Since its release, a lot has changed in Fallout 76. Now, in January 2023, the survival MMO is free with PS Plus. MeinMMO spoke with the developers about the recent updates, the current state, and the future of the game.
Fallout 76 is still in the list of the best survival games here on MeinMMO. After a rough launch in November 2018, the game has undergone many changes, attracted new players, and significantly improved its reputation.
Now, at the beginning of 2023, the game is virtually free with PS Plus Essentials. Those who have the subscription can download and play Fallout 76 on PS4 and PS5 at no additional cost.
At the end of 2022, the game just received its latest update “Nuka-World on Tour,” in which players can discover new events and unlock rewards. In the interview, quest designer Carl McKevitt and design director Mark Tucker (cover image) talk about the new features and explain what has improved in recent years.
You can find the patch notes for Nuka-Cola on Tour in the official blog, and you can find the trailer for the update here
“Crazy and unpredictable – Even for Fallout standards”
MeinMMO: I haven’t visited Appalachia in a while – it’s definitely been over a year. Why should I come back with Nuka-World on Tour? Why would now be a good time to start if I don’t know Fallout 76 at all?
Carl McKevitt: Because Cappy & Bottle, the mascots of Nuka-World, will haunt you in your dreams forever! Okay, maybe not. But seriously, the big thing is the new events and rewards. After the grim, oppressive setting and story of The Pitt, we wanted to give players a breather – filled with crazy and unpredictable fun, even for Fallout standards.
Fans of the Nuka-World DLC from Fallout 4 will find a lot to love here, as will anyone who likes Nuka-Cola. For returning players, we offer tons of new rewards that can be obtained through the events, from new, unique weapon variants to Nuka-Cade arcade machines.
MeinMMO: From what I’ve seen so far, the Ultracite Titan is one of the biggest changes in Nuka-World on Tour. Back when the Wendigo Colossus appeared, the player was turned to mush, sometimes literally. How tough is the Titan, and how do I defeat him?
Carl McKevitt: That can be a challenging fight, and we expect some players will be crushed under its meaty claws. Our “world bosses” are usually balanced around a large segment of the server that fights them together. Unlike our colossal friend Earle, [the Ultracite Titan] is in the open world of Appalachia. There is no limit to the number of players who can fight him at the same time.
Players can expect something on the level of the Queen of the Scorched… with a few mechanics that need extra attention. As a tip to defeat him: The Ultracite Crystals can only be broken with melee attacks. This also includes hitting them with firearms.
Legendary is in Fallout 76 about the Sheepsquatch, which could nearly wipe out an entire server. World bosses are a real challenge in the game.
“As if a Nuka-Cola meteor hit Appalachia”
MeinMMO: Compared to game changers like Steel Dawn and Wastelanders, what does Nuka-World on Tour bring that makes Fallout 76 better?
Carl McKevitt: Nuka-Cola on Tour introduces a new area in Ash Heap for players to explore. It’s as if a Nuka-Cola meteor hit Appalachia and left all its sprightly and fun elements in its whimsical crater.
The new area has 3 new public events and a new world boss, the Ultracite Titan. We wanted to bring a variety of new events to keep the pool fresh and interesting while also providing unique themed rewards.
By the end of the year, the public events will appear on the hour, giving players plenty of chances for new loot. But even afterwards, despite being called “on Tour,” the carnival and public events will become part of the standard 20-minute event rotation.
MeinMMO: Nuka-World was first shown in Fallout 4, The Pitt comes from Fallout 3. Are you considering bringing back more old memories?
Carl McKevitt: There’s always a balance between nostalgia and creating something new. Even when we revisit classic places or ideas, we want to incorporate Appalachia and make things unique for Fallout 76. Players can expect that we will continue to mix both as the game evolves.
MeinMMO: Nuka-Cola itself is part of Fallout DNA. On a scale from 1 to Nuka Cola Quantum, how many nods to the “good old days” does Nuka-World hold for veterans?
Carl McKevitt: Trick question. The answer is: “Nuka-Cola Twist,” which just happens to be the brand new flavor we are introducing. There are definitely references to the Nuka-World DLC from Fallout 4. Clever lore experts shouldn’t have any trouble finding those as well. We wanted to capture the feel of a full amusement park in a road show, so there are also many visual references to the source material.
Nuka-Cola has been part of Fallout for a long time. Here you can test which flavor you are:
“Anyone who hasn’t played since Steel Dawn will find many surprises”
MeinMMO: What are the biggest gameplay changes since Steel Dawn, which appeared 2 years ago?
Mark Tucker: Oh wow, where to start? Anyone who hasn’t played since Steel Dawn will find many surprises. We’ve added tons of features since then. There’s a lot more for players to dive into.
We’ve introduced many features that make it easier for players to play Fallout 76 the way they want and improve the experience overall. Some things that I consider to be literal game changers in Fallout 76 since Steel Dawn are S.P.E.C.I.A.L. loadouts, C.A.M.P. slots, legendary crafting, and Fallout World.
All of these things have given players more ways to play Fallout 76 their way. Additionally, we’ve brought quality-of-life improvements, from managing inventory to the Pip-Boy to making looting corpses easier. Anyone who comes back now should find that it’s much easier to play and more fun.
I encourage any older players who haven’t played in a while to come back and give Fallout 76 another chance. It’s really a new game now, and we are committed to continuing our efforts.
In our special, you can find out what made Steel Dawn so good. You can watch the trailer here:
MeinMMO: You finally banned “illegal weapons” that were much stronger than intended. Why did it take so long?
Mark Tucker: We tested long-term efforts to remove the illegal weapons on the test server last year. We haven’t made the removal yet, but we want to do so soon.
We want to be very sure that when we do this and remove or change items from the inventory of existing characters, we are not accidentally removing other items that were not intended for removal. Such a change takes time to implement and, most importantly, time to test.
We understand that this change is coming later than many would have liked. But again, I want to emphasize that a change like this in games like Fallout 76 is not trivial, and we want to make sure it goes smoothly when we do it.
If you missed it, the “illegal weapons” were one of the largest issues in the game:
Is the long-awaited map expansion finally coming?
MeinMMO: How was the last year for Fallout 76 overall? What were the highlights that attracted the most new or returning players?
Mark Tucker: The last year was great for Fallout 76. We started 2022 with our most ambitious seasonal event yet, Invaders from Beyond. Player feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Our players asked for more “mainstay” public events, so we responded with Test Your Metal – where we brought 3 new public events.
In the second half of 2022, things really picked up. We released Expeditions: The Pitt in September and followed it with Nuka-World on Tour in December.
Both releases brought tons of new content for players and went really well for us. We appreciate all player feedback over the last year, both positive and critical. We take feedback seriously and do our best to respond to as much as possible.
MeinMMO: You gave people a taste of what a new region could be with The Pitt, but Nuka-World on Tour just reshapes an existing area. When can we expect a map expansion?
Mark Tucker: Our Vault-Tec engineers are working on an interesting experiment regarding Appalachia. But I can’t share anything or promise anything yet. Hopefully, the experiments go well, and we can make their results public soon. And if not, I guess we’ll have to lock the vault with them in it.
MeinMMO: Thank you for the answers!
Fallout 76 still has a loyal player base, where the role-playing aspect stands out – but unfortunately, recently has been in the spotlight for negative headlines:
