Fallout 76 marks a new direction for Bethesda's post-apocalyptic role-playing franchise and is shaping up as one of its most ambitious titles yet. As a shared-world multiplayer experience, you'll have the ability to build a home, hunt creatures, and uncover secrets with friends for the first time.
While its expected November 14 release is still some time away, Fallout 76's beta test is your opportunity to play early. Here we wrap up everything we know about the Fallout 76 beta and explain how to play it yourself.
What to expect from Fallout 76 beta
As announced alongside Fallout 76 at E3 2018, Bethesda plans to host its B.E.T.A. (Break It Early Test Application) for the game ahead of release. Common among most big upcoming titles, these tests are an ideal opportunity to squash issues before release. And being the first online Fallout title, a large pool of players is ideal for scaling its networking technologies.
Unlike many beta tests for previous shared-world role-playing titles, Bethesda has announced its plans to release the B.E.T.A. as the "full game." While various restrictions on content and progression were expected, it appears the test is now simply an early access trial of the near-final product. This indicates the B.E.T.A. is solely to prepare Bethesda for server management and optimizing the opening experience on launch day. Furthermore, Bethesda plans for all progression to transfer to the final game, giving you a boost on launch day.
Bethesda has also announced no form of non-disclosure agreement (NDA) will be enforced, while encouraging content creators to cover the B.E.T.A. Whether you're live streaming, uploading videos, or simply sharing screenshots to social media, you'll be covered by this policy.
How to sign-up for Fallout 76 beta
To gain access to the Fallout 76 beta test, Bethesda currently requires players to preorder a copy of the game ahead of launch. Fallout 76 is available for preorder in three separate versions: the standard game ($59.99), the premium "Tricentennial Edition," ($79.99) and the highly coveted "Power Armor Collector's Edition" ($200). Each of these editions guarantees a key upon preorder, across Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Windows PCs.
For those who preorder Fallout 76 digitally, beta access will be provided automatically once the test commences. After preordering digitally on the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, or Bethesda.net eShop for PC, beta access will be tied to that account. There's no need to worry after ordering – you're ready to go.
For those who preorder at Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and other participating retailers, you'll be provided a redeemable key. These keys can be redeemed at Bethesda's online beta portal, securing access for later this year. After placing your order, expect the key to arrive via email a few days after.
Fallout 76 beta release date and times
The Fallout 76 beta is currently set to launch on Tuesday, October 23 for Xbox One, via an exclusive early access period due to a Bethesda partnership. Seven days later, availability will expand to PlayStation 4 and PC on October 30. There are no plans to offer a pre-load before launch, meaning participants must install an estimated 45GB once servers go live.
Despite several weeks of beta testing, Fallout 76 also won't be playable "24/7" for the whole period. To gather large pools of players, servers will only be live for small timeframes, ranging from "four to eight hours." The first Xbox One session times have now been detailed, with future sessions to be announced in the coming days.
The beta awaits
As Fallout 76's release nears, we'll be sure to update this article with the latest details on its beta. In the meantime, Fallout 76 is now available for preorder starting at $59.99, ahead of its planned November 14 release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PCs.
Updated October 23, 2018: Updated this post with new timings for the Fallout 76 beta launch.
