Fallout 76 players are about to enter new territory. In September, the Expeditions update takes players to a perilous location beyond the wild reaches of Appalachia: The Pitt!
Built on what’s left of antebellum Pittsburgh, The Pitt is a rugged place. The local Union faction is being ravaged on all sides as bloodthirsty Raiders and once-human Trough Beasts draw closer, so grab your friends, grab your best gear and line up…it’s time to go on an expedition.
Brace yourself and go on the road
“Expedition missions are randomized and repeatable story-based missions on the scale of our most epic end-of-line quests, such as the Vault 79 attack at the end of Wastelanders,” explains Steve Massey, lead designer of Fallout 76’s Expeditions. “We’ve developed a new Quest Module system that allows us to easily randomize and re-theme mission objectives so that each mission playthrough feels truly unique and blends seamlessly into the overarching mission story.”
Players can complete missions alone or in a group of up to four people – with friends or by using the new Expedition Public Teams feature included in the update. Players can earn a unique item plan once a week after completing an expedition, and collect stamps to claim specific items from the reward pool. Players can also earn repeatable rewards, including Legendary Items, Scrip, Treasury Notes, and even an all-new method of obtaining Legendary Modules.
Return to the Pitt
Expeditions are, of course, more than precious loot. Expeditions will allow Fallout fans to visit The Pitt for the first time since 2009’s Fallout 3 add-on DLC. With Fallout 76 predating the events of Fallout 3, Expeditions both offer exciting replayable missions, but also give players the chance to truly explore Pittsburgh in a fascinating era of Fallout lore, see the city in a new light… and a foretaste of the darkness to come.
“The team was passionate about letting players explore other parts of the Fallout universe outside of Appalachia during this unique period just a few decades after the Great War,” Massey continued. “The Pitt was an obvious choice for the first city we visited because it was such a bleak and unforgiving landscape in Fallout 3 that you ask yourself, ‘How did it go so bad?’.” Going forward, the Expeditions format will also allow us to take players to brand new locations in the Fallout universe that no existing game has ever worked on.”
Go alone or with a team – just be ready
Any player can sign up for an expedition alone or as a group, but be warned: it can get dangerous there. It’s recommended that you reach level 50 or above first for the best experience when entering The Pitt, which presents greater challenges for solo freight forwarders than those bringing a few friends.
“Like other story-based missions in the game, Expedition missions have combat that is tuned to be satisfying, but not overly punishing,” Massey says. “Players should be well equipped, but all enemies drop relevant ammunition and Stimpaks to keep them going in the field.” Want to play with someone of a different level? Nothing to worry about: As with other content in the game, enemies during expeditions are scaled based on player level. “A low-level player can join a high-level friend on a mission and both will experience an appropriate difficulty level,” assures Massey.
New Player Improvements
Speaking of newer players, the Expedition update also includes other improvements to the game, such as a modified starting gear and other additions that take advantage of new Vault Dwellers who are just stepping into Appalachia.
“The Whitespring Resort has been completely revamped into a players center called Whitespring Refuge,” said Massey. “Players will participate in Refuge Daily Quests, experience a brand new random encounter system and repair/buy/make almost anything in the game they want in the lower Whitespring Mall area. Plus, the update comes with a lot of much-requested quality-of-life changes, including the ability to travel directly into the interiors of highly-visited locations like The Whitespring and The Rusty Pick without spending Caps.”
That’s the first for Expeditions – now it’s time to train. Jump into Fallout 76 and explore, build, and interact with players in your very own slice of post-nuclear West Virginia today! The Expedition update will arrive in September for free for Fallout 76 players, playable on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 systems. Until then, we’ll see you in (and soon outside) Appalachia!
0 Comments