Highlights
- The Fallout 4 next-gen update won’t necessarily break the game’s existing mods.
- Bethesda has “worked to minimize” the effects of the upcoming patch on community-created content.
- Certain types of Fallout 4 mods are inherently more game version-sensitive than others.
Bethesda has suggested that the next-gen update for Fallout 4 may not break as many mods as some players may have feared. Even so, the full extent of its potential effects on the Fallout 4 modding space remains unclear.
The much-anticipated patch for the 2015 RPG was originally announced in late 2022, as part of the series’ 25th-anniversary celebrations. A year and a half later, Bethesda finally attached a release date to the Fallout 4 next-gen update, confirming that the new version of the game is rolling out on April 25, 2024.
Fallout 4 Skyrockets Back to Top of Sales Charts
In the wake of the success of the Fallout TV show, Fallout 4 finds itself at the top of sales charts almost nine years after its original release.
Bethesda Worked To Minimize Next-Gen Update’s Impact on Fallout 4 PC Mods
Given the comprehensive nature of the upcoming patch, many fans have already expressed fears that the release will break a significant chunk of their modding catalog. Bethesda has acknowledged those concerns in an April 19 tweet, confirming that “some” Fallout 4 PC mods may indeed be affected, depending on whether they rely on “version-sensitive content.” Be that as it may, the developer assured fans that it’s been working to minimize the impact of the upcoming release on community-created add-ons.
Since the update hasn’t been confirmed to remove any player-facing assets, it remains to be seen what this “version-sensitive content” will actually entail. Bethesda did previously mention that the next-gen patch will introduce some Creation Kit tweaks; any changes to the game’s modding tools could feasibly break some types of community content. At the same time, those alterations are primarily said to target Creation Kit bugs, which suggests that their impact on existing mods may be minimal.
Generally speaking, comprehensive projects like Fallout 4 total conversion mods are always at the highest risk of breaking whenever a new update comes out. That’s primarily because they tend to have the biggest number of moving parts, thus also the most potential points of failure sensitive to even the smallest of changes. Given the graphics- and performance-oriented nature of the next-gen update, it is possible that some graphical overhaul mods and those focused on optimizations will also be affected.
Fallout 4 Creation Club Mods Should Be Unaffected by Next-Gen Update
PlayStation and Xbox gamers should not worry about the effects of the next-gen update on their favorite add-ons, as Bethesda has ostensibly ensured the compatibility of all Fallout 4 Creation Club mods with the forthcoming patch. Namely, the studio’s recent tweet specified that only select “PC mods” may be potentially impacted by the April 25 update. Based on that wording, PC content that is also available on consoles will presumably keep working as intended.
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is an RPG in the Fallout series, being the fourth major installment. This time around, players are in The Commonwealth, formerly Massachusetts, in the year 2287.
- Released
- November 10, 2015
- Engine
- Creation
- ESRB
- M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours
- X|S Enhanced
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 51 GB (December 2023)
- Metascore
- 87
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
