100,000+ folks spent hours watching a Vault-Tec bobblehead on a Twitch stream after Bethesda went live with a screen reading “Please Stand By.” Today, the makers of Fallout revealed the next entry into the franchise – Fallout: 76.
Here’s a teaser.
The “76” refers to Vault 76, which is listed as a ‘control’ vault in the Fallout universe with 500 people living in it. The vault is designed to only open 20 years after a nuclear war. A short news clip in the teaser also alludes to a long wait before opening. “When the fighting is stopped, and the fallout has settled – you must rebuild.”
“Rebuild” could also point to gameplay elements based on a new report from Kotaku. Their sources indicate Fallout 76 will be an online survival RPG with base-building elements included. Think along the lines of DayZ (as far as the survival part goes) and Rust. At least, that’s some of the inspiration for Fallout: 76 according to Kotaku’s sources.
It’s not a new Elder Scrolls (c’mon Bethesda, stop leaving me hanging), but I’m kind of pumped if this Kotaku report turns out to be true. We’ve been waiting for the big hitters in development to tackle genres like DayZ-style survival and battle royale. I’ve had a blast playing DayZ, H1Z1, PUBG, and Rust – but all those games lack the polish a major developer can deliver.
Plus, I want to see what a developer like Bethesda can offer to shake things up. Kotaku’s report already points to some changes such as questing and a story.
If the Fallout: 76 reports are accurate, it’s going to be a massive departure for the franchise. And Bethesda can get ready for some pushback. Hopefully, they spend part of their E3 conference showing us exactly what Fallout: 76 is with gameplay. Lots of it. Don’t give us a vague trailer.
Look for much more of Fallout: 76 at Bethesda’s E3 conference at 6:30 pm PT on June 10.