Fallout 76 is getting a huge set of updates including a battle royale mode

Fallout 76 is getting an entire nuclear waste dump full of new features, Bethesda announced at their E3 keynote yesterday, but the biggest features are an apocalyptic battle royale mode and human NPCS that will give you quests and have conversations with you in Bethesda’s online RPG.

Two big new updates are in the works for Fallout 76, both Wastelanders, which will return civilisation to the game’s Appalachia setting, and Nuclear Winter, which will see you brawling with 51 other players to be the last man standing, the Overseer of Vault 51.

Related: E3 2019

Wastelanders, a free update, will kick off the second year of content in the game by introducing Settlers and Raiders to the world of Fallout 76. I’ve capitalised them, because these human NPCs have got together to create factions, and they’ll comprise the base workings of a morality system, so you’ll line yourself up with one of these factions, make their goals your goals, and hopefully together you can all work for a nicer, more pleasant, Appalachia.

If nothing else maybe it will stop players building big ovens to cook each other in. This actually happened.

But if you absolutely, positively, want to build a big oven to cook people in, the Nuclear Winter battle royale game mode will turn Appalachia into a player vs player battle royale, as players fight to escape a nuclear storm and the nastier aspects of human nature. The brawl will see you fighting wild irradiated creatures, gathering perks and even building C.A.M.P.s to try and trap or fight other players.

There’s a trailer for it below, which shows a lot of people getting shot at, but as someone who originally dug into the Fallout series with the top down RPG stylings of Fallout 1 and 2, it’s surreal to see it as a fast-paced PvP combat battle royale mode.

Still, this will be available for free too, so there’s no risk to trying it out.