Fallout 76 recently got a visual boost, as Bethesda finally released the native PS5 and Xbox Series X|S upgrade. It isn’t the biggest update that Fallout 76 has ever seen, but it’s a solid step forward for the multiplayer spin-off’s future. Apart from special edition releases like the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, Fallout 76 is the one game in the series that has received substantial new content. That only makes sense, considering that it’s a live-service title. However, it has now been eight years since the game’s debut, and that passage of time means that Bethesda has to keep up with player expectations if the studio wants Fallout 76 to still be relevant in the next eight years.
Bethesda’s decision to bring forth Fallout 76‘s PS5 and Xbox Series X|S upgrade and introduce the Public Test Servers to consoles has helped make the game feel more modern than ever. There is still more that needs to be done, though. The good news is that new Fallout 76 content has no signs of slowing down, but the bad news is that friends still aren’t able to play together if they’re on different platforms. For Fallout 76 to truly feel like a modern experience, Bethesda has to make crossplay happen.
It’s Unlikely That Fallout 76 Will Ever Get Crossplay, and That’s a Shame
The hard truth is that adding crossplay to Fallout 76 is way more difficult than one might think at first. Fallout 76 clearly wasn’t designed with crossplay in mind, so Bethesda would have to significantly overhaul the game’s underlying architecture. Hope for Fallout 76 crossplay isn’t completely gone, though. The spin-off’s team has spoken in the past about considering the feature, but it ultimately depends on how much time and attention it would take to make crossplay a reality.
Bethesda Devs Have Mentioned Fallout 76’s Crossplay Potential in the Past
Earlier this year, creative director Jon Rush spoke with Polygon about whether bringing crossplay to Fallout 76 was in the cards or not. Rush revealed that he was well aware of how badly players wanted this kind of feature added in a Fallout 76 update, but the game being built without that kind of framework makes it wildly difficult to add eight years into the game’s life cycle.
We are looking into it, and we have plans to try to scope out what that work is going to entail for us. It’s just not in the immediate plans for us. We know players want it… What we can promise players is that we will continue to investigate, we will continue to try to establish plans to make that a thing in the future, just not in the short term.
Rush’s words are both promising and worrisome. Bethesda hasn’t completely ruled out crossplay yet, but even if the Fallout 76 team decide to accept the huge undertaking this kind of project would be, it doesn’t sound like the feature would be arriving any time soon. The new Fallout 76 roadmap has made it clear that the main focus is on more content updates and tweaking existing features to make them stronger.
Bethesda Has Bigger Things Than Fallout 76 Crossplay to Worry About
Don’t get me wrong, I think adding crossplay to Fallout 76 would be fantastic. Getting to play with friends regardless of platform is the standard now, and Fallout 76 players should be able to experience that. Bethesda has too much on its plate to be concerned with making crossplay in Fallout 76 a priority, though. After Starfield failed to have the same impact on pop culture that The Elder Scrolls and Fallout have repeatedly achieved, Bethesda needs to remain focused on making its next batch of games as strong as possible. Crossplay risks getting in the way of that.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Every Game Bethesda Has in Development
- Fallout 3 remaster
- Fallout: New Vegas remaster
- Untitled Obsidian Fallout game (Obsidian is now under Bethesda leadership)
- The Elder Scrolls 6
- Fallout 5
These projects, on top of the major Fallout 76 content updates that are planned for the future, mean that Bethesda needs all hands on deck for the foreseeable future. The Fallout 76 Raven Rock update that is planned for the middle of 2027 serves as a prequel story for the Capital Wasteland, which is more than likely going be an appetizer for the Fallout 3 remaster launch. After Raven Rock and the Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters arrive, all eyes are going to be on the brand-new standalone games.
After the mixed reception that Starfield received, the huge hiatus between Fallout games, and no The Elder Scrolls 6 release date anywhere in sight eight years after its announcement, Bethesda has to make such a long wait worth it. Only time will tell if the studio is able to do that, but I’m going to stay as optimistic for as long as possible. On the bright side, Fallout 76‘s upcoming pet companion update is going to bring more depth to that system, and Raven Rock sounds like one of the most exciting updates that the game has gotten yet. Fallout 76‘s lack of crossplay may hold the game back from feeling truly modern, but there are at least plenty of other features to look forward to.
- Released
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November 14, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
