Bethesda is now offering a monthly subscription service for Fallout 76, despite having only recently announced features which many fans have been asking for, like human NPCs, would be delayed to at least 2020. This news comes as something of a shock to many players and fans of the series, as Fallout 76 still reportedly suffers from many of the same problems the game had when it launched nearly a year ago in November 2018.
It’s not like Bethesda hasn’t been trying, although some updates made Fallout 76 even worse. Recently, the game tried out a new Raid feature, which was something of a puzzle-based challenge taking place inside Vault 94. In addition, Bethesda’s always-online multiplayer Fallout added a battle royale mode, something which intrinsically feels like part of the game’s post-apocalyptic landscape. However, an important factor in all of these updates, and why fans of the game were still interested in playing after suffering through so many broken systems, bugs, and glitches upon launch, is the fact that up until now, these updates were free.
Now, Bethesda is offering what they call the “Fallout 1st” membership package, which players can purchase at a whopping $12.99 per month or buy a full year’s subscription at once for $99.99, which averages out to be around $8.33 per month. Bethesda labels Fallout 1st as a premium membership and says players who join will gain access to personal player worlds, in which up to eight players can experience the game together in private, an unlimited storage container (something players have been asking for since the game’s release) for scrap, and a survival tent which acts as a place-able fast travel point.
Players who join Fallout 1st will also receive 1,650 Atoms, the game’s term for real-world money only spendable in the Bethesda store, as well as unique icons, emotes, and outfits which will only be available to members. Notably, the outfit Bethesda is advertising is the Ranger Armor from Fallout: New Vegas, which was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and still considered by many to be the best of all the 3D Fallout titles. As mentioned in a tweet from Kotaku editor Jason Schreier, both Fallout: New Vegas and Obsidian’s upcoming title The Outer Worlds are available via the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which allows access to a multitude of games and, at $9.99 a month, is three dollars less than Fallout 1st.
Although some of Bethesda’s post-launch additions have indeed made Fallout 76 a better game than it was when it first started, especially considering some of the awesome side quests the game has to offer, the idea of players paying even money just to get quality-of-life improvements and features they have been asking for since the game’s release is rather ridiculous. With a subscription price which rivals Netflix’s and only the barest benefit to show for it, it’s doubtful many fans will buy in to Bethesda’s latest idea, making this another in a long line of bad business decisions regarding Fallout 76.
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Source: Bethesda/Twitter
