Even weeks after the release, Fallout 76 continues to spark controversies within the community. Some players are now sharing their experience that they are even being belittled simply because they enjoy playing Fallout 76.
What the players report: In a reddit thread, several Fallout 76 players are discussing the behavior of other people. They report facing mockery and hatred when other players discover that they like Fallout.
In some cases, it has even gone so far that friends repeatedly ask them if they want to stop playing the game.
Abuse Against Fallout Fans – Is YouTube to Blame?
This is what fans are facing: Reddit user DeathMachine985 reports that other gamers even confront him in other games because of Fallout. He hears that he has wasted money because Fallout 76 is supposedly going to be free-to-play soon.
The situation arose after a game of Overwatch, when a teammate took a closer look at his account. When asked if this information was just a rumor, the response was:
Stop defending a game just because you’ve wasted your money on it.
User TheOneEyedWolf shares that even a friend keeps asking him about Fallout and whether he still plays. Comments like: “It’s okay if you like it, but at least admit that it’s a bad game” are common.
Meanwhile, there are some players who like Fallout 76 and have their own reasons for enjoying the game.
It might be due to: The original reason for the post on Reddit was that supposedly too many YouTubers primarily produce negative videos and showcase unreflective opinions about Fallout 76. This, according to many users, is also a significant problem.
Many larger YouTubers do not even play Fallout 76 themselves. They merely collect opinions or threads and turn them into videos. Whether the content of their videos reflects the truth is largely irrelevant to them.
They are also accused of clickbaiting with titles and videos that intentionally mislead. They no longer care about the game, only about easy clicks and money. Some of them even conduct experiments with misinformation like the free-to-play debate to see if such things circulate within the community.
The result is uninformed people who get their information from these YouTubers without having any personal experience with Fallout. They mindlessly repeat the reports and thus occasionally attack the game’s fans.
Is it really Bethesda’s fault?
Some other critical voices note that the situation could also be Bethesda’s fault. If Fallout 76 hadn’t launched with so many bugs, there wouldn’t even be a reason for criticism.
However, Bethesda is working with weekly updates to gradually eliminate these bugs, as one user noted in another post. Bethesda is also taking a strong stance against trolls and inappropriate behavior, sometimes with lifetime bans.
In the second thread, however, it is noted that Bethesda is also only doing the bare minimum. It is self-evident that a company must take care of its game. However, players do not seem to reach a consensus on this.
What do you think? Do YouTubers already have so much influence on other players’ opinions?
There is little sign of hate in the game itself. Experienced players treat newcomers in Fallout 76 with great care.
