The Appalachian Wasteland is about to get a whole lot wilder. Bethesda’s Fallout 76 is gearing up for the launch of Update 66: The Backwoods on March 3, bringing with it a legendary cryptid, significant event overhauls, and a new season of content. The update aims to revitalize long-standing activities within the game, addressing player feedback that some events had grown stale since their initial introduction.
While last December’s Burning Springs update focused on expanding the Fallout 76 map, the development team has turned its attention inward, focusing on improving existing gameplay loops. According to Bethesda, roughly 50 public events and activities have been upgraded to offer a more engaging and challenging experience for players. These improvements aren’t just cosmetic; Bethesda is implementing a sliding scale for XP rewards, ensuring that higher-level players are more adequately compensated for their time and effort.
The changes extend to enemy scaling as well, with event enemies now capped at level 125. This, coupled with increased rewards – more caps and better loot – aims to make revisiting older content worthwhile for veteran players. A new element of unpredictability has also been added, with the introduction of “uninvited guests” – powerful, legendary creatures that can appear at the end of events, offering a significant challenge and valuable rewards.
But the biggest “uninvited guest” of all is undoubtedly Bigfoot. This four-star legendary creature is a formidable opponent, far exceeding the difficulty of typical three-star legendary creatures. Armed with an uprooted tree for melee attacks and a rather unsettling secondary attack involving giant ticks, Bigfoot promises to be a truly chaotic encounter. Successfully defeating Bigfoot will yield four-star items, making the hunt a worthwhile endeavor for dedicated players.
However, players will need to act quickly. While three-star uninvited guests have no time limit, Bigfoot has a five-minute timer. Fail to defeat him within that timeframe, and he’ll vanish into thin air, leaving players empty-handed. According to Bethesda senior system designer Kevin Wienecke, Bigfoot will initially have a higher spawn rate immediately following the update’s launch, but will then settle into appearing roughly once an hour. During a press demonstration, Bigfoot was spotted at the end of the Moonshine Jamboree event in the Mire region, but he can appear in a variety of other events as well.
The arrival of Update 66 also coincides with the launch of a new season, “Rip Daring and the Cryptids from Beyond the Cosmos,” which will introduce new cosmetics, events, and quests to keep players engaged. Bethesda has detailed the major events of the new season on their blog. While the developers haven’t confirmed which other cryptids might appear, the introduction of Bigfoot certainly hints at more mythical creatures to come.
Fallout 76’s free Update 66: The Backwoods will be available on March 3 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. The update represents a significant investment in revitalizing the core gameplay experience, offering both new challenges and rewards for players of all levels.
The addition of Bigfoot, a creature steeped in folklore, adds a unique and exciting element to the game’s already rich world. The creature’s unique attack style – wielding a tree and launching ticks – is described as both “gross and awesome,” highlighting the quirky and often unsettling tone of the Fallout universe. The increased difficulty and potential rewards associated with defeating Bigfoot are sure to draw players back to older events, breathing new life into content that may have felt repetitive.
What comes next for Fallout 76 remains to be seen, but the success of The Backwoods update will likely influence the direction of future content. Bethesda’s commitment to addressing player feedback and improving existing systems suggests a continued focus on refining the core gameplay experience. Players can expect further updates and seasonal content throughout the year, building upon the foundation laid by The Backwoods.
What are your thoughts on the new update? Share your excitement and predictions in the comments below!
