In the next major update “Steel Dawn” of Fallout 76, the Steel Brotherhood returns to Appalachia. For MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus, this is a reason to be excited, because for him, it’s the best thing that can happen to the game. At least so far.
The winter update for Fallout 76 is called Steel Dawn and is set to release in December. This follows the major One Wasteland, which focused on improving the onboarding experience for new players and groups.
While One Wasteland mainly adjusted gameplay, Steel Dawn focuses specifically on the story. With this update, the Steel Brotherhood returns to Appalachia. More specifically, after the death of the original members there, they seek to gain a foothold again.
For all those who, like me, are enamored with the story of the franchise, this is great news. The Brotherhood is one of the most well-known and possibly the most important factions in the entire story of Fallout.
Knight, Paladins, and Elders – A Religious Order in the Wasteland
Who is the Steel Brotherhood? The order originally formed shortly after the fall of the bombs, the most terrible day in history and the downfall of the world. The members are former soldiers who served under Captain Roger Maxson.
However, after Maxson discovered what inhumane experiments the US government was endorsing, he severed ties with them – and founded the Steel Brotherhood.
To achieve this, they are based on an archaic structure of knights, paladins, scholars, and elders who act according to a strict hierarchy. After Maxson’s death, his teachings become a sort of credo, a code that the Brotherhood mostly follows devoutly.
What does it mean for the story of Fallout? The Brotherhood’s mission is to preserve the knowledge of humanity while ensuring that it does not fall into the wrong hands. Members want to prevent a nuclear war from happening again or the technology of humans being used against them on a large scale.
To this end, the Brotherhood has individual chapters all over the USA with heavily armored members and some of the best weapons and armor available in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Knights operate almost everywhere to ensure that knowledge is preserved.
They deliberately distance themselves from the government to prevent a politician from a vault from coming and immediately regaining command over the soldiers. Otherwise, a nuclear catastrophe could be ordered again too quickly.
The entire story of Fallout – Well, almost …
Why is the Brotherhood the best thing that can happen? The Brotherhood is represented in every game of the series and always plays a more or less important role. As a player, you can always interact with them and usually side with them.
After the long-awaited NPCs arrived in Wastelanders , some of the most important figures in the entire story appear with the Brotherhood now. Although the Brotherhood has relatively few members, it possesses such enormous knowledge and firepower that even larger organizations would rather not confront them.
Fallout 76 thus receives some of the most important NPCs imaginable. Through them, you can learn about the Brotherhood’s past before they became so powerful in the previously released titles.
All of this adds more depth to the game, and I personally am incredibly excited about it. I am someone who enjoys getting lost in the story of games, and Fallout offers more than Fallout 76 has previously tapped into. The Brotherhood is the best step deeper into this unexplored matter.
What does the Brotherhood mean for Fallout 76? Fallout 76 takes place before all other Fallout games. This means we can explore the origins of the series here and possibly even establish missing connections in the story.
In the case of the Brotherhood, this means that we can witness firsthand how one of the most important factions of the entire game comes to power. We might even help with this, as we previously ensured during the ATLAS event that the incoming knights and paladins find a fortified base.
As a Reputation faction like the Settlers and Raiders, they will initially not be available, but rather as prominent NPCs offering story quests and rewards.
Steel Dawn and the Future of Fallout 76
What is included in Steel Dawn? The upcoming update will not only bring the Brotherhood itself but also numerous other features and content. The following are already known:
- C.A.M.P. shelters, your own vaults that you can equip
- new quests
- more weapons and armor
- a new season pass
In an interview with Project Lead Jeff Gardiner and Lead Quest Designer Brianna Schneider, I learned a bit more about the current state of Fallout 76 and its future. The return of the Brotherhood is far from everything, and there are already plans for 2021/22. Here you can find the complete interview about One Wasteland and Steel Dawn:
Why is this update so important? Like its predecessor One Tamriel from The Elder Scrolls Online the current update One Wasteland could be the turning point for Fallout 76. Things are looking good, and Steel Dawn is definitely a step in the right direction.
In our MeinMMO podcast, I will discuss the Brotherhood and the status of Fallout 76 together with editor Leya Jankowski and Michael Graf, the Head of GameStar Plus. The podcast will be released on November 4, and you can find it on Spotify, iTunes, and as news on our podcast page here on MeinMMO.
