Bethesda has launched the Fallout 1st subscription model for Fallout 76 that includes creature comforts, some cosmetics, and uh… Those once said to be free private servers?
Let me be frank. I’ve defended Fallout 76 quite a bit since its launch. I’ve actually managed to enjoy it, taking to its Nuclear Winter mode when I can, exploring through Appalachian Wasteland, and all the while, I’ve managed to somehow not stomp on any toes doing it, until now. Rather, my toes got stomped on the hardest.
Bethesda launched, as of today, their Fallout 1st subscription plan, something akin to that of ESO Plus that fans of The Elder Scrolls Online fans have enjoyed for quite some time. The biggest and most noteworthy part of Fallout 1st isn’t that it’s insinuating a brand new title, but rather, it’s locking content behind subscriptions. Yep, you read that right, it’s locking what should have been free content right behind a $12.99 per month or $99.99 a year. As you can imagine, it rubbed us the wrong way, completely.
The only upside to it? You can join your friends’ servers if they are online, play privately, and without worry about other people running in and ruining your day. Unfortunately, the $12.99 per month or $99.99 per year, will be better spent elsewhere for many people. That doesn’t go without saying it doesn’t come with a few amneties after all.
Just like ESO Plus, Fallout 1st will give you in-game real-money currency to use at a healthy 1,650 Atoms per month to spend in the Atom shop, a members-only outfit, a traveling tent (with a stash, campfire, bedroll, etc.), a set of exclusive emotes and icons, and it will all still be available even if you disappear, including resources in your Scrapbox, a crafting bag for Fallout 76 fans.
This announcement, however, only comes after Bethesda announced that the Wastelanders release has been postponed to the first quarter of 2020, which for us, has rubbed us entirely the wrong way. Meanwhile, we’re already working on a retrospective review for the game and giving it another review a year since its launch.
My biggest concern now: Will modding get the same treatment as private servers or will that be something else entirely? What’re your thoughts? Are you okay with Private Servers being locked behind a paywall or are you willing to go the extra mile to get the most out of your game? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.