Fallout 76 will remain a dark chapter of the video games history. The spin-off title was hyped by Bethesda but the final product was ill-received by reviewers and players alike. Players were disappointed by the fact that many of the promises made by Game Director Todd Howard failed to materialize but the game faced even bigger problems.
The title was launched as a premium experience with a price tag of $60 but in many cases players encountered game-breaking bugs that completely ruined their experience. It is likely that the franchise will be put on ice for a while since many gamers lost their fate in Bethesda.
The internet hive mind will forgive the incidents in a few weeks and some analysts believe that future titles like Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI won’t be affected by the failure.
This was Bethesda’s first attempt to create a multiplayer game and the studio has learned valuable lessons from the process. This is not a singular case since many studios that were specialized in single-player titles encountered problems during their first foray into the multiplayer genre.
There are voices that claim the opposite, arguing that many gamers will wait for reviews before they decide to buy future Bethesda titles. The failure of Fallout 76 was on par with the scandal generated by the pay-to-win microtransactions included in Star Wars Battlefront II. EA is still feeling the repercussion as the latest Battlefield title is already discounted due to poor sales.
It’s sad that many gamers saw Bethesda as one of the few good companies in the industry. EA has been a staple for memes in the recent years but it seems that other companies are following its actions.
Bethesda’s image may be dented but the company is still able to receive forgiveness. Fallout 76 is certainly one of the worst games that were released by a AAA studio but this doesn’t mean that future titles will be the same.
It remains to be seen is Bethesda will regain its status as time passes.