Fallout 76 makes a few departures from the established Fallout formula. Notably, it’s an online RPG that has you – if you wish – playing with others to rebuild the wasteland. With that change comes other necessary ones, like the removal of the VATS aiming system, and its prequel nature means that it’s devoid of Super Mutants.
It’s also making another big change. It won’t be coming to Steam. Bethesda has confirmed that the impending beta and the game itself will skip out on a Steam release, and instead be tied to Bethesda’s own launcher.
According to the game’s beta FAQ page, “the B.E.T.A. and the game will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and on PC (via Bethesda.net only).” In a follow up e-mail to PCGamer, Bethesda confirmed the lack of a Steam release.
“The PC version of Fallout 76, for both the B.E.T.A. and the launch, will be available only via Bethesda.net, not on Steam,” a Bethesda rep said.
As Epic is doing with Fortnite on Android, by using their own launcher, Bethesda gets to skip out on Steam’s middle-man fees. It’s a little surprising given that Fallout 4 was released on Steam, but Bethesda is probably confident that their own launcher is mature enough. When Fallout Shelter was released for PC, it was exclusive to the Bethesda launcher too, though it did eventually see release on Steam a few months later.
As for the Fallout Beta, you can expect it to be a restricted version of the full game, with whatever progress you make during your time with it to carry through to the retail release.
“Our current plan for the B.E.T.A. is it will be the full game and all your progress is saved for launch,” it states. The beta will also not be under NDA, although that was previously known—but it takes on an increased significance if the beta build is actually the full game.”
The Beta begins in October and will be open to those who’ve pre-ordered.
Last Updated: August 7, 2018
Kikmi
August 7, 2018 at 11:51
Ag no not another fucking launcher. That being said with all the shit Valve has been getting up to i can understand why major pubs would be looking at decoupling themselves from that cesspool
G8crasha
August 7, 2018 at 08:04
I was contemplating a pre-order, but I dunno!
Yondaime
August 7, 2018 at 08:28
And we wont miss it, i’m getting sick of multiple steamlike applications running on my pc just so i can play that 1 title
Guz
August 7, 2018 at 09:22
Yip does everybody really need their own launcher, soon we will have a launcher to launch the launchers…………0_o wait what did I just type xD
Geoffrey Tim
August 7, 2018 at 09:57
STOP GIVING THEM IDEAS (that said, ubisoft games and previously GFW games would launch their launchers from within Steam)
Lord Chaos
August 7, 2018 at 11:39
When I was still in high school, in 2000 ish, I wrote a desktop app and linked all my game executeables on a nice display so I can launch games from there, then a few years later Steam came out
Geoffrey Tim
August 7, 2018 at 12:13
I used to do that with nested batch files and ascii to make menus for my dos games.
Viper_ZA
August 7, 2018 at 10:59
Preordered this just for the collectors stuff. Will probably be a shitty game, expecting TESO like gameplay…
Lord Chaos
August 7, 2018 at 11:32
First game I’ve pre-ordered and paid full retail for since Fallout 4.
Like @StormbringerZA:disqus just for collectors
Kikmi
August 7, 2018 at 11:51
Ag no not another fucking launcher. That being said with all the shit Valve has been getting up to i can understand why major pubs would be looking at decoupling themselves from that cesspool