Later this year, Bethesda’s multiplayer survival RPG Fallout 76 will be getting a major content update featuring the new Expeditions system. But if you’d like a taste of that system right now, you’re free to join the game’s Public Test Server and see what it’s all about. Here’s what you should expect:
We’ve reopened the Public Test Server to share a very early look at our upcoming Expeditions feature for Fallout 76, which is currently planned for release later this year! We hope you will join us to lead your own Expedition, travel to The Pitt for your first Mission, and then share your feedback and bug reports with us in the Bethesda Studios Discord Server.
Make sure to revisit this post regularly, because we plan to add highlights from each new PTS update we release over the course of playtesting.
JOIN PLAYTESTING BY MIGRATING TO STEAM!
Please keep in mind that the Fallout 76 Public Test Server is now only available on Steam. If you own a PC copy of Fallout 76 through the Bethesda.net Launcher, you can use our migration tool to quickly and easily transfer your Bethesda Library to Steam.
If you’ve already migrated your account, then you’re all set. Install “Fallout 76 Public Test Server” from your Steam Library, and then make sure you’ve logged into the live version of Fallout 76 on Steam at least once before you attempt to log into the PTS. If you’ve never logged into the live version of the game on Steam before you run the PTS client, then you may receive an error message until you do.
INTRODUCING: EXPEDITIONS
In our latest iteration of the Public Test Server, we’re introducing Expeditions, which offer repeatable Missions that will take you and up to three other teammates beyond the reaches of Appalachia for the first time. While anyone can participate in an Expedition, we currently recommend reaching level 50+ for the best experience.
- Please Note: As this is an early look at the Expeditions feature, you may notice that some of our new NPCs and enemies play “robovoice” for some of their dialogue lines. This is temporary, and all robovoice dialogue will be replaced by full voiceover in upcoming PTS updates.
THE RESPONDERS ARE BACK!
With more and more people returning to Appalachia, some have discovered the Responders of days past and decided to take up their cause to provide aid to anyone who needs it. This new generation of Responders have set up a base of operations inside the Whitespring Resort, called “The Whitespring Refuge.”
- Recently, the Responders have managed to find and restore a Vertibird, and they are hoping to use it to expand their efforts to distant settlements across the Wasteland.
- Visit the Whitespring Refuge to meet members of the Responders team, and to complete the new “Responders Reborn” quest.
- Along the way, you will learn about the Responders’ goals, earn their trust, and gain access to Expeditions.
FUEL UP AND TAKE FLIGHT
- In order to kick off an Expedition, you will need to make the Vertibird flight-ready by charging its Ultracite Battery Cell (Ultracell). Unfortunately, Ultracell charge is in short supply, and the Responders keep theirs tightly rationed.
- After completing the “Responders Reborn” quest, you can visit the Whitespring Refuge every day to automatically start 3 different Refuge Daily Quests.
- In exchange for your help, the Responders will grant you with 25% Ultracell Charge for completing certain Refuge Daily Quests, and 50% charge for others.
- Complete all 3 of your quests for the day, and you will earn enough to charge the Vertibird’s battery up to 100%, which will enable you to lead an Expedition.
- You can hold a maximum of 100% Ultracell Charge at any given time, and all of it will be consumed when you begin an Expedition.
- Visit the Collections tab in the Pip-Boy to view how much Ultracell Charge you currently have.
- Please Note: For playtesting purposes in the PTS, you can lead multiple Expeditions per day. To do this, complete your Refuge Dailies, lead an Expedition to spend your Ultracell Charge, and then repeat.
- Once Expeditions arrive in the live version of the game, players will be able to lead one Expedition per day.
- However, you will be able to take part in Expeditions led by others as often as you would like.
- Additionally, we plan to add an “Expeditions” Public Team to our current list so that you can find teammates more easily. Keep an eye out for this in a future PTS update.
HEAD INTO THE PITT
A recent arrival to the Whitespring Refuge alerted the Responders to a dire situation in a city known as “The Pitt.” There, members of the industrious Union have banded together to drive out a group of Fanatic Raiders from their territory at a local steel mill. Your first Expedition will take you into The Pitt to lend a helping hand to the Union and undermine the Fanatics’ efforts during the “Union Dues” Mission.
- Once you’ve fully charged the Vertibird’s Ultracite Battery Cell, open the Map and click the Expeditions icon to view which Missions are currently available for play.
- Click the arrows on the left and right edges of the screen to select a different Mission.
- Please Note: We’re starting this phase of playtesting with a single Mission, titled “Union Dues.” Even though the second Mission option will appear to be available in the menu, it is disabled. We plan to bring the second Mission online in a future PTS update.
- As you play through a Mission, you will receive 3 randomized objectives from the current pool of 9, which will help keep your experiences feeling fresh from one playthrough to the next.
- In addition, you will receive three optional objectives that you can complete along the way.
- The more optional objectives you complete during your playthrough, the better your rewards will be at the end of the Mission.
- Don’t worry if you need to step away from the game in the middle of a Mission, because the objectives are checkpointed. Even if you close the game, you will be able to pick back up where you left off the next time you log in.
REAP YOUR REWARDS
- Whenever you complete a Mission, you will earn XP, some loot, and a legendary item.
- The Expedition Leader will earn increased rewards in exchange for their efforts to collect and turn in Ultracell Charge.
- Once per week, completing a Mission will earn a random item from the pool of rare Expeditions-themed rewards. You will also receive some S.C.O.R.E. to help you rank-up during your Season journey.
- Rare rewards can include mods for new weapons and Power Armor, new outfits, furnishings for your C.A.M.P., and more!
- With the arrival of Expeditions and The Pitt, we’re introducing the Auto-Axe automatic melee weapon and Union Power Armor to Fallout 76.
- These items cannot currently be earned from the Expeditions reward pool, and must be unlocked in a different way.
- We will have more details to share about how to earn the Auto-Axe and Union Power Armor at a later date. In the PTS, you will be able to craft them by default, so long as you have the needed materials.
- On the end-of-Mission screen, you will also notice that we’re introducing a new currency, called “Stamps.”
- You will earn Stamps every time you complete a Mission, and completing optional objectives will increase the number of Stamps you receive.
- Bring your Stamps to Giuseppe, a new vendor at The Whitespring Refuge, to exchange them for specific rare Expeditions-themed items that you’d like to add to your collection.
- As new rewards are introduced as Expeditions rewards, we plan to move older rewards to Giuseppe to help you unlock the specific items you want.
ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
In this PTS playtesting phase, we have included some adjustments to the starting experience for Dwellers who are taking their first steps out of the Vault. The following changes should help players feel more prepared as they begin their journeys in Appalachia.
- Dwellers will now receive the following items as they exit Vault 76:
- 1x 10mm Pistol with 200 10mm ammo
- 1x Combat Knife
- 5x Grenades
- 1x Light Leather Torso Armor
- 1x Small Backpack (Players will still need to find and learn the plan in order to craft a Small Backpack.)
- A variety of consumables, including: Stimpaks, Radaway, Antibiotics, food and water, a Vault-Tec Supply Package, and Scrap and Repair Kits.
- In addition, as Dwellers exit the Vault, they will now receive the “Vault Fed” status. This buff will prevent hunger and thirst from increasing for the next 2 hours.
- Finally, we’ve reduced the resistances and damage for many creatures in the Level 1 – 15 range, which should help smooth out early combat for newer players.
Thank you very much for your participation in the PTS, we’re looking forward to hearing what you think!
