Fallout 76 has officially surpassed 25 million players. Bethesda announced the player milestone alongside plans for a companion animal update arriving on Dec. 1.
Bethesda Celebrates 25 Million Players With Developer Video
The developer confirmed the player count milestone in a community update, publishing a video featuring several members of the development team thanking players for their continuous support. The studio credited the active community as the primary driving force behind the game’s growth and success.
Alongside the player milestone, Bethesda outlined upcoming gameplay additions. The studio confirmed that the December update will introduce the World Pets system. Previous iterations of the CAMP system limited animal companions strictly to player settlements. The upcoming patch changes that limitation.
World Pets Update Brings Companions to the Open World
The World Pets feature allows animal companions to follow players across the open world. The roster spans traditional domestic animals like cats and dogs alongside wasteland fauna such as Radhogs. Players with enough courage will even be able to tame a Deathclaw. Each animal features distinct abilities and perks, and players can issue direct commands to them.
This animal system was first teased earlier in the month through a gameplay trailer. Bethesda stated that more specific details will drop closer to the official launch date.
Bethesda Releases Current-Gen Console Builds with Darker Themes
Creative Director Jonathan Rush previously hinted at a shift toward grimmer themes during August, which also coincided with plans for Halloween events. The exact nature of this darker content remains undisclosed by the studio.
What Remains Unanswered for the Future of Fallout
Bethesda has not yet clarified whether the upcoming darker content will manifest as a story dealing with gloomier themes, horror experiences similar to those in the series’ single-player games, or a higher level of violence during gameplay.
