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Fallout 76 is getting repair kits, and fans say they’re pay-to-win

Players say Fallout 76's upcoming repair kits break Bethesda's promise about pay-to-win mechanics

Fallout 76’s Patch 8 arrives April 9, and with it comes a new type of in-game item. Repair kits, which you’ll be able to earn in-game or buy in the Atomic Shop. These single-use items can be used anywhere to repair any piece of gear, removing the need to head back to a workbench and use your own gathered materials.

According to a post on the Fallout blog, basic repair kits will instantly restore any inventory item back to 100% condition, while improved repair kits will go further by restoring items to 150% percent. If you have any of them in your inventory, you’ll be able to use them by opening your Pip-boy, clicking Inspect on the item you want to fix up, and then selecting the new Repair Kit option.

That’s bound to be a handy tool to have available in a game about surviving in a hostile wasteland, but some fans aren’t happy about the way the repair kits are being included in the game. They say the kits break a promise Bethesda made in the lead-up to Fallout 76’s launch, which was that microtransactions would solely be used for cosmetic items.

While improved repair kits are planned as rare rewards for difficult in-game activities (like killing the Scorchbeast Queen), the basic repair kits can be purchased using Atoms, Fallout 76’s in-game currency that you can buy for real-world money.

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That’s the point of contention for players flocking to the Fallout subreddit. Before Fallout 76 launched, players were concerned about its use of microtransactions, and Bethesda’s Pete Hines reassured them in an interview with Gamespot that the game would not be pay-to-win.

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“If you don’t want to spend money in the Atomic Shop for cosmetic stuff you don’t have to,” he said.

Now, though, you’ll be able to spend Atoms to buy items that offer a distinct gameplay advantage. Having a stack of repair kits on hand means you don’t have to worry about weapon and armor durability, and while you can earn these items through gameplay, it’ll be much easier just to pull out a credit card.

Bethesda says the repair kits are based on community suggestions, and that as its first attempt with an item like this, it’ll be relying on community feedback to make adjustments to the kits’ implementation over time.