The new Fallout 76 update is here, and it’s putting the spotlight on a random piece of series lore that hasn’t really been heard of since Fallout 3. Each Fallout game features its own special quirks that expand the franchise in interesting ways, and Fallout 3‘s Pint-Sized Slasher is one of the strangest and most intriguing parts of the entire game. Now, Fallout 76 is bringing the Pre-War serial killer back into the spotlight with its newest story update, aptly named The Slasher.
The Slasher launches alongside Fallout 76 Season 26, Beware the Blood Moon, and it’s abundantly clear that the Bethesda team behind the multiplayer Fallout spin-off is gearing up for Halloween. As spooky season waits around the corner, plenty of live-service games jump at the chance to bring holiday-themed cosmetics and events to players ahead of time, and Beware the Blood Moon and The Slasher are doing just that. What makes The Slasher particularly interesting, though, is that it demonstrates that Fallout 76 could be the prime stage to revive points of lore from past games that deserve another moment in the spotlight.
Fallout 76’s Season 26 Update Brings Back Fallout 3’s Pint-Sized Slasher in an Unexpected Way
The easiest way for Bethesda to bring Fallout 76 would simply be through another cosmetic bundle, but that thankfully isn’t the case. Instead of just a run-of-the-mill killer clown skin, the Pint-Sized Slasher is making his way to Fallout 76 by being the main star of The Slasher quest line. A series of murders have been wreaking havoc on the Appalachian wasteland, and the pattern looks an awful lot like the same methods that the legendary Pint-Sized Slasher used. There are a lot of unsolved mysteries in Fallout, but players will get the chance to dive into these strange killings and solve a mystery of their own.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
A Refresher on the Pint-Sized Slasher’s Fascinating Lore
Before the bombs fell in Fallout‘s Great War, there were rumors of a child serial killer, hence the name Pint-Sized Slasher. The Pint-Sized Slasher was said to have worn a clown mask and was reportedly responsible for the Linden Street slayings that struck fear into Pre-War Washington D.C. Whether the Pint-Sized Slasher was an actual killer or not is murky, because his reputation turned him into a bit of an urban legend that Americans across the country reveled in.
The Pint-Sized Slasher was even used as a myth to scare children into behaving well. Parents would tell kids that if they acted out of line that the Pint-Sized Slasher would crawl out of a dog house and chase them with a knife. Well, that’s an absolutely terrifying image to think about, but that isn’t even the half of it. The Pint-Sized Slasher eventually became a fascination of Vault 112 scientist Dr. Stanislaus Braun. There are tons of disturbing Vault experiments in Fallout, and Vault 112 is one of the most spine-chilling.
When it comes to the games, Fallout 76 has been keeping the franchise afloat for nearly eight years now. The good news is that new Fallout games are on the way. Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters are in the works, plus Obsidian and Bethesda are each working on new entries, with the latter taking on main entry Fallout 5.
As the overseer of Vault 112, Dr. Braun created a virtual simulation machine that the Vault Dwellers were placed in. Each Vault Dweller was fully aware that they were in a simulation, with the assumption being that they would be given a perfect life as the apocalypse loomed outside the Vault. Unfortunately, Dr. Braun was an absolute madman and eventually created a simulation where the Pint-Sized Slasher terrorized a happy suburban town.
Fallout 76 Demonstrates That Fallout’s Best Side Lore Doesn’t Have to Be Resigned to a Single Game
Of course, not every single piece of Fallout side lore is going to be a good fit for a Fallout 76 update. Old lore like the Pint-Sized Slasher is a perfect fit, though, and the way that Fallout 76 is approaching it brings an extra level of fun to this franchise cameo. An interactive murder mystery is a great way to drum up some Halloween hype while also staying in line with the Fallout franchise’s staple vibe.
How Fallout 76’s The Slasher Event Works
- The event is scheduled to last for several weeks.
- Emergency radio broadcasts bring breaking news to players, updating them on leads and murder details.
- Infestations are cultists who have become obsessed with the Pint-Sized Slasher.
The main mystery at the center of The Slasher is whether the killer truly is the Pint-Sized Slasher or not. Since the urban legend has made way for obsessive fans to form cults around the killer, it could simply be a copycat. Fallout 76 has always embraced the tradition of cults in Fallout, but the cultists have focused on worshiping cryptids like the Mothman and the Interloper for the most part. Whether someone’s worshiping a giant moth-like cryptid or a serial killer tied up in an urban legend, the Fallout games know how to have fun when it comes to building whacky new cults.
Fallout 76 may have taken a while to finally become a satisfying spin-off, but the years of improvements have made way for fun seasonal events like The Slasher and Beware the Blood Moon. Of course, Fallout 76 still isn’t the perfect live-service experience that a lot of fans have craved, but the game still serves as a solid way to pass the time while waiting for a new Fallout game.
Now that the Pint-Sized Slasher is back in the spotlight, it’s going to be interesting to see what other strange pieces of past Fallout lore will come back in a new way. Beyond Fallout 76, it will be even more exciting to see what secrets and mysteries are in store for the new Obsidian Fallout game and Fallout 5‘s stories. Only time will tell, so while fans wait to see what the future of Fallout holds, Fallout 76 has found a strong way to pay homage to the franchise’s more bizarre lore bits.
- 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
