The beta of Fallout 76 will be released in October, about a month before the launch. To participate, you must pre-order the game. Another spicy detail is souring some fans. How are the players reacting?
Since the October timeline for the Fallout 76 beta was announced, some fans have been heatedly discussing it. This may not come as a surprise, after all, it has been commonplace since the E3. Not everyone is pleased that Fallout 76 focuses on multiplayer. The developers have found it necessary to reassure the players several times.
The newly emerged discussions currently being conducted via Reddit in the beta thread mostly revolve around the timing of the beta. The fact that the beta is tied to a pre-order is also displeasing to some. What is going on?
Players will be gradually allowed onto the servers – Fans feel deceived
The practice of tying beta access to pre-orders has upset some fans. Many find it ridiculous and feel pressured by Bethesda to purchase the game. On top of that, only certain retailers guarantee access.
You must pre-order the game from selected retailers. These include GameStop, Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Bethesda.net. However, that’s not the only catch.
It seems not all pre-order customers will receive access to the servers at the same time: According to Bethesda, the servers will only be opened for a portion of the players first, with more being gradually let in over time.
Starting in October we’ll be selecting people who have pre-ordered the game from a participating retailer to enter our B.E.T.A. We’ll start small and grow over time as we prepare for launch.
Why do players have a problem with this? Many feel deceived. After all, during the beta announcement, there was never any mention that not everyone would receive access to the beta at the same time. Additionally, many fear that the announced beta period leaves too little time to play the beta if they are allowed onto the servers too late.
A possible explanation from a Reddit user: They may have underestimated the influx of players. Bethesda may not have expected so many players to pre-order to participate in the beta. With these phases, they want to prevent Fallout 76’s beta from being a failure.
Whatever the reason may be, Bethesda emphasizes: Everyone who pre-orders from relevant retailers will be able to play the beta. Players will likely have to hope to be part of one of the early waves.
The Fallout 76 beta starts in October – Too late?
No time for bug fixes before launch? Fans are also criticizing that the beta starts only a month before the release of Fallout 76. The concern: Bethesda will have to carry over any bugs found in the beta into the game, as they likely won’t have time for fixes.
But is a beta even meant for bug fixes? Some Reddit users see it differently; a beta for a multiplayer game should primarily test the server load.
Fans speculate whether the beta could actually just be a soft launch. Some even suspect that this isn’t a beta at all, but a disguised “soft launch”, a gentle start. They convey to the players that it’s a beta, but in reality, they just want to cautiously bring the game online to avoid a disaster on day one.
Either way: The players are not pleased. Some are considering canceling their pre-orders to get back at Bethesda.
What do you think about this? Are you bothered by Bethesda’s approach?
