Bethesda has today outlined its plans for Fallout 76 in 2020. A roadmap outlines future content coming to the game, which is centered around its new “Seasons” of post-launch support — a system that seems to be finding its way into every AAA multiplayer game these days.
Throughout the year, players can also expect a major rebalancing of combat and rewards for Dwellers of all levels, C.A.M.P. Shelters, Legendary Perks, plus the start of a yearlong Brotherhood of Steel story arc and more.
Bethesda explains Seasons as helping to “overhaul the Challenge system and helps players rake in lots of new rewards along the way.”
It revolves around a new progression system, offering players new rewards to grind towards, such as Power Armor paints and C.A.M.P. items to Atoms, Legendary Scrip, Perk Packs, and so much more.
Atoms are to be a thing of a past; a new currency called S.C.O.R.E. points replaces it, earned by completing daily and weekly challenges, among other things.
The publisher claims the result is a “more engaging, flexible, and fun experience for all types of players.” A press release provides an overview of how the seasons operate:
- Players will see a new option on the Main Menu that will take them to a uniquely Fallout-themed seasonal progression screen. During Season 1, this will be a Captain Cosmos-themed boardgame!
- All players begin at the first space on the board — Rank 1 out of 100. Advancing along the board involves acquiring a new type of currency, S.C.O.R.E., obtainable through the revamped Challenge system and other in-game activities.
- Challenges will be less complicated and easier to complete, typically involving activities players would complete by playing Fallout 76 as they normally would.
- Rewards are handed out at every rank, with bigger rewards the more you advance and at specific milestones (Rank 25, 50, 76, etc).
- Players will have the option to spend 150 Atoms to skip ranks after the first two weeks of a Season. After two weeks, players can move ahead in ranks by spending Atoms as a means for those late to a Season a chance to catch up.
- Seasons will run for 10 weeks with a two-week break between the end of one season the start of the next.
The inaugural Season will kick off this summer.
Seasons follow on from the game’s anticipated Wastelanders update, which finally added NPCs to the game. For a list of everything new in the update, see here.
