The Fallout 76 beta is launching on October 30, and can "only be accessed by players who pre-ordered Fallout 76 from participating retailers." Xbox players will get access a week earlier.

If you are one such player you will be able to download the 45GB beta via the Bethesda Launcher once you have entered your code into your Bethesda account. For precise instructions on how to do that, check out the Fallout 76 beta FAQ.

The beta will consist of the full game, and Bethesda hopes to carry your progress over to the final release of the game on November 14.

The beta will be live in four to eight hour bursts during "targeted timeframes" to stress test the system. Official channels will give you advanced warning of up-times, so keep an eye on the Fallout and Bethesda Twitter accounts, and the Bethesda.net forums.

We're very intrigued to get some time in Appalachia with Fallout 76's hacked-together weapons. For more info, here's everything you need to know about Fallout 76.