Fallout 76's Wastelanders Update Gets a Release Date

The wait for Fallout 76's massive Wastelanders update finally has an end in sight with Bethesda confirming that the content will release on April 7th. This long-awaited update has a lot to look forward to based on what Bethesda's been teasing so far, but the most promising feature of all is the addition of fully-voiced NPCs that'll exist alongside players. All this content will be free for anyone who already owns Fallout 76, but those who don't have it and are now enticed to give it a try can try it out by picking up a new Fallout 76: Wastelanders version of the game.

Bethesda announced the release date of the Wastelanders update after numerous teases throughout the past few weeks which revealed different parts of the new content. Along with the new factions players can align with and the reputations they'll acquire by interacting with the NPCs, we can also expect to see a new main questline with Wastelanders.

In addition to seeing this new main quest, players will also find that the original main questline experience straight out of the Vault has also been updated.

"Uncover the secrets of West Virginia by playing through an all-new main quest as well as a revamped original main quest line – with friends or solo – starting from the moment you leave Vault 76," Bethesda said. "New and veteran players alike will take on new missions, explore new locations and fight with (or against) the new faces that have made their long-awaited return to West Virginia."

Promises of new enemies and more were also made, some of those seen in the trailer above. While interacting with the Raiders and Settlers and other NPCs, players will have branching dialogue options to navigate the conversations and build or destroy their reputations accordingly. Bethesda has only revealed the Settler and Raider factions so far, and with the release date announcement focusing on "two vying factions" fighting for control of the area, it looks like they'll be the key players of the new quests.

Making good on their promise of eventually releasing the game on Steam, Bethesda said in the same announcement that the base game and its new update will make their way to Steam on April 7th as well. Things like the in-game currency called Atoms, the divisive Fallout 1st subscription, and new Wastelanders bundles will be purchasable there.

The Tricentennial version of the game will not be joining that content though. Bethesda said it'd be phasing out this edition of the game, but you'll still be able to buy Tricentennial Pack separately. It'll be replaced by the Fallout 76: Wastelanders edition, though it's unknown now how much that version will cost compared to the base game.