It came out around 10PM ET last night
We don’t really know what the future holds forFallout 76beyond more microtransaction-laden seasons and the “Fallout 1st” subscription service: but for now, we havethe new highly anticipated free Steel Dawn update.
Yes, after much ado since its May unveiling,the Brotherhood of Steelis 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 priorFallout 76content.” Anyone eligible will get the quest “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” which, in classicFalloutfashion, 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 everyFallout 76patch) 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 may keep your microtransactions, I already paid for this game.
you may 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]
New Steel Dawn Questline:
The Brotherhood of Steel has returned to Appalachia on a mission to reclaim the region for humanity, to preserve any tech they can find, and to find out what befell Paladin Taggerdy and her crew. Starting today, you can begin your journey with the Brotherhood of Steel and work toward a brighter future for Appalachia in the all-new Steel Dawn questline.
C.A.M.P. Shelters
Head underground with C.A.M.P. Shelters, which are instanced interiors that you may add to your C.A.M.P. and customize to flex your creativity as a builder.
