Fallout 76 adding human NPCs and of course a battle royale mode

Ooh! What imagination!

News by Alice O'Connor Former Associate Editor

Published on June 10, 2019

Bethesda announced tonight that they're bringing two revolutionary new features to Fallout 76: human NPCs and a battle royale mode. Far out, man. Where do they get these ideas? Wild, just wild. Give me some of what they're on, right? Ha ha! They're sticking with their multiplayer survival sandbox after its shonky launch, mind, and judging by the wild hooting from the audience of industry professionals these two fanciful features will make it a runaway hit. While human NPCs are a while away, a battle royale test week starts tomorrow (today? today. it's Monday now. oh god) - coinciding with a free trial week inviting all to play.

The obligatory battle royale mode is named Nuclear Winter. It'll see 52 survivors scavenging and scrapping until one's left standing to claim the vacant job as Overseer of Vault 51. Extra murder comes in the form of those tonally dissonant nukes as well as the honking great beasties stomping around the wasteland. Observe:

Bethesda there with less restraint than even EA, who eschewed Johnny Cash in trailers for Battlefield V's fiery-ringed battle royale mode.

A full launch date isn't set yet. It'll be free when it does arrive, and all players can try it early Nuclear Winter over the test week starting today, or tomorrow, or yesterday, or whenever the hell Monday the 10th is. It's 6am, what do you want from me. Yes, Nuclear Winter will also be available to players just having a crack at the free trial week, which starts later today through the Bethesda launcher.

The human NPCs will arrive this autumn in the Wastelanders update. Actual, live, non-ghoul humans. Will wonders ever cease? They'll bring story quests, chatty chat-chat with branching dialogue, and other markers of humanity. Some are settlers, some are raiders, and there are your moral poles.