Since the first trailer of Fallout 76 was made public, there have been several rumors and speculations over the release date of the game. Fans also have been quick to pounce on any clue on the release date, and one such clue came last week, thanks to the listing of the game on Amazon.
Bethesda Softworks announced Fallout 76 last week with a brief teaser. Shortly thereafter, a pre-order page for the game went up on Amazon. For a short period, the page listed July 31 as the release date of the game. The date, however, has now been changed to a vaguer period “on or before December 31st, 2019.”
Many, however, believe that the July release date might be real. Bethesda has already said that it wants to cut the gap between the announcement and the release of its game. Given, there are good chances that Fallout 76 will be discussed at the E3, a July release date would be in line with Bethesda’s plans.
On the other hand, talks of a July release could be false as Bethesda does not usually release games in July. Meanwhile, another clue on the Fallout 76 release date is in the teaser video itself.
Many believe the Halloween references in the teaser suggest an October launch. Also, fans are talking of seeing a Pip-Boy with the date 27 OCT 2102. Based on this, many believe that the game will launch on October 27 this year. If Bethesda is indeed planning to release the game this year, a late October or an early November release date looks more likely.
Previously, Bethesda has released games in October or November, so this time also it could release the game in October as well. Though the October 27 date looks feasible, there is one problem with that. October 27 is a Saturday, and it’s a trend that video games are released on Tuesdays or Fridays.
Bethesda can, however, change the trend and launch a game on Saturday, but it’s very unlikely. But, this doesn’t rule out the possibility of an October launch. Bethesda may launch the game on October 23 (Tuesday) or October 26 (Friday). Even October 30 (Tuesday) is a possible date for the release of Fallout 76.
If Fallout 76 does come out in October, it will face competition from several popular titles. Major games releasing in October are Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V and Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. Considering the competition, releasing a game when it wouldn’t have to face such huge releases makes more sense. So, based on this, a July release looks more feasible. The July 31 date listed by Amazon is a Tuesday as well.
Thus, the release date could either be July or October, or any other date. Nothing can be said with certainty unless Bethesda officially announces a release date.
Talking about the game, though not many details are available, the trailer however does suggest a few things. Based on the trailer, the game is possibly set in the year 2102. This would be the earliest date in the Fallout series so far. The year 2102 is sixty years ahead of the very first game, and 175 years before the Fallout 3 events. A hint about the location comes from the inclusion of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, suggesting a setting in West Virginia.
Further, speculations are that Fallout 76 will not be a single-player game. Gaming site Kotaku – citing sources – claims that it could be an online survival RPG based on a prototype multiplayer mode, which was originally planned for Fallout 4. Also, the gaming site claims that Fallout 76 would use the base-building mechanics introduced in the 2015 game.
In December 2017, an anonymous user on forum site 4chan, claimed that the game could share some similarities to Rust or DayZ. Both of the games involve RPG elements and are online first-person survival games.
The Amazon product page listed the game at $60, suggesting it will be a full-fledged sequel. Amazon is now accepting pre-orders for the Xbox versions of the game. However, not many would commit at this stage considering there are few details on the release date or about the game itself. Fans, however, would not have to wait long for the details on Fallout 76. Bethesda is expected to showcase the game at its E3 2018 press conference on June 10.
