Bethesda details its 2019 roadmap for Fallout 76, with new content releases starting on March 12

When Bethesda detailed its new upcoming Survival mode for Fallout 76 last month, the absence of any sort of stated plans for a non-PVP focused update left many a bit wanting. Luckily, one month later and we finally have a roadmap for future updates to the maligned online RPG. The best news is that this actually looks sort of promising, should Bethesda manage to stick the landing, which is no guarantee.

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It turns out that the plan for Fallout 76's 2019 is separated into three chunks, titled Wild Appalachia, Nuclear Winter, and Wastelanders. It seems that the previously announced Survival mode is only one component of the first package, due out on March 26. The first of the slated content packages seems to arrive on March 12, with the updates persisting into May. 

The provided infographic goes into specific details of the dates of the Wild Appalachia.

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WILD APPALACHIA

RELEASE: SPRING 2019

A mythical beast, a lost generation of scouts, and the strongest brew this side of the wasteland. Welcome to Wild Appalachia – a series of new quests, features, events, crafting systems and more starting on March 12 and appearing over several weeks. Wild Appalachia includes:

  • New Quests: Shear Terror! – Uncover the ‘encryptid’ secrets of Appalachia in a new series of quests and encounters to separate monsters from myths.
  • New Quests: Ever Upwards – Journey to the deepest reaches of the woods with new stories for the legendary Pioneer Scouts. Earn merit badges, climb the ranks, and earn a customizable backpack for increased utility.
  • New Features: Legendary Vendor and Scrapping – Locate the mysterious Purveyor to exchange and scrap your unwanted legendary items for new legendary gear. For every star rating on a legendary item you scrap, increase your chances to get the legendary weapon or armor of your dreams.
  • New Features: C.A.M.P. Decorating, Player Vending, Functional Camera – Use items from your stash to decorate your C.A.M.P. Build vending machines and flag items for sale. Simply set your prices and walk away to continue your adventures in Appalachia, being sure to capture all your favorite memories using the new functional camera. The vending machines do all the work, you just need to count the caps.
  • New Features: Brewing and Distilling – Go on a new quest to discover the secrets of the forbidden brew Nukashine and bring the party back to your C.A.M.P with new brewing and distilling systems and recipes.
  • New Seasonal Event: Fasnacht Parade – Chase away Old Man Winter and quicken the coming of spring with the ancient festival of Fasnacht! Join the celebration and complete this new limited-time event to earn unique rewards in the form of festive Fasnacht Masks.
  • New Game Mode: Survival – This all-new game mode brings a higher-stakes PvP experience with fewer restrictions, increased rewards, and new challenges plus all the original content of Adventure Mode.

While this smattering of quests and features may not be the complete content overhaul some people might be looking for, it's nice to see a plan for a set of updates that isn't limited to fixing bugs and raising the stash limit, again. The following two update sets are less detailed, slated for Summer 2019 and Fall 2019, respectively. However, with the mention of those Vault doors finally opening up under Nuclear Winter, I personally can't help but be the most excited for these updates further down the line. And call me hopeful, but Wastelanders sure seems like it might be addressing several of the core weaknesses of the title as stated in my review

NUCLEAR WINTER

RELEASE: SUMMER 2019

Summer will bring another series of major updates to Fallout 76, including Nuclear Winter - an entirely new way to play that changes the rules of the wasteland.

  • New Game Mode: Nuclear Winter – An entirely new way to play Fallout 76, completely changing the rules of the Wasteland.
  • New Vault Raids: Vaults 96 and 94 Opening – For our most seasoned players, test your strength in all new high-level group Vault Raids.
  • New Feature: Legendary Players – An all-new prestige system will allow players above level 50 to become Legendary, resetting their characters with all new more powerful abilities.

WASTELANDERS

RELEASE: FALL 2019

Embark on a tale with true choice and consequences in Wastelanders – our biggest and most ambitious update for 76. Wastelanders will include a new main questline, new factions, new events, new features and even more surprises.

I'm personally hopeful that Fallout 76 can redeem itself, and a detailed plan for the future is a promising first step. Personally, its the first time in a while I've been tempted to update my client and get back to stomping some radroaches.