In September 2020, the Fallout 76 player Kytahl wished for a wheelchair for her own C.A.M.P. in a thread on reddit. With the Steel Dawn update, Bethesda fulfilled her wish.
How did it come about? In a thread on reddit, “Kytahl” reported on her limitation and wished for a “piece of herself” in Fallout 76. Due to two chronic illnesses, 23-year-old Kelly from the Netherlands has been significantly limited in her mobility for several years. The post received more than 2,800 upvotes on reddit in a very short time and much support from the community.
With the latest update “Steel Dawn,” Bethesda responded and implemented a wheelchair as a C.A.M.P. item.
Ladydevann, the Community Manager at Bethesda, responded to the post at the end of October and mentioned that the request could be realized together with the team. With the one week early released update “Steel Dawn” (engl. “Steel Dawn”), the wheelchair was implemented as a placeable object in the building menu.
How Kytahl reacted: The English-language website Kotaku contacted the player living in the Netherlands after the news broke. She was moved by the action:
“That one of my favorite games is listening to me and implementing something like this .. I am at a loss for words. I literally shed a tear when I opened the building menu and saw the wheelchair. […] I know it’s just a decorative item, but I hope we see more disadvantaged characters in the future of gaming.”
Kelly to Kotaku via Twitter DM
How the community reacted: From the Fallout 76 community, both Kelly and Bethesda received a lot of positive feedback. Twitter user Matt Lorden praises the action and says it touches his heart. Similarly, TipToePigeon200 expresses: “That is your stamp that you leave on our community. Great suggestion, I was very happy to see it today (in-game).”
Also on reddit, players are enthusiastic about the idea and implementation. Renacious writes on reddit: “I have followed the story to its source on reddit and celebrate the idea! I will place a wheelchair in my C.A.M.P. and hope it will be a symbol of inclusion.”
“I often felt useless and helpless”
Kelly continues, stating that due to her two illnesses, she had a tough time as a teenager and had a distorted perception of herself. She often felt useless and helpless. Fallout NPCs like Proctor Ingram, of the Steel Brotherhood, who lost her legs in battle and now wears a power armor, serve as her inspiration.
Kelly runs a small motel in Fallout 76: In Fallout 76, Kelly runs a small motel and welcomes visitors. The wheelchair has already received an honorary place in her C.A.M.P. So if you come across Kytahl’s C.A.M.P. in the game, you will meet a life-affirming and proud player. The screenshots of her motel look impressive and would have good chances to rank high in a community event .
