Wastelanders update included with the Steam release, had significantly improved the game, and that those interested in trying it should ignore the negative reviews.[76][77]

Accolades

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Despite the mixed reviews, the game was nominated for "Fan Favorite Fall Release" at the Gamers' Choice Awards,[78] for "Game of the Year" at the Australian Games Awards,[79] and for the Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game at the New York Game Awards.[80] The game won the "Best Video Game TV Spot" award at the 2019 Golden Trailer Awards.

Controversies

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Fallout 76's Power Armor special edition drew controversy upon release. Bethesda advertised that the edition would include a canvas duffel bag, but a nylon one was included instead. Responding to customer complaints, Bethesda claimed that the bag had to be changed due to unavailability of materials, and initially stated the intention to take no action. The publisher received criticism for not making the change known beforehand, with Eurogamer pointing out that the bag's description on Bethesda's website had only changed to read "nylon" after complaints had been submitted. Bethesda later offered affected customers free in-game currency of 500 atoms as compensation, equivalent to US$5.00 (equivalent to $6.07 in 2023).[81][82] Critics pointed out this amount of currency was not enough to purchase the in-game postman uniform (700 atoms), which includes a canvas bag.[81] Additionally, it was discovered that Bethesda had produced a different Fallout 76–themed canvas bag and given them for free to online influencers, further adding to the fan outrage.[83] Bethesda announced on December 3, 2018, that they would be producing canvas bags for all owners of the Power Armor special edition,[84][85] In June 2019, the bags were delivered to customers.[86][87]

A data breach occurred on December 5, 2018, when a glitch in Bethesda's support system revealed personal information of approximately 65 Fallout 76 customers who had submitted a support ticket to receive the canvas bag.[88][self-published source] Users were able to open and close tickets of other customers and view personal information, including names, addresses, emails and partial credit card information.[89][90][self-published source][91] In a statement given to Ars Technica, Bethesda said that the breach occurred via "an error with our customer support website" and that they are "investigating the incident and will provide additional updates as we learn more". The publisher clarified that the only information leaked were details that the support site would have requested, rather than credit card numbers or passwords, and that they would notify all affected customers.[92]

In 2018, Bethesda partnered with the Silver Screen Bottling Company to create "Nuka Dark Rum", an alcoholic beverage based on the in-game "Nuka-Cola Dark" introduced in the Fallout 4: Nuka-World add-on. The rum was available to be pre-ordered in August 2018 for $80 (equivalent to $97.07 in 2023).[93][94] While its release was expected to coincide with the launch of Fallout 76, the rum was delayed and was shipped instead in late December 2018. Upon receiving it, fans criticized the fact that the rum bottle advertised, expected to be in the missile-like shape of the Nuka-Cola item, had turned out to be a standard glass bottle encased in a plastic cover. The rum's asking price of $80 was subsequently condemned from expectations that the design would be of high quality, since none of the marketing had stated what the bottles would be made of.[95][self-published source][96][97]

In September 2019, collectible "Nuka Cola"–themed Fallout helmets produced by Chronicle Collectibles, of which only 32 of the 20,000 manufactured were sold, were recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission due to containing high levels of mold and posing a health risk. No incidents or injuries were reported. GameStop, which sold the helmets, notified all customers who had purchased a helmet and offered them a full refund.[98][99]

Notes

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References

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