Fallout 76 public test server to arrive in 2020, over a year after game’s launch

By Aaron Mamiit Published September 29, 2019

It will be over a year after Fallout 76 was launched in November 2018, but Bethesda said that it will finally roll out a public test server for the polarizing online RPG.

In a blog post, Bethesda revealed that it is currently working on a public test server for Fallout 76, with the aim of rolling it out on an unspecified date in 2020.

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“Once we’ve figured out all (or most of) the kinks, we will be able to provide more details on our PTS and how you can participate,” Bethesda wrote.

While the details of the public test server remain unknown, such as the platforms on which it will be available, the need for it should be well known among Fallout 76 players.

Incidents involving Fallout 76 that may have been prevented if a public test server has been available since the start were triple nuke strikes crashing the game and an immortality glitch. Bethesda may have also gained some time to stem the backlash on the addition of Repair Kits, which players felt broke the developer’s promise of no pay-to-win items in the RPG.

Fallout 76‘s troubles went beyond the technical aspects, including the firestorm caused by a canvas bag that was part of the special Power Armor Edition that players purchased for $200. A public test server would not have prevented that, but it would have given Bethesda a better chance of fixing everything else that was wrong with the RPG at the start.

The public test server is just one of the many features that Bethesda is looking to introduce next year to Fallout 76. Other planned additions include loadouts for the Perk Cards system, multi-factor authentication to improve the security of players’ accounts, and the Legendary Player system that was initially planned to be released this year. Social menu fixes and shorter cooldowns between public events are also on the way.

Bethesda continues to work on improving the Fallout 76 experience, which earned mixed reviews when it was released. Public test servers are usually available at a game’s launch, but for an online RPG with a history of bugs, it is better late than never.

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