We’re fast approaching the sixth year of Fallout 76 and although the popular action RPG has received dozens of additions so far, it could be argued that the upcoming Skyline Valley update will be the most impactful of them all, at least from what I’ve seen of it so far.
From the first-of-its-kind map expansion to the ability to finally play as a Ghoul in 2025, here’s six exciting updates coming soon for all you vault dwellers to enjoy.
Appalachia is Getting Bigger
Fallout 76 has previously expanded its scope with new locations like 2022’s The Pitt Expedition and last year’s trip to Atlantic City. But unlike Expeditions, which take you to entirely different locations, Skyline Valley’s more seamless map extension approach means this is the very first time in six years that the core region is being expanded, spreading south into the Shenandoah region.
“We [knew] that there was a skirt around the whole map of unused space,” says Fallout 76’s Creative Director, Jon Rush. “And we wanted to do a region expansion for a while. We wanted to make it impactful and really tie it into the story, so [Skyline Valley] just felt like the right time and place.”
Previous Expeditions have been very isolated experiences, lacking maps or any real exploration opportunities outside of their specific questlines. Skyline Valley gives wastlanders the first chance to continue their 76 experience in new locations that are part of the main world map.
“There are very pointed reasons for going on the Expeditions [with] specific things you’re trying to get,” says Rush. “So we wanted an in-world place where [players] could adventure and explore. Camp builders can make new camps [here] and people can come up with their own new stories.”
20 New Points of Interest
Skyline Valley isn’t just a side quest. With the map expansion comes 20 new points of interest for players to explore, with some such as Mary’s Rock Tunnel, Rapidan Camp, and Skyline Drive being based on real-world Shenandoah locations.
There are also new factions, quests, and activities coming to the expansion, including a new event called ‘Dangerous Pastimes’ that tasks you as a storm chaser trying to power up a giant lightning rod and hopefully kick off an electrical light show.
A Brand New Vault to Explore
Hardcore Fallout 76 fans will be no stranger to Vault 63, a bunker that has remained mysteriously closed since launch. Skyline Valley will finally open its giant mechanical door for the first time and let players discover what’s hidden inside.
“Why [has] that Vault 63 door been closed for so long?” asks Rush, hinting that the answers are soon to be discovered. “It has drawn so much intrigue and mystery [with fans], ‘What’s going on back there? There’s something.’”
A lot of the true nature of Vault 63 is still a mystery, but what we do know is that Skyline Valley will trigger an incident that finally exposes Vault 63 to the wasteland, catapulting its once-sealed door across Appalachia. As for what’s inside, we know Vault 63 wasn’t completed before the bombs dropped, and so all of its residents were soaked in radiation and turned into (albeit quite content) ghouls. Their leader, Hugo Stolz, looks slightly different, though. Hugo is (at least cosmetically) one of the brand-new enemy types coming with the Skyline Valley update called The Lost.
The Lost
The Lost are former denizens of Vault 63 who now live out their days as electrified, almost feral ghouls.
“The Lost dwell in their own skewed reality,” explains Rush. “[They’re] unable to communicate outside to others and will defend themselves against all outsiders.”
Why they’re electrified and why Hugo’s mind hasn’t deteriorated like the rest of his kin is still yet to be explained. But what we do know is that The Lost will regularly roam the Skyline Valley region once Vault 63 is exposed, and are very much the main fodder you’ll have to deal with. They act almost feral-like, with a focused impulsion to hunt you down and swing their melee weapons in your direction.
The Lost aren’t the only new enemy types coming to Skyline Valley, though.
Storm Goliaths
We’ve only seen some short glimpses so far, but the Storm Goliaths are three giant, raging robots that appear to harness bad weather and weaponise it directly into your face.
“[Storm Goliaths are] a trio of super-sized robo-brains built by the great minds of Vault 63,” shares Rush, letting on that Vault 63 contains a bevy of bad ideas that have now been unleashed into Appalachia.
But it’s not just technical monstrosities you’ll have to tangle with. Skyline Valley continues the tradition of irradiated mutations, with a particular new highlight being the Thrasher; a weird, cow-sized mutant turkey hybrid that now roams the hills of Shenandoah.
In a later update coming in 2025, though, you won’t just be fighting radiated nightmares, you’ll become one.
Play as a Ghoul
For the first time ever, Fallout 76 will give level 50+ players the chance to don the leathery, noseless skin of a ghoul. According to Rush, this is significantly more than a cosmetic appearance.
“If you’re a ghoul, you’re obviously not too concerned about radiation,” he says. “Radiation can actually heal you as a ghoul. It will also be positioned to have other very striking benefits as well, punctuated a bit more by dozens of ghoul-specific perk cards that we’re going to be adding.”
Rush explains that the key to ensuring playing as a ghoul was far more than a cosmetic experience was realising how it could alter the gameplay for experienced players.
“Most players wear power armour to get away from radiation. As a ghoul, you wouldn’t want to wear power armour, because [you want the radiation], right? ” explains Rush. “So that encourages a playstyle that doesn’t [need] power armour and frees up a ton of perk points that can be used in a bunch of different other ways.”
Playing as a ghoul will disrupt the meta for Fallout 76, changing the way players optimise their character and encouraging further, unprecedented experimentation. It’s clearly something that the team at Bethesda have had in their minds for a while, but It feels like no coincidence that this is arriving hot on the heels of Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul in the extremely successful Amazon Prime Video show. With the popularity around ghouls never being higher, it makes sense that fans of the show would want to live out their irradiated fantasies in Fallout 76.
Rush also all but confirmed a gameplay mechanic is directly inspired by the show. Fallout on Prime established rules for how a ghoul maintains lucidity, via copious amounts of the drug-like remedy that prevents a downward spiral into the zombie-like, feral status. When asked if regularly drinking the mysterious concoction would be used as a gameplay survival feature he simply replied “Possibly” while maintaining a smile that would make a Vault Boy proud.
For more from the Appalachian wasteland, why not check out our documentary about the weird and wonderful community that still plays Fallout 76, including roleplaying cannibals, a Shakespeare troupe and a full-time courier service.
