Before the Next Game, Fallout 76 Will Face a Major Crossroads

Highlights

• Fallout 76 may need a graphics overhaul to keep up with industry standards.
• Continuous updates are key to keeping players engaged until Fallout 5 releases.
• Bethesda plans to support Fallout 76 with updates and expansions for years.

Fallout 76, and the Fallout franchise as a whole, has recently received a new influx of interest, thanks to the success of Amazon Prime’s live action series. As the multiplayer entry in the franchise, Fallout 76 is a unique title that allows players to explore the post-nuclear wasteland together. Despite the game’s new surge of players that hit it earlier this year, it’s quickly becoming more and more noticeable that Fallout 76 was released six years ago, leaving the RPG at a crossroads.

Bethesda is a developer well known for its ability to craft huge open-world experiences, but the studio also has a reputation for choosing performance over appearance. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as performance is definitely one of the most important aspects of a game, but it also presents the issue of Bethesda’s games seemingly aging quickly, at least when it comes to looks. Before the next mainline Fallout game sees the light of day, Bethesda will have a big choice to make about whether Fallout 76 will get revamped or not.

The Future of Fallout 76 Can Go Two Ways

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Unfortunately, at this rate, Fallout 5 is many years away. This leaves Fallout 76 in charge of carrying the franchise on since it’s the most recent entry in the series. If Fallout 76 is going to keep the attention of players for years to come, the game may require a fresh coat of paint at some point in order to keep up with the industry’s quickly evolving graphics and mechanics. Fallout 76 could potentially go the way of Destiny 2 and reintroduce the game in a new light.

However, this type of appearance overhaul would be a tall order for Bethesda. With the studio developing The Elder Scrolls 6 and hopefully getting the ball rolling on Fallout 5, the company’s hands are already full at the moment. Not to mention, Starfield is continuing to receive updates, taking even more time away from a potential Fallout 76 makeover. Although it would be great to see Fallout 76‘s graphics be more in line with Starfield, this seems not only unlikely, but inefficient.

Updates Keeping Fallout 76 Alive

The best route for Bethesda to take is to focus on continuous updates until Fallout 5 is ready for launch. Despite the game’s age becoming more obvious, there are plenty of players who are completely unbothered by the aging graphics. If the game is fun to play, ultimately people will play it. Fallout 76 may have not launched to great feedback, but it has become a lot more interesting over time. The game was able to redeem itself from its initial bomb, and that’s because of the updates that have improved the overall experience, not the graphics.

Continuing to update Fallout 76 with its current 2018-level graphics is the most efficient way to continue to give players content to look forward to while also allowing Bethesda to work on other projects. A graphics overhaul just seems unnecessary at this point, especially since Fallout 76 has found an even bigger audience.

Bethesda’s Future Plans for Fallout 76

It’s already been confirmed by Todd Howard that Fallout 76 will continue to receive updates and expansions for several years, at the minimum. As long the updates provide players with exciting and compelling content, then Fallout 76 should be able to keep the franchise’s momentum running until Fallout 5‘s eventual announcement.

Regular Fallout 76 updates mixed with future seasons of Amazon Prime’s Fallout show should provide plenty of new stories and lore to take in. Beautiful graphics are great, but the enjoyment of the gameplay is ultimately the most important. Skyrim‘s age is obvious, but that doesn’t stop it from still being one of Bethesda’s most popular titles. As time passes, Fallout 76 will hopefully be able to also maintain popularity through its content instead of how it looks.