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Fallout 76 Nukes: How to Launch a Nuke & What Happens

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How to Launch a Nuke and What Happens in Fallout 76

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Part of what makes Fallout, well, Fallout, is surviving in the nuclear wasteland. In Fallout 76 you’re able to launch your very own nuke, a fitting inclusion to the open world online survival game. Here’s how to launch a nuke in Fallout 76, and what happens if you do so.

Launching a nuke in this game requires a few steps:

  • Gather nuke codes (silo codes)
  • Access silos
  • Enter the control room

You can find out how to gather the nuke codes here. After gathering eight nuke codes for a specific silo, Alpha, Bravo, or Charlie, you can then start your quest to access that silo.

To gain access to the silos, you must get past the hand-scanner that leads to an elevator that will take you down. In order to do that, you must get promoted to General in the Enclave faction.

Finding the Enclave organization isn’t difficult, but there are a few things to do to get there. For starters, head to the Abandoned Waste Dump and then to The Mire. You’ll find this near Harper’s Ferry, towards the east.

After you get past two Deathclaws and find a holotape, you’ll be led to a bunker nearby, and then to another bunker in Whitespring. Once you reach this bunker, you’ll meet MODUS, who will allow you to join the Enclave.

You’ll then need to pass basic training in Camp McClintock. After this, you can start earning commendations. To rank up to General you must earn 10 commendations, which you can do by completing Enclave Events, or killing three-star epic creatures or scorchbeasts.

Don’t forget to grab the Nuclear Launch Keycard from the restricted military wing in the Enclave. Once you finally reach General status in the Enclave faction, you will be granted access to the silo and be allowed past the hand scanner.

If you’ve made it to this point, you’re ready for step 3, entering the control room.

However, your quest is not over yet. At this point, you must solve the puzzle of decrypting the code in order to get in. The letters you have collected from gathering the nuke codes are scrambled and must be decrypted.

Doing so is a tad complicated, but if you’re familiar with anagrams and how they work, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. Try this anagram solver if you need help.

After you’ve solved the puzzle, get ready for the hardest part – fighting your way through massive resistance guarding the control room. You’ll want to bring some friends along for this. Make sure to bring lots of food, Stimpaks, armor, and weapons.

Once you fend off a horde of robots, you’ll face the Launch Commander and gain access to the control room.

At this point, you can enter your Nuclear Launch Keycard to begin the launch process. What happens next is pretty rad (pun intended).

 

When you exit the silo, pull up your map and you’ll notice a big red circle representing the blast radius. You might want to get out of that circle because you can most certainly die from the explosion.

When the nuke hits, the entire radius will be exposed to severe radiation, so equip a hazmat suit or Power Armor if you want to enter. All plants in the area will be radiated, so be cautious if you decide to collect or harvest. Many of the enemies will be impacted by this as well.

The entire area will be shrouded in an orange gaseous fog, making it difficult to see. You and your team can stand back and gaze at the enormous mushroom cloud from the blast and celebrate the feat you just achieved.

And that’s all you need to know about how to launch a nuke in Fallout 76. Be sure to check our Fallout 76 guide wiki for more tips and information on the game.


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Author
Image of Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden
Joseph is a Northern Kentucky University graduate with a bachelors degree in Studio Art. After realizing his passions lie elsewhere, he decided to pursue a career in games journalism with the goal of climbing to the top. He loves action RPGs like Bloodborne and Dark Souls, but is also fond of quirky Nintendo games on the Switch. Joseph can be found listening to Prog Metal and patiently waiting on that new Tool album.