Fallout 76 is perhaps one of the biggest blunders in Bethesda’s history. Launching to poor critical reception, the online RPG was lambasted by fans and critics alike for a bevy of technical issues and how it seemed to miss the point of what a Fallout game should be. Bethesda, however, have stuck with the game since launch, updating it regularly with new content and seasons, a battle royale mode, and Wastelanders, a story-driven and choice-driven expansion that falls more in line with a traditional single player Fallout experience.
Thanks to that post-launch support and the fact that Fallout 76 has still maintained a healthy player base since launch, Bethesda aren’t completely averse to doing something similar in the future.
Speaking with GamesIndustry, Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard acknowledged the issues with Fallout 76, before adding that in spite of its several issues, the developers and its player base both chose to stick with the game.
“Ultimately, despite the issues and the very well-deserved criticism we got, there were a lot of people playing,” Howard said. “Not on the scale of a regular Fallout, but millions of people that told us there was something here, so let’s keep at it. I’m hugely proud of the team who worked on the game and month after month made it better. I don’t think there’s a magic formula without having the discipline to go through the work. Without that community out there making this game their own and really believing in us, I don’t know that we would have gotten to where we are.”
According to Howard, the net experience of Fallout 76 has been a positive one for Bethesda, and though they remain focused on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 for now, it’s possible that they could develop similar multiplayer experiences in the future.
“Overall, it’s been a really positive experience for us,” he said. “It’s made us much better developers, much more connected with our community. So I can’t say it’s going to be a one-off.”
Fallout 76 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In December, it will be adding new quests that will introduce the Brotherhood of Steel to the game.