Ahead of the release of Fallout 76 next month, Bethesda has formed an unlikely partnership. An announcement yesterday confirmed that the development studio will be working with the West Virginia Tourism Office to both promote the game and encourage people to visit the state.
In a statement, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said that “it’s finally time the rest of the world see what a gem West Virginia is. For years, I’ve been saying we have it all: beautiful scenery, the best people you could ask for and more. And now, we get to share a piece of that with people all over the world through the unique lens of this video game [sic].”
The fact that this particular videogame also showcases West Virginia through the unique lens of a post-nuclear Wasteland is, apparently, of little importance to Governor Justice. That West Virginia is getting shown off again is all that matters. The location was confirmed for Fallout 76 earlier this summer to the tune of one of the state’s other most important cultural offerings: John Denver’s iconic ‘Country Roads’.
According to a press release, the tourism board’s partnership with Bethesda “will be creating advertising strategies to both educate players about West Virginia’s unique landscape and culture, as well as offer them an open invitation to visit the state over the coming months.”
The Fallout 76 release date is now pretty close – you’ll be able to head to Almost Heaven on November 14, although there’ll be Fallout 76 beta access from the end of this month. If you get involved with that, you’ll have access to the entire game, and your progress will carry over come full release.