Fallout 76 has come a long way since it first launched in 2018. Whether you’re a long time Fallout fan or a newcomer from having enjoyed the recent Prime Video hit series, there’s plenty to look forward to with the game’s first major expansion of the world map, Skyline Valley, which just dropped. In the latest free update, players will cross the Savage Divide and travel to the southern reaches of Appalachia in the picturesque new region, Skyline Valley, which introduces new locations to explore. The new region is modelled after Skyline Drive, a national parkway in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.
At a recent Fallout 76 preview event in London, Geek Culture recently caught up with Creative Director Jonathan Rush who shared that the team had been talking for a while about how to make the game more appealing to newcomers, in anticipation of the the Prime Video’s series release.
“So we had done a number of things just over the past year, such as the performance boosts on the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. We also changed up what the initial vault exit experience is like. So now when players exit the vault, they can choose to leave as a level 20 character and choose from five distinct loadouts or they can choose to go the more hardcore route and come out as a fresh dweller at level 1. Also, in addition to that, we’ve placed a lot more points of interest around the vault, which serves as a means to introduce them to combat and the different factions like first responders, Brotherhood of Steel, and even some cultists in a in a little dungeon cave right outside the mall, ” shared Rush.
This means the game has big boots to fill, and the team spent time looking into the mythology, to identify new things for the game, including the new electrified ghouls in charge of the newly minted Vault 63.
“We needed a space that didn’t feel like it was just plopped in there, but it felt like part of Appalachia, and had its own distinct traits. So one of those being the big storm that’s causing all the electricity. The new Ghouls are really kind of a reflection of that space and the backstory for them. It’s a reflection on why that space came to be the way it is. So the Ghouls themselves, the inhabitants of Vault 63 have become ‘The Lost’ which is exactly what they are. They’ve just gotten nuts and you can’t really talk to them,” explained Rush.
“They will attack you on sight with one exception, and that’s their leader, Hugo Stolz. As you encounter this new character and talk to to him, you kind of want to choose if you want to befriend or betray him, once you come to understand his unique circumstances. So I don’t want to spoil anything by getting into it, but let’s just say the region and the Ghouls are definitely related.”
There is plenty to experience with the Skyline Valley expansion but here are the four key highlights to get you up to speed.
1. Uncover The Mystery Behind Vault 63
Comprising of 12 quests across 20 points of interest, players will seek out the real location of Vault 63 at the epicenter of the mysterious red lightning storm, and uncover its mysteries, and learn the truth about the “Lost” electrified Ghouls that inhabit the vault and its surroundings. Vault 63 is inhabited by Ghouls, and is led by Hugo Stoltz, an overseer with a particularly charged personality. The “Lost” dwell in their own skewed reality, unable to communicate outside to others, and will defend themselves against all outsiders.
2. Endgame Event: Neurological Warfare
This new endgame event Neurological Warfare is triggered by a nuke, which takes place within the arena of the Hawksbill Weather Station in the north of Skyline Valley. After the nuke hits, the weather changes in the entire Skyline Valley area and the event starts with the appearance of a trio of supersized robo-brains known as Storm Goliaths (Nona, Decima and Morta), which were created by the great minds of Vault 63. These new heavily armoured enemies pack quite a punch so get ready for a fight! Upon defeating the three Storm Goliaths, players will receive legendary loot from each robot, along with an event reward.
3. Public Event: Dangerous Pastimes
Dangerous Pastimes is a new public event that takes place in the Thunder Mountain Substation TM-03, located in the northeast of Skyline Valley. Do note that the recommended player level to participate in this event is 50. During this event, players team up to help some settlers to conduct dangerous experiments with lightning harvesters at the substation. The event is simple and has players running around the outer area of the substation to collect a bunch of lightning harvester parts to power up the harvester in the middle of the substation. Waves of “Lost” electrified Ghouls will keep spawning to make things difficult for the players. At the end of the event, a massive legendary “Thunder Crab” will spawn as the final boss.
4. Milepost Zero Skyline Valley Update (Coming This Fall)
The Blue Ridge Caravan Company has been running routes along Skyline Drive and needs your help. Players will be able to team up with fellow adventurers to carry out the caravan protection runs, where ambushes will be coming from all directions. The caravans are operated by Brahmin (two-headed mutated cattle) and you can even slap them to make them run faster! Completing the missions would then unlock the caravan outpost which you can then upgrade the decor and populate the space with vendors from far away who sell very specialised goods.
Bonus! You’ll Get To Play As A Ghoul! (But Only In 2025)
Announced alongside Skyline Valley’s launch trailer is the ability for players to play as a Ghoul for the first time in any Fallout game, but that’s coming in a future update in early 2025. In the meantime, there’s still plenty to enjoy and experience with the constant update drops leading up to it.
Fallout 76’s newest free update and first major map expansion, Skyline Valley is out now on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. Also available now is the Lost Treasures Bundle that includes the all-new Vault 63 Power Armor paint and jetpack, along with a V63 Chassis Display Frame for your power armor, a Moe the Mole Plushie and a Vault 63 Door Display for your C.A.M.P. You will also be able to change the weather in your area with the Weather Control Station and, if you dare, stand out in a storm holding the Lightning Rod Pose and get zapped!
Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.
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