When Nuka-World, the final Fallout 4 DLC, was released in August 2016, fans wanted to know when the next Fallout game would be released. Bethesda made it clear that they weren't a vending machine with only The Elder Scrolls and Fallout inside. The popular developer and publisher wanted to take time to create new IPs.
When Bethesda suddenly appeared on a live Twitch stream featuring Vault Boy in front of a "Please Stand By" screen, it was no surprise that two million people watched. Fallout 4 was first released in 2015 and players wanted more. On Wednesday, May 30, fans finally got the announcement they were waiting for: Fallout 76, the newest game in the Fallout series.
Fallout 76 isn't the 76th installment of the series, but a non-numbered sequel, similar to Fallout: New Vegas. Bethesda released a short teaser trailer for the new game, but fans can't help but speculate about the game. Unfortunately, at times like these, there are more rumors than facts about the game. Some try to over-analyze the trailers and end up being wrong, while others purposely spread false information to waste our time.
The Fallout 76 trailer, official website, and retailers have released some information about the upcoming game. We've compiled a list of everything we know so far about Fallout 76, from what's likely real to what might be another ruse online.
25 Sole Survivor No More
Fallout has always been a single-player game. In each game, you start off as a single person who has to venture forth on a quest. Throughout your journey, you may find companions to aid you on your journey. At the end of the mission, these companions usually go off to continue their path in the world. Fallout 4 was the first game that made companions feel like friends and romantic partners instead of hired hands.
According to websites reporting on Fallout 76, the game will surprise gamers with brand new experiences not yet known to Fallout fans.
The post-apocalyptic adventure set in America will soon become a multiplayer experience.
Players will work together to help rebuild the Capital Wasteland. That may be making alliances with nearby settlements or tearing them down to make your settlement better. The details revolving around multiplayer have not yet fully been revealed, but from the trailer, rebuilding will be the primary focus.
For those who prefer to be a Lone Wanderer, the same sources stated that the series will still have quests and a story.
Interested in learning more? Fallout 76 fans will have to wait until Bethesda's E3 Conference on June 10 to find out more about the latest installment of the Fallout series.
24 Rumor: Player Versus Player
Player versus player games have become highly popular with fans recently. Gamers fell in love with Overwatch so quickly that a competitive league was born. Fortnite combined competitive gaming along with base-building. The most recent competitive game that has increased in popularity is PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. These games all have a Battle Royale gameplay style where players try to become the last one standing.
When a new Fallout game was teased, gamers believed that Bethesda would cash-in on the increasing popularity of Battle Royale-style games. Though some players would love to compete against strangers online to see who's the best Vault Dweller, a competitive shooter is unlikely.
Bethesda launched the #saveplayer1 campaign last December. Lynda Carter, who portrayed Magnolia in Fallout 4, including singing two new songs for the game, appealed to gamers to enjoy single-player games. Bethesda wants players to know that they're still making games for one person, even though it hasn't shied away from multiplayer with the MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online.
The Fallout series has emphasized being a lone survivor in the United States since it was first created. The teaser trailer shows no combat at all, but we can expect the series won't significantly deviate from its roots.
23 Rumor: Just Another PVP Survival Game
Video game developers are capable of creating beautiful trailers and key art. This artwork is used to promote the game. When Bethesda first released the long Fallout 4 trailer, fans were impressed but wanted to see gameplay. The Fallout series hasn't relied heavily on long cutscenes, like the Metal Gear Solid series, so information on gameplay is more important. Since Bethesda obtained the Fallout IP, fans have complained about the gameplay and hoped to see improvements.
Rumors began circulating on online forums from "sources" that believed Fallout 76 would be a clone of Rust. Rust is a multiplayer survival PVP game that has some PVE elements developed by Facepunch Studios.
Players have to survive in an open world environment against Mother Nature and other players.
The game focuses more on surviving against other players instead of irradiated creatures like the Fallout series traditionally has.
Another comparison is Fallout 76 will be a comparison of DayZ. The Bohemia Interactive game is also a multiplayer game where users must survive in a post-apocalyptic world. These games focus heavily on fighting other players instead of the environment. At this point, it's unlikely that Bethesda will overhaul the Fallout series to compete against other players instead of rebuilding.
22 Expanding The Weapons Workbench
If the release date information is correct, Fallout 76 will be released four years after Fallout 4. The previous numbered sequels were released seven years apart. Four years is a long time in the video game development world. There's a lot of breakthroughs that can be made to the game engine, graphics, VR, and more.
Fans remain increasingly interested in the arsenal of weapons they can wield within the Capital Wasteland. Most already expect traditional Fallout weapons, such as Power Armor, handguns, sniper rifles, laser weapons, and melee items.
Gamers can expect to see an expansion of Fallout 4's Weapons Workbench in Fallout 76. We'll once again have to scavenge for parts to build weapons to defend ourselves and our settlements from Raiders, Ghouls, and whatever else the Wasteland wants to curse upon us. If those weapons aren't powerful enough, then you'll have to customize them to make them even stronger. Fallout 76 may enable us to be more hands-on while crafting instead of choosing various parts from a menu.
Those who haven't leveled up their Gunsmith skills may have to use simpler means. Some websites report the ability to gather resources, to use as non-firearm weapons. If you can't find bullets, use a melee item instead, even though it has a higher rate of breaking.
21 What Will We Search For This Time?
Whether you enjoyed them or not, the Fallout series has always featured a main storyline. Fallout 1 starred the Vault Dweller, who left the safety of their vault to retrieve a water chip. In Fallout 2, the Chosen One must find the GECK to save their tribe from starvation. Fallout 3 stars the Lone Wanderer, who wanders out of Vault 101 to find their father. The most recent addition to the series, Fallout 4, tells the story of the Sole Survivor, who looked for safety inside a vault only to have their baby stolen.
Fallout 76's short trailer revealed a storyline that is once again about leaving a Vault. From the tagline used in the trailer "When the fighting has stopped...", we know that there was a massive battle that forced up to 500 people inside of Vault 76. The fight may have entered the Vault, causing everyone except for the main character to perish.
The tagline could also refer to the main character's new start in life. Vault 76's Vault Resident will be forced to leave the safety of their Vault to rebuild. That may mean they are forced to find parts to restore their Vault or find a new home among the residents of the Capital Wasteland.
20 Rumor: Sim City Meets Fallout
Fallout 4 shocked gamers by introducing base building. It was primarily part of the Minutemen storyline, which many players ended up abandoning because of the endless radiant quests. If you didn't want any part of the Minutemen, it was also a significant theme of the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC. The trailer makes it clear that rebuilding would be a central theme of Fallout 76. Fans have begun speculating just how much reconstruction had to be done.
Gamers have suggested that Fallout 76 "will have a certain element of post-nuclear Sim City to it."
Rumors have begun circulating that gamers will not just be rebuilding a few farms throughout the Capital Wasteland.
Players will now have to help restore entire cities and make them fully functional. Those familiar with games like Sim City also know that utility lines, roads, and services such as police departments and hospitals are essential to making their city functional.
It isn't likely that Fallout 76 will become a full-fledged Sim City-like simulator game. Though repairing what was lost is a central theme, players won't have to worry about micromanaging every part of their growing city. We can spend more time exploring the Wasteland instead of making sure every resident has working water.
19 The Vault Supplies Will Eventually Run Out
Every Fallout game has the main character trying to survive. The post-apocalyptic lands of America contain many human and mutated threats. Travel around the open-world, and you'll find countless skeletons and remains of those who weren't strong enough to survive.
There are reports that we can expect heavier survival overtones in the upcoming Fallout 76. According to Kotaku's sources, the game will be focused on surviving. That means players will have to take greater care in crafting armor with high defenses, weapons that can take down a Deathclaw, or finding the best companions that can aid you in battle. These reports may also mean that making your home base (or even bases) will be even more critical. If your small shack can't withstand a dust storm, then don't expect it to stand against a horde of Feral Ghouls.
What might make Fallout 76 more unique among other survival games is that it takes place in a familiar world. Long-time Fallout gamers know that they need to immediately seek shelter if a radiation storm strikes. They also know what Aid to pack just in case you're forced to drink irradiated water. Planning your pack before venturing forth into the wild will make all the difference in making it back alive.
18 Rumor: Fan-Made Content
PC Gamers have long enjoyed adding mods to Fallout games. These mods are either used to fix annoying gameplay issues or add fun cosmetic items. Console gamers missed out on mods for years. They were willing to accept the lack of mods to play on their favorite consoles. Bethesda decided to bring mods to both PC and console gamers with the Creation Club. The Club contains carefully curated mods that players can purchase. Gamers won't have to worry if these mods are compatible with their base games or add-ons. Using the Creation Club also meant that achievements wouldn't be disabled if mods are used.
Fans have wondered if this means that mods won't be allowed in future games. Rumors have begun to spread that mods from third-party websites won't be allowed in Fallout 76. One source suggests "No external modes outside of Creation Club, they’re going to try and cut that off at the pass and sell it as a security thing citing stolen content and [grown-up] mods."
Modding has long been a huge part of Bethesda games. It's unlikely that Bethesda would ban all third-party mods from their game. If mods are discouraged, it may be in the form of once again disabling achievements, like Fallout 4.
17 Life Wasn’t That Bad In The Vault
The Fallout series has starred a variety of protagonists. Most are regular people who end up in wild circumstances. How could Fallout: New Vegas' Courier know they would get attacked then end up in a battle for the Hoover Dam? Fallout 76's protagonist is bound to turn them from zero to hero as well.
Fallout 76's protagonist starts off going through an unusual situation. According to the Brotherhood of Steel Citadel's reports, Vault 76 is one of seventeen control Vaults. A majority of the Vault-Tec vaults are used as experimental bunkers. The Overseers are instructed to run certain tests on the inhabitants and report their results. This often leads to a complete mutiny or destruction for everyone involved.
Vault 76 had a much better outcome than other vaults.
It operated according to the pre-war advertisements on commercials and flyers spread across America. Vault Dwellers in Vault 76 had all of the modern amenities, such as color TVs, kitchens, five foot thick concrete walls, clear air ventilation, and decorated rooms.
The main character lived well in the vault, like Fallout 3's Lone Wanderer. We can bet that something significant occurred to force them to leave the safety of Vault 76.
16 Rumor: Taking The Elder Scrolls Online Route
The Elder Scrolls series was one of Bethesda's most well-known IPs until Fallout 3 was released. After Skyrim was released, the developer and publisher worked with ZeniMax to release an MMORPG. The Elder Scrolls Online initially had a rocky launch. After spending time working out the issues, the game increased in popularity. The MMORPG allows gamers to complete the entire game alone or compete in PVP trials. Bethesda has continued to release Expansion Packs for the game since its release.
When news of a new Fallout game was born, fans speculated that it would be an MMORPG. The Fallout series already had plans for an online game when Interplay still owned it. Instead, Bethesda and Interplay fought in court over ownership of Fallout Online for years.
Fans believed that with the success of The Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda would create their own non-isometric MMORPG. All they would have to do is create a standalone game, then release new expansion packs themed after the older games. It would be a massive moneymaker for the company along with The Elder Scrolls Online.
Bethesda may not be ready to maintain two MMORPGs at the same time. The trailer for Fallout 76 suggests that the newest game will be an action-adventure RPG like previous Fallout games.
15 Post-Apocalyptic, Not Post-Post Apocalyptic
The Fallout series has become a massive franchise with four numbered sequels and one spin-off. Fallout: New Vegas isn't a numbered installment, but fans eventually learned that it took place only four years after the ending of Fallout 3.
When Fallout 76 was announced, fans were confused on when the next installment would take place. While the time and date of Fallout: New Vegas remained a mystery, Fallout 76 makes its place in history known within the first teaser trailer.
It takes some knowledge and research to figure out exactly where Fallout 76 fits in the timeline. The Great War initially began in 2077, with the first game taking place 84 years later in 2161. Fallout 2 would star the Vault Dweller's descendant, the Chosen One, in 2241.
The character in the teaser trailer of Fallout 76 clearly shows the date: October 27, 2102. This date places Fallout 76 taking place over 50 years after the events of the first Fallout game. In the official timeline, Fallout 76 will be a prequel to Fallout 2, 3, New Vegas, and 4.
Wondering what else happened during the early 2100s? Curie finished her work in Vault 81. The original Vault Dweller passes away in 2208. The spin-off game, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel also begins, but Bethesda (and many fans) consider it non-canon.
14 Rumor: The Return Of Old Friends
According to the Fallout timeline, the Brotherhood of Steel was initially founded by U.S. Army service member Captain Roger Maxson. Maxson was stationed at the West Tek research facility, which was located southeast of Vault 13. After finding out that the military was using their prisoners to experiment on, he left his military post. The Great War would then further turn his world upside-down.
With a small band of soldiers, they would form the Brotherhood of Steel. Their first mission was to scavenge the remains of the West Tek research facility looking for any spare technology. This mission would soon set the standard for future recon missions. The BoS would begin scavenging the land for technology that they can use to protect their people.
The Brotherhood of Steel's primary base was on the West Coast. They didn't set out to explore the East Coast until 2231, which is 129 years after the date shown in Fallout 76's teaser trailer.
It's unlikely that we'll see the Brotherhood of Steel appear in Fallout 76.
If you're wondering if the Enclave may have made their way to the East Coast, it's even less likely. John Henry Eden, who controlled the East Coast division of the Enclave, didn't take command until 2242.
13 General, Another Settlement Needs Your Help
Settlement building was a new gameplay element that began with Fallout 4. The Minutemen's Preston Garvey sent out the Solve Survivor to help smaller settlements become thriving communities. Many gamers chose to skip these quests. There were little benefits to helping rebuild these places, and the concept seemed unusual. After two centuries, why weren't the people of the Commonwealth unable to do anything without your help? Even after you did help these settlements fix their defenses or rescue a hostage, it was highly likely you would have to return to help them again. And again.
Fallout 76 attempts to fix this. Since it takes place 25 years after the Great War, it makes sense that society will need to be rebuilt. The tagline for the trailer clearly states: “When the fighting has stopped, and the fallout has settled, you must rebuild.”
It's reasonable to believe the player will have to help rebuild the region outside of the Vault. From what we've seen in Fallout 3 and 4, the East Coast had had significant problems rebuilding, even 200 years after the Great War. It may be up to you to begin rebuilding the Captial Wasteland on your own or be the reason why settlers weren't able to rebuild for two centuries.
12 Home Has A Name
In Fallout 1, Fallout 3, and Fallout 4, the main character is a Vault Dweller who is leaving the safety of an underground vault for the first time, perhaps ever. The Fallout 76 revealed that you will yet again play as a Vault Dweller from Vault 76.
This isn't the first time we've seen Vault 76 mentioned in the Fallout series. Fallout 3 mentions Vault 76 in several terminal logs. The official entry in the Brotherhood of Steel Citadel terminal states: "Vault 76 is one of our seventeen control Vaults. It will operate exactly according to the plan dictated in the marketing material produced by Vault-Tec and precisely to resident expectations. This vault will open automatically after 20 years and the residents will be pushed back into the open world for study in comparison to the other experiments."
Vault 76 is also mentioned in the Mothership Zeta expansion. During your stay on the alien vessel, you'll learn that aliens abducted the Vault-Tec Assistant CEO Giles Wolstencroft while he was inspecting the area around Vault 76.
In Fallout 4, a newscaster mentions Vault 76 during the prologue, but we don't hear the vault mentioned again for the remainder of the game.
11 A Familiar Face
In every single Fallout game and most games in general, you take on the lead role as a human. Fallout has always allowed character creation, but your character has always remained an ordinary human without any special powers. Some masks allow you to look like a non-human, like the Ghoul Mask from Fallout 3, but you remain human underneath.
The trailer for Fallout 76 confirms that you'll be taking on the role of a human once again. Eagle-eyed fans may notice that Fallout 76 is a post-apocalyptic game and not every creature roaming around has mutated yet. According to the Fallout timeline, the first Ghoul was born in Vault 12 on the same day the Great War began in 2077. The ghouls that didn't become feral left the Vault. They went on to start the city of Necropolis. Ghouls exist during Fallout 76, but another familiar mutant may not have yet been born.
On the West Coast of the United States, The Master, didn't begin to create Super Mutants until 2102. This is mere months before the date stated in the Fallout 76 trailer. Since we don't know when Fallout 4's Institute began placing Super Mutants into the East Coast, it's highly likely we won't be playing as a Super Mutant wanting to rebuild America.
10 Rumor: Sequel To A Smartphone Game
Gaming has evolved since Fallout 4 was initially released in late 2015. Bethesda has updated Fallout 4 to contain more benefits of modern gaming, such as downloading curated mods, VR, and improving graphics. They haven't announced a handheld version of Fallout 4, yet, but have released a simpler version of the series called Fallout Shelter.
Fallout Shelter is a free-to-play game with microtransactions. Players take on the role of Overseer, making sure that their Vault Dwellers are happy and populating their new home. The game hasn't seen many new additions, except for occasional sales on Nuka-Cola Quantum or holiday-themed quests.
When Bethesda teased news of a new Fallout entry, fans assumed the worst.
Most believed it would be a remaster of Fallout 3 or 4. Rumors began circulating that it was a sequel to Fallout Shelter. Gamers can't deny that mobile gaming has grown more popular over the years, and Bethesda doesn't have many smartphone games on the market.
From the trailer, it appears that it won't be a tie-in to Fallout Shelter at all. If there is a mobile tie-in, it may be similar to Dying Light and their Companion app that allows users to use other survivors to find more weapons and tools.
9 More Variety For Our Ears
When the Fallout 76 teaser trailer finally dropped, fans were focused on the graphics, characters, and Vault settings. They were also surprised to hear the background song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. The song was initially released in 1970, while fans expect music from the earlier 1900s. The lyrics primarily focused on traveling back to natural landmarks only found in western Virginia, including the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Fallout soundtrack has primarily featured pop songs from the 20th century. There are some exceptions, including the country-genre themed songs from Fallout: New Vegas. The trailer proves that we can still tune into radio stations on our Pip-Boy during our travels. We'll have to wait until the game is closer to release before finding out how many radio stations are included.
We can be sure that Fallout 76 will deviate from "Maybe" by The Ink Spots, one of Fallout's most well-known songs. Gamers can expect the soundtrack to feature new radio stations, unlike what Fallout 4's Diamond City Radio had to offer. Travis' station replayed mostly music we knew, and loved, from Fallout 3's Galaxy News Radio.
With a new soundtrack, DJs, and radio stations, we don't have to expect lonely roads on our travels.
8 Rumor: The Color TV Theory
While Bethesda ran their 24-hour long Twitch stream, they released small teasers on their social media channels. With little information to go on, fans started (and never stopped) overanalyzing what appeared on the screen. One of those small hints included a "Please Stand By" screen that played behind Vault Boy. The screen remained on during the entirety of the live stream.
Fans recognize the "Please Stand By" screen, but it was altered from the sepia tone we've seen in previous games. The screen now had different colors, which was new to many fans. They came up with the theory that this was a hint to Fallout 76's location.
The "Color TV Theory" states that Fallout 76 may take place in New York. Color TVs were being developed in this region. Fans believed the colorful "Please Stand By" screen meant that we would head to New York in the newest game.
However, color TVs are not a new phenomenon in the world of Fallout. The Radiation King television was a popular brand of televisions in America in the late 20th century. It was released at least ten years before the Great War. The Fallout versions of the tv had knobs to adjust the Color and Tint of the screen. Color televisions were more expensive, and most families couldn't afford them.
7 Before It Was The Capital Wasteland
The Fallout series first began on the West Coast of the United States. Gamers learned how civilization managed to rebuild after the region was attacked in the Great War. Fallout: New Vegas was released a decade later, but allowed us to visit the West in a non-isometric view.
Fallout 3 finally gave us a glimpse of what happened on the East Coast. The Capital Wasteland didn't fare as well. The region wasn't able to recover as quickly two centuries after the Great War. Fallout 4 featured the Commonwealth, which had recovered but required the Sole Survivor to help rebuild settlements.
Since the trailer for Fallout 76 was released, fans have begun speculating where the game will take place.
Gamers have taken the song lyrics of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" literally, believing we will be heading to western Virginia.
Fallout 3 has already given us insight on where Fallout 76 will take place. According to the Brotherhood of Steel's Citadel Entries, it lists Vault 76 under the D.C. Area. It's highly likely that we'll be traveling outside Fallout 3's map of the Capital Wasteland. Gamers will get to explore the region outside of the city. Hopefully, we'll see more of Mother Nature in the form of forests, wildlife, and rivers (even if they are irradiated).
6 Mark Your Calendars
The Electronic Entertainment Expo, more commonly known as E3, is a giant event for the video game industries. Several developers and publishers come together for this special weekend to show off new products and announce new games. Bethesda has previously used their presentation time to announce new projects. It was at E3 where the previous game, Fallout 4, was officially released with a trailer and additional details. Bethesda has also previously used their timeslot to announce The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim port to the Nintendo Switch.
Bethesda revealed Fallout 76 two weeks before E3, which shocked most gamers. Fans would have to wait until Bethesda published more information related to the game at E3. We can expect to learn more about the main protagonist, the region the game takes place in, and most importantly, gameplay.
Though the teaser trailer and 24-hour long live stream barely revealed any information, Bethesda announced earlier this year when their press conference would take place. Their conference will take place on Sunday, June 10 at 9:30 PM EST. Their invitation to the press also included artwork of characters from The Elder Scrolls, Prey, and Fallout. Though Fallout fans are eager to hear more about the upcoming game, Bethesda has more announcements waiting for all of their fans.