Bethesda unveils Fallout 76 Survival Mode

Finally, we have a good look at the future of Fallout 76‘s PvP plans. One of the most enduring criticisms of Fallout 76 is the lack of ways to meaningfully interact with other players. The newly revealed “Survival mode” is designed with PvP in mind, offering fewer restrictions and bigger rewards. Instead of being fully integrated into the default Fallout 76 experience, it will be a separate mode, alongside “Adventure Mode” (the default Fallout 76 experience).

To play in Survival Mode, players can create a new player or migrate their character from Adventure Mode. Survival Mode has all of the same items and quests as Adventure Mode. What is different is that all characters outside of teammates and event groupmates are automatically flagged as hostile, allowing players to fight each other without restrictions.

However, level scaling will be in place, like in Adventure Mode. According to the developers, “This will help to level the playing field a bit and give newer characters a fighting chance against high-level players they might encounter during their adventures in the Wasteland. As a result, you’ll need to keep your wits about you during every hostile encounter, because even low-level characters can pose a real threat.”

A lot of work will need to be done to ensure it is rolled out smoothly. The PvP system in the default version of Fallout 76, whilst clunky, was designed that way to prevent griefers and encourage cooperation. Although this mode will be perfect for players looking to role-play as a raider, or just wanting more of a challenge, it may be difficult for the developers to prevent toxic behaviour if characters can attack each other without restrictions. That said, the default Adventure Mode is still available for players who don’t want to worry about PvP as much.

In Addition, a live leaderboard system will debut alongside Survival Mode. It will allow players to see “how they stack up against their friends and others in their current world“, and give a greater incentive for players to compete against one another.

However, Fallout 76’s Survival Mode is not yet being given a full release, instead being released in beta, with the developers looking to “evolve, improve, and add content to Survival mode with future updates throughout this year“.

Whilst Fallout 76 might have not been well-received at launch, these subsequent updates could help it achieve its potential as a multiplayer Fallout game. No Man’s Sky, another game with a tumultuous launch has steadily evolved after release into an actually pretty enjoyable game. Time will tell if Fallout 76 can eventually become the game fans have been hoping for.