Fallout 76 Ignites the Wasteland with "Burning Springs" - A Massive Map Expansion and More!

Get ready, Vault Dwellers! Bethesda has officially unveiled "Burning Springs," the next major update for Fallout 76, promising the biggest map expansion to date and a wealth of new content that will thrill veterans and newcomers alike. Senior Community Manager Richard Stanford, alongside Creative Director Jon Rush, Production Director Bill Lacoste, and Lead Designer Carl McKevitt, detailed the exciting additions coming to Appalachia.

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The centerpiece of the "Burning Springs" update is an entirely new, high-level region located to the northwest of Appalachia. Drawing influences from fan-favorite titles like Fallout 3 and New Vegas, this new area is described as "terrifyingly beautiful" and will feel "very familiar to fans." This expansive new territory is ready for players to explore with their friends and build upon.

Welcome to Ohio: A Terrifyingly Beautiful New Region

"Burning Springs" introduces a new chapter to the Appalachian story, taking players to Ohio. This questline centers around a formidable new threat: the Rust King. This super mutant retains his intelligence but possesses "the heart of a raider," making him a super-violent and threatening character players will encounter throughout the region. Players will work with the Rust King, learning the "ins and outs of surviving within Burning Springs," an environment likened to a "pressure cooker for the wasteland." The developers expressed great excitement about the Rust King, hinting that players might see more of him in the future.

Adding to the excitement, the Ghoul from the hit Fallout series has made his way to Appalachia, voiced by the one and only Walton Goggins! The Ghoul will play a key role in the new bounty hunting system.

The update brings a new bounty hunting feature, hosted by The Ghoul in the sprawling settlement of Highway Town. Located in the middle of the new Burning Springs region, Highway Town serves as a major community hub. Players can undertake two types of bounties:

• Grunt Hunts: Lower-level bounties offered by The Ghoul, providing a steady source of experience, caps, and legendary items.
• Head Hunts: More prestigious contracts that can be bought outright or earned by successfully completing Grunt Hunts. These public events allow everyone within earshot to join in, and the main targets are incredibly tough, requiring teamwork. Head Hunts offer rewards on a much grander scale, including dozens of unique new mods that benefit both human and ghoul playstyles.

Two new public events are also arriving:

• Gearing Up: Players will help "gear up" a Deathclaw, specifically a tamed one wearing armor, for the Rust King. This explosive event takes place in a junkyard.
• Sinkhole Solutions: This event unfolds in a dried lakebed that has become a sinkhole. Expect a "very metal" experience with fire, sandstorms, and battles against Radscorpions. Both events are designed to be straightforward, focusing on "kill lots of stuff" and offering reliable legendary weapon rewards.

Continued Evolution of Fallout 76

Production Director Bill Lacoste highlighted the significant updates over the past year, laying the groundwork for "Burning Springs." These include:

• Raids (Gleaming Depths): Introduced four-star legendaries for high- and mid-level players.
• Playable Ghoul Race: Added new loadouts and weapon types.
• Fishing: Enabled fishing anywhere players could swim, with various fish types including local legends, glowing, rare, common, and uncommon fish, along with associated challenges. The development team plans to continue supporting fishing with seasonal Axolotls every month.
• CAMP Revamp: Relaxed building rules, allowing players more freedom to place items throughout their camps, including in rockier areas, and introduced over 6,000 CAMP items. The UI for the CAMP building was also redesigned with better categorization and sub-categorization for easier use.
• Combat and Perk Rebalancing: Removed unnecessary perks, re-tuned existing ones, and balanced various weapons to allow players to "play the game as they want to play it."

Lead Designer Carl McKevitt also teased a new quest called "Dirty Laundry" that will kick off by collecting Abraxo cases found throughout the world or by traveling into Athens, promising a "really cool gun" as a reward.

PC players eager to get a sneak peek can jump into the "Burning Springs" Public Test Server (PTS) starting tomorrow! Keep an eye on Fallout and Bethesda Game Studios social channels for more information about the patch notes and when the update goes live.