Bethesda Had A Message For Fans Prior To Fallout 76's First Beta

Bethesda has released a statement to address the developer's community just prior to the launch of the first Fallout 76 beta. This first beta comes to Xbox One on October 23 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET and ends four hours later.

In the statement, Bethesda highlights just how different Fallout 76 is from the previous games in the franchise. The developer cites the inspiration for Fallout 76 comes from wanting to try something new after feeling as if every previous Bethesda games had "similar DNA." That said, Bethesda doesn't want to alienate the fanbase its spent building over the years. "Our worlds, whether it be Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or the coming Starfield, are important places to us," Bethesda wrote. "We do everything we can to treat them with care. We know they mean just as much to you."

Bethesda also acknowledged that it's treating Fallout 76 a little bit differently from past Fallout titles. Before, the company said that its employees take a small break after the release of a game. With Fallout 76, Bethesda is looking at the game's launch as if it were the starting line. "Given what we're doing with 76, we know we're opening everyone up to all new spectacular issues none of us have encountered," Bethesda wrote. "Some we're aware of, such as areas where performance needs to improve with lots of players."

Even though the first beta is exclusive to Xbox One, Bethesda is following up with another beta for PS4 and PC on October 30. Although the beta periods are only for a few hours, each one will offer the full Fallout 76 experience. You can only participate in the beta by pre-ordering Fallout 76.