We don't really know what the future holds for Fallout 76 beyond more microtransaction-laden seasons and the "Fallout 1st" subscription service: but for now, we have the new highly anticipated free Steel Dawn update.
Yes, after much ado since its May unveiling, the Brotherhood of Steel is stomping along West Virginia's country roads. Funnily enough, there was a classic Bethesda error when it was rolled out that ended up working in Xbox owner's favor.
As revealed in a separate news post on Bethesda's blog, Steel Dawn was rolled out to Xbox users "ahead of schedule." Although the update wasn't playable, it actually fast-tracked the expansion, as Bethesda decided to "not roll back the update and make everyone wait another week." Instead, they made the call that it was good to go, and did it live. Last night after 10PM ET, the expansion was unleashed.
So what's new? Well the Steel Dawn questline is the crown jewel here, which allows players to start a new journey at Fort Atlas. Bethesda says that level 20 characters can start the questline immediately, "even if you haven't completed any prior Fallout 76 content." Anyone eligible will get the quest "Welcome to the Neighborhood," which, in classic Fallout fashion, will kick the storyline off.
Shelters are also a go, which allow players to craft their own instanced homes and rooms away from the limitations of the open world C.A.M.P.s. That mechanic is tied to the "Home Expansion" quest, which you "must complete" to unlock shelters. You need to read the shelter posters in "train stations throughout Appalachia," or "find a key in the northern forest region for the Claim Center." Yeah, the posters seem better.
A bunch of quality of life tweaks (less punishing hunger and thirst mechanics!) and bug fixes (the latter are too robust to sum up in a timely manner, as is customary with every Fallout 76 patch) are also a part of this update, but dynamic bundles won't be in until the "original date" of December 1. Fine by me! You can keep your microtransactions, I already paid for this game.
You can find a rundown of the two most important elements of the expansion below: the Steel Dawn storyline, and the shelter mechanic. The full patch notes can be located here.
Steel Dawn Update Notes [Bethesda.net]
