Fallout 76 is free this week and it’s actually good now

Multiplayer post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout 76 is free to play this week, and might actually be worth taking for a spin.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Fallout franchise, Bethesda has made Fallout 76 free from now until October 11. You can try it out on all platforms, including PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

It’ll be joined by a few other freebies across the month. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can claim a month of Fallout 1st – a premium membership scheme for Fallout 76 – while mobile spin-off Fallout Shelter will receive its first update in over four years, adding a new questline, enemies, and weapons.

Worth a trip to the wastes

Fallout 76 had a dicey launch when it hit shelves back in 2018. Players and critics were unimpressed with its shallow open world and repetitive gameplay loop, as well as a slew of performance issues. In our review, we said: “Fallout 76 is an empty shell of a Fallout game, lacking the personality and story which drives the series”.

It’s improved drastically in the years since. Substantial updates and patches have added more questlines, characters, and expanded its worldbuilding, as well as ironed out its bugs. Fallout 76 is one of the easier massively multiplayer FPS games to dip into given its gradual learning curve, and is supported by a remarkably friendly community.

Don’t be expecting the classic Fallout RPG experience, though. Fallout 76 is more like a survival MMO that’s heavy on exploration and base building. Think of it as an excellent open-world post-apocalyptic multiplayer RPG, but not a standout entry in the Fallout series. Worth a try if you’re a fan of that genre, or are a big Fallout lore buff that wants to soak up even more Nuka-Cola-flavored worldbuilding. 

Amazon Prime members can get even more from the anniversary celebrations. If you’re a subscriber to the service, you can pick up Fallout 76 for free this month to keep forever.