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Fallout 76 is in a fantastic spot these days. It’s tough to define it as the best RPG in the long-running series, between the narrative chops of New Vegas, the vast breadth of Fallout 4, and the mechanical spectacle of the original Interplay games. But put aside the more serious undertones and it might be the most fun Fallout game – and almost certainly my favorite. Having come a long, long way since its rocky launch, Bethesda now unveils its next chapter in full, and we’re in for quite possibly the most exciting new season we’ve ever seen.
Fallout 76 Season 19 is “The Scientific Forge,” and it kicks off on Tuesday December 3 with the launch of the Gleaming Depths update. At the center of this is that eponymous new location, which serves as the home for a Fallout 76 raid packed with deadly encounters that features the biggest boss the series has ever seen. Beat it and you’ll start to unlock four-star legendary gear, a new tier that promises to completely transform the RPG’s endgame.
This new raid has already been active on the Fallout 76 Public Test Server, and it’s already proving to be one of the most interesting additions to the game. While I’ve enjoyed additions in recent seasons such as the expeditions, they never quite lived up to my dream of a more MMO-style encounter. The Gleaming Depths takes the best parts of daily ops and ramps it up into a mode that I’m already eager to run multiple times once it launches for real.
That’s just the start of the new roadmap, however. Also arriving in Season 19 are the long-requested Fallout 76 pets, with a bombay cat and german shepherd available to hang out in your camp. As someone who has enjoyed having the robotic FETCH collectron, having a real flesh-and-blood pal to keep Beckett company while I’m out on missions is something I’m very much looking forward to.
Next on the list is a shoulder-mounted Tesla Cannon, one of the most visually appealing weapons I’ve seen in a while; let’s hope it lives up to its look in the power stakes. Then there’s a stylish Enclave lab coat and a water cooler. If you’re a Fallout 1st subscriber, you can also claim a BBQ grill, a handy plasma core recharger, and a MODUS terminal that acts as a special camp vendor.
As 2025 arrives, there are plenty of bonus periods throughout January and February offering double score and caps, bonus scrip weekends, double mutation challenges, and numerous public events. You can look forward to the return of the yearly Fasnacht festivities in February, which then carries us through perhaps the most dramatic change Fallout 76 has seen since launch.
March brings us Season 20 and the Fallout 76 playable ghouls update. This looks set to completely transform the game, with the ability to transform into the series’ signature irradiated inhabitants. While we still don’t have all the details, our early glimpse during the recent Fallout Day broadcast showed us a few of the potential perks, such as becoming a Glowing One that provides buffs to other player ghouls around you.
Suffice to say, we’ve got a lot to look forward to in the coming months. I’m already eager to start getting my hands on those four-star legendaries, as I ponder whether I’m ready to live a more flesh-light lifestyle when March arrives.
With the Fallout 5 release date likely still well under wraps for the time being, here are the best games like Fallout to fulfill all your wasteland-wandering wants in the meantime.
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