Bethesda has revealed more details about the new PvP mode coming to Fallout 76. Dubbed “Survival”, the mode is completely separate from the current game, and a beta is due to release in March. What sets Survival apart, besides having to select it separately from the core “Adventure” mode of the base game?
Firstly, all of the events, quests, and story missions from Adventure mode are playable in Survival. However, as Bethesda notes, “You’ll have to navigate them under the ever-looming threat of hostile dwellers who may be hiding just around the corner.” So yes, all players – aside from teammates – are hostile and can kill each other on sight.
“You can attack other players without restriction from the first shot you line up, meaning every encounter you have with a stranger could turn deadly in the blink of an eye.” Levels will be scaled though, so higher-level players can’t completely overwhelm those at lower levels. Players can also choose to create a new character, or bring their existing Vault-dweller into Survival. Any resources used, progress made, loot found, and quests completed will all transfer back over to Adventure mode.
Interestingly, changes have been made to the Revenge mechanic as well. You can’t just respawn near the person who killed you in Survival mode. “Currently, players who die in Survival mode will be unable to use the seek revenge respawn option against their aggressors and can only choose to respawn at their C.A.M.P. or Vault 76. We’re also planning to award you double the Caps when you kill another player, and they may drop their Aid or other items in addition to their Junk.”
Bethesda will still be toying around with different ideas and rules, so don’t expect the current iteration of Survival to be final. One other nice addition is a leaderboard to allow players to check their performance against others. If nothing else, Survival could finally provide a nice platform for some really harrowing PvEvP gameplay. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.
