Now that we’ve all had a good chance to digest the banquet of video games provided for us at E3, I think it’s safe to say that the hype hasn’t really sunk in for Fallout 76. Being a huge Fallout fan, I can remember oozing out with excitement when Fallout: New Vegas and 4 were announced. This time around, I’m excited, but a bit worried too.

It seems the fanbase is in alignment with these thoughts, as Fallout 76 is shaping up to be the most polarizing Fallout game to date. And much of this polarization is due to the radical new direction that Bethesda is taking with this game. Fallout 76 not only promises to be bigger and badder, but it will also offer the first multiplayer experience in a Fallout game. Mix all that in with a slew of new changes and adjustments, and it becomes easy to temper your expectations for Bethesda’s newest entry in the Fallout franchise.

But I’m optimistic; this game does look strange, but it looks like a heck of a good time simultaneously. It’s exciting to see the Fallout formula chopped up and presented to us in a format that I would’ve never expected to see in my lifetime. Granted, there are still a ton of things that worry me too, like having a game with no NPCs!

There’s plenty to be excited about with this new entry, and the same can be said about the other side where all the worriers harbor their distaste for the new additions. So today we’re going to be looking at the things that truly excite us and the ones that we really hope aren’t true (let’s hope we get more of the former than the latter in the final product).

35 We Believe: Cross-Play Is Going To Happen, We Think

Sony’s been in a lot of hot water recently for not letting their users play with others who game on PC, Xbox, or Switch, and a lot of hate towards them has been pretty justified.

Even Todd Howard called out the studio stating that “Sony is not as helpful as everyone would like,” when asked if cross-play would be implemented.

So the future of cross-play seems uncertain for Fallout 76, but many are hopeful that at the very least we’ll be able to play with everyone else outside of PlayStation gamers.

34 We Believe: The Map Will Take Up All Of West Virginia

Jaws were dropped when Todd Howard announced that the map size of Fallout 76 would be four times larger than Fallout 4’s already gigantic map. If true, Bethesda would be giving us one of the largest maps in Fallout history, and one of the largest maps in gaming history.

This one truly excites us, and some have already gone through the grueling task of mapping out the landmarks shown in the trailers, and it seems that the whole state of West Virginia will be explored, at least we hope.

So pack up your Nuka-Colas and laser rifles, because it’s time to hit those country roads.

33 Hopefully Not True: NPCs Will Not Exist

Granted, this one was confirmed by Bethesda already, but we’re hoping that this only stays true in the game at launch and is changed eventually.

We like that Bethesda is trying something new with Fallout 76, but eliminating all NPCs? That just sounds, well, anti-Fallout.

NPCs are what make Fallout, well, Fallout. Who could forget Moria Brown? Or Benny from New Vegas? The list goes on, and on. Only online sounds like a ton of fun, but we just feel like the world won’t feel the same without at least a few NPCs littered around to annoy you and make the game feel more Fallout.

32 We Believe: A Launch For The Nintendo Switch

Now, this is definitely more of a pipe dream and less of a rumor, but we want to believe anyway. Bethesda has had a really good relationship with Nintendo recently, releasing games like Skyrim for Switch, Doom, and the latest edition of Wolfenstein.

For most of those games, we didn’t even think the Switch packed enough punch to even run them, but here we are.

The only franchise the Switch has avoided is Fallout, and what better way to get things started than with the newest game? Oh, and we’ll take Fallout 3 and New Vegas while you're at it.

31 Hopefully Not True: Battle Royale Coming To Fallout 76

We have fellow battle royale titans PUBG and Fortnite to thank for this unfortunate trend that we’re seeing in the gaming industry. I love battle royale just as much as the next gamer (which apparently isn’t much, if you ask any Redditor) but I want that game mode to stay far, faaaar away from my Fallout.

We couldn’t even believe that battle royale was coming to Battlefield 5 and Call of Duty, like, who asked for that?!

These video game companies are chasing dollar signs and it’s getting annoying when this game mode finds its way to leak into games that have no place for them.

30 We Believe: A Good Dialogue System Will Return

This one’s definitely a reach when it comes to this game, as there are going to be no NPCs and Bethesda has been slowly stepping away from the hardcore RPG elements like a good dialogue system. But just like the release of this game on the Switch, we believe!

Even without NPCs, there can be plenty of hilarious in-game banter that takes place between players, or maybe even enemies. Like maybe you can persuade enemies to fight for you by saying the right lines; either way, we just hope we don’t get a dialogue system like the one in Fallout 4.

29 We Believe: Companions Will Make It Into The Game

Companions are a staple of the Fallout franchise; I couldn’t imagine beating Fallout 3 without the help of Dogmeat, or taking down Caesar’s legion without Boone’s sniper rifle. And that’s why we absolutely need to have companions in Fallout 76.

Now fans are a bit worried that companions will be axed as there are no NPCs, so that might also drag companions into the mix.

But even with that been established, we find it hard to believe that companions will be gone entirely. Bethesda loves building their games around companions, and it’d be too weird to see them get rid of companions entirely.

Art by LeeTopic.

28 Hopefully Not True: No Single Player Experience For A While

This is gonna suck for those Fallout diehards who just can’t play this game without having some sort of single-player experience, but Bethesda has already gone out and confirmed that there won’t be any type of solo experience for a while.

Bethesda apparently will work on solo servers after the game releases, but for now, they have no plans on working on that front.

Fallout 76 is first and foremost a multiplayer experience, and Bethesda has been pretty vocal about that. So sorry to all you single-player hopefuls, but it’s not happening.

27 We Believe: Washington D.C. And Other States Might Be Involved

This one comes straight from a terminal found in Fallout 3 that gives information on the type of vault that Fallout 76 is. In the terminal, we learn all that is disclosed to us now, such as that Vault 76 released its dwellers 20 years after the bombs dropped and all the other good stuff, but it’s also mentioned that it’s located in the D.C. area.

The D.C. area might be large, and quite vague as to where it starts and ends, but this line inspires hope that we might see the Capital Wasteland or at least the states surrounding West Virginia.

26 We Believe: Raiders Are Gone (A Good And Bad Thing)

This one’s kind of been confirmed, and we find it a bit bittersweet. Raiders are another staple of the Fallout franchise, always sporting their Mad Max-inspired gear and always ready to give us a hard time. But at the very least, it’s good to know that we won’t have to be worrying about them anymore.

Bethesda apparently removed raiders so that gamers don’t mistake the group as other roaming players.

To be honest, though, we don’t think this one will stick and we feel that raiders will be introduced eventually to once again annoy us with their antics.

25 Hopefully Not True: VATS Is Gone? Well, Not Exactly

Fallout 76 seems to be the game to eliminate all the staples of the Fallout franchise; no NPCs, no companions (hopefully not true), and now it seems VATS has kicked the bucket too... well, at least the VATS we used to know.

VATS isn’t gone, as many might think, since this game is only multiplayer.

Instead, VATS has been reworked to be real-time instead of slo-mo. I mean, I guess we’re happy that it isn’t gone entirely, but real-time VATS just seems useless. If you’re stopping to pick where you should shoot, then you're just giving the other player or enemy an easier opportunity to end you off.

24 We Believe: There Will Still Be Content For Solo Players

Todd Howard was quick to address concerns about Fallout 76 during Bethesda’s conference, and one of those main concerns was if solo would be offered or not.

Howard told us then that you could play the game solo, but diehard Fallout fans, and (mostly) Redditors were quick to dismantle his statement saying that the game will always be online offering no true solo experience.

But Bethesda (for the most part) is good at listening to their fans, and it seems that solo content is being implemented due to all the outcry. Hopefully, it’s enough to stop the cries Fallout diehards.

23 Hopefully Not True: PVP May Get Out Of Control

Servers for Fallout 76 are supposedly going to be 20-30 players at a time, and with all of them being spread across a gigantic map it makes us hopeful for PVP in Fallout 76. Still, especially after the trailer showcasing the nukes, players are a bit worried about PVP getting out of hand.

Bethesda’s had to do a lot of crowd control over all the hysteria about possible griefing going on in Fallout 76.

Fallout 76 could be complete carnage, with nukes going off left and right and bases being blown up right in front of you, but maybe that’s the fun of it.

22 We Believe: Anti-Griefing Mechanics Will Be In Place

Since we’re on the topic of toxic players, Bethesda seriously needs to put some anti-griefing mechanics into place if they want Fallout 76 to be a success. Thankfully, it seems like they’re way ahead of all of us.

When it comes to online games and online gamers, it’s always best to never really trust the players. Toxic players will always be a problem there; they may not be the majority, but they’ll always be a problem nonetheless.

Players that are looking for a more wholesome, peaceful experience should be given that opportunity, and it seems like Bethesda is ready to deliver there.

21 We Believe: Mods Will Come Eventually

Fallout and mods go more hand in hand than Cheetos and milk (trust me, try it). I always have a vanilla experience for my first playthrough of a Fallout game, but as soon as I’m done I mod the heck out of my game.

That includes giving everyone Mario mustaches, adding new quest lines and locations, and always decking out my graphics until I hear my graphics card break.

Thankfully, it seems that mods will one day make it into Fallout 76. Todd Howard said that as solo modes come into play, they’ll be able to implement mods where you can modify your games for you and your friends.

20 Hopefully Not True: Players Giving Out Quests

This one comes straight from the rumor mill, as Todd Howard was asked as to if players could give out quests to other players and he responded by saying “not exactly.” We don’t know what Bethesda has in mind, but we honestly don’t like it.

Receiving quests from players just sounds convoluted, and truly weird. Why does that player get to give out quests? What kind of quests can they give? And why don’t you just bring in NPCs to do all this??

We think gamers will be able to give simple fetch quests to other players, but we still don’t like this direction.

19 Hopefully Not True: Lore Won’t Be Taken Seriously

After seeing all the trailers and gameplay from E3, I was not worried in the slightest at the Fallout lore not being handled properly. The game looked like Fallout, it sounded like Fallout, and it definitely seemed like a worthy entry into the franchise. But after some time, I am a bit scared about the lore being mishandled.

It’s mind-boggling as to how a game like this will fit into the overall story of Fallout.

Like what stays canon from this game, and what’s just for fun? Without NPCs can the game still be taken seriously? I guess we’ll see.

18 We Believe: Raids And Public Events Will Come Into Play

While I never played a Destiny game, I truly do see the appeal in featuring raids and public events in your game... and in Fallout 76, it seems like Bethesda has a perfect chance to implement an idea like this.

Maybe make players come together to explore a new vault, or have an enemy appear that can only be taken down by the efforts of several players.

Events like these are not only fun, but they bring players together rather than pit them against one another. It will be interesting to see how Bethesda brings players together when Fallout 76 launches.

17 We Believe: Nukes Won’t Play A Tremendous Role

Wow, did Bethesda receive some backlash when they showed off nuclear sites in Fallout 76. When watching the trailer for the first time, I sat in awe watching the nuclear weapons go off, but it seemed that fans were thinking other things.

Instead of applauding Bethesda for the introduction of this feature, fans complained at how the nukes were going to be abused online by toxic players.

Bethesda and Todd Howard cleared everything up by saying nukes were hard to find and they wouldn’t be going off every five minutes. Thank god.

16 Hopefully Not True: Be A Bit Skeptical On The Whole Nuke Thing

While we believe Todd and Bethesda, we take their statements with a grain of salt because it can be pretty easy for nukes to get out of hand. All it takes is one nuke to a settlement I’ve been working hours on and I think I’m going to be throwing my mouse and keyboard out the window.

I don’t think any of us can truly understand the nuke feature until we get our hands on the game.

Bethesda might say the nukes are “hard to obtain” by their standards, but it might be cake for some players online. Guess we’ll see.