Fallout 76: 8 New Details You Need To Know

From free DLC to perk card details and better class options than ever before.

By Joe Pring /

Not content with resting on its laurels, Bethesda has decided to take the unnecessary risk of opening up Fallout's nuclear-ridden wasteland to not just one, but potentially hundreds of concurrent players. In turn, this eschews huge chunks of the series' tried and true formula, handing the reigns over to fans so they can decide how best to rebuild a wounded, but still habitable planet.

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West Virginia's the lucky recipient of a post-apocalyptic makeover this time around, and while this is very much the wacky 50s sci-fi inspired RPG we've all come to know and love, the addition of multiplayer, overhauled progression systems like Perk Cards and a discarding of traditional factions in favour of player-made congregations promises a simultaneously familiar yet alien adventure.

We are, of course, still a few months out from being able to conclusively say whether Bethesda has managed to strike a perfect balance between new and old - providing a sizeable, fresh-feeling multiplayer experience while keeping the solo experience engaging enough to not feel like a watered down multiplayer game - but the melting pot of ideas already fielded by Todd Howard certainly paints a glowing picture.

8. Anti-Griefing Measures Exist

Fallout 76, like its predecessors, is set in a lawless post-apocalypse populated by raiders and mutated megafauna, but even the horned charge of a mighty Deathclaw pales in comparison to the most terrifying sight in any competitive multiplayer environment - other players.

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Whether the rules allow it or not, unsavoury types that all too often grab the headlines for ruining others' fun will try their damndest to game the system and make someone else's life a digital hell, but with Fallout 76 Bethesda's doing its best to make sure that doesn't happen.

Namely, if your first encounter turns out to be with another human that thrives on bloodshed, they won't be able to satisfy their bloodlust by repeatedly killing you. Such duels need to be initiated by consent from both parties and, failing that, a further failsafe comes in the form of restricting PvP combat for anyone under a specific level.

Some may criticize Bethesda for handholding, but let's face it, open-ended multiplayer sandboxes are a breeding ground for griefers. The more countermeasures in place to combat them, the better.

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