Fallout is bigger than ever right now, thanks in large part to the recent live-action Amazon show. The show’s success has led to millions of players hopping into past Fallout games. And yes, that includes the franchise’s oddball MMO, Fallout 76. Thanks to the show and 76’s inclusion in Game Pass, a lot of people are giving this online-only spin-off a shot and finding that, hey, it’s not as bad as they thought.
On April 10, Amazon’s highly anticipated Fallout TV show premiered to positive reviews from critics and fans alike. It’s already been picked up for a second season and seems to be a big hit for Amazon Prime. It’s also the newest Fallout thing in years, helping revive the franchise out of a bit of a dormant era. Since the release of Fallout 4 in 2015 and Fallout 76 in 2018, the series has faded into the background as often happens in the game industry when a series doesn’t release a new sequel or remake for an extended amount of time. Thanks to the show, however, Fallout is hot again, and a lot of people are entering the various digital wastelands found in the games.
Buy Fallout 76: Amazon | Best Buy | Humble Bundle
According to an April 23 tweet from Bethesda, over one million players hopped into Fallout 76 in a single day. Player counts on Steam have regularly shown over 50,000 players in the game since the show’s release. And remember, that’s just Steam users. The game’s likely got even more people playing it via Game Pass, where it’s available to play on either Xbox or PC. Across the web, all of these new Fallout 76 players are sharing their surprise that the online spin-off is actually pretty dang fun.
“Veteran on all Fallout games, a newbie in Fallout 76. I already wrote in another post how wrong I was not to give Fo76 a chance earlier. Game is great, I still hate the grind but it’s great,” shared one player.
“I’m a new player on 76. Played all the other Fallout games, but never tried 76 due to bad press. Got it for free on Prime and I’m loving it more than Fallout 4. Level 28 already,” posted another player.
Personally, I’ve returned to Fallout 76 after not playing the game for over a year. And I’ve not seen the game so active before. Each time I’ve logged on, I’ve seen low-level players running about, waving to folks, shopping at my vending machine, and doing quests. Veteran players aren’t mad at these new rapscallions, either. Instead, most have explained on Reddit and Discord that they welcome the new players as they’ve made the game feel more alive. Plus, they can sell them stuff and help them out with missions.
It should be noted that Fallout 76 today, in 2024, is a very different game than Fallout 76 in 2018.
All of the NPCs, factions, many of the best quests, and the ability to leave the wasteland and explore other areas are things that weren’t present when 76 launched years ago. If the show had premiered then, I’m not sure Fallout 76 would be having a moment like it is now. But thanks to years of updates, improvements, tweaks, and new content, Fallout 76 is perfectly set up to capture new players who never gave the game a chance back at launch.
In a sense, Fallout 76 has been given something that few online games get: a chance at a second impression. I’m not sure if Fallout 76 will be able to hold on to all of those 1 million players Bethesda tweeted about, but it has a better shot today at keeping this momentum going than it did in 2018. As someone with a lot of random stuff to sell in my vending machine, I’m hoping folks stick around and enjoy this odd entry in the Fallout series.
Buy Fallout 76: Amazon | Best Buy | Humble Bundle.
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