Fallout 76 extends Nuclear Winter testing

After launching Fallout 76's new battle royale mode into a short testing phase during the E3 hubbub, Bethesda have now said they're extending that. Originally due to end today, the "pre-beta sneak peek" of Nuclear Winter will now run indefinitely, receiving updates along the way. Which sounds like a soft launch to me. Particularly given that battle royale is an FPS genre rooted in early access, so players are more tolerant of jank, I wouldn't be too surprised if they kept it playable up until the eventual full launch later this summer.

"With all the excitement and popularity, we wanted to let you know that the pre-beta sneak peek of Nuclear Winter will remain on and continue to receive updates, so keep sharing your feedback," Bethesda said in Friday's update. "There's more to come!"

Nuclear Winter is a 52-player rumble to become the Overseer(s) of Vault 51, a murderous job interview testing your skills in acquisition, observation, evasion, evisceration, and detonation. When I joined RPS and went through a similar interview process years ago, before the battle royale rush gave us new terminology, we simply named it Beneath Horace's Gaze.

Jay, our weekend editor, has battled royaley a bit and said that "Nuclear Winter is the logical thematic conclusion to Bethesda's Fallouts." That is not a compliment. Bethesda sure do like rampaging through regrowing civilisation and launching nukes for larks.

If that's what Fallout is now, welp, have you at least enjoyed Nuclear Winter, reader dear?