Fallout 76, Bethesda’s MMORPG take on the post-apocalyptic RPG game series, is the biggest it’s ever been on Steam. Thanks to a free play period, sale, and the popularity of the new Amazon Fallout show, the online twist on Bethesda’s formula is seeing a record number of players flock to it. Even the original CRPGs from the late ’90s have players coming back too, just not in nearly as big numbers.
The massive rise in Fallout 76 players comes down to two simple factors: the success of the Amazon Fallout TV show, and the fact you can play 76 for free right now. The MMORPG take on the post-apocalypse adventure launched all the way back in 2018, and it was met with a middling response at the time. We even gave it a 5/10 in our Fallout 76 review, but the six years since have seen Bethesda make myriad improvements to the game.
Players appear to have resonated with these improvements, as the Steam version of Fallout 76 has seen its highest player count since 2020 at 39,455 players. The game being free for a few more days obviously plays a big part in this, but an ongoing sale could very well see 76 rise again once the free-play period is over.
It’s not just 76 either, as all the Fallout games have seen steep rises on Steam since the Amazon show dropped. Fallout 4 is at its highest Steam playercount since release on Steam at over 80,000, and other games like New Vegas are approaching their all-time peaks, too.
Every game in the Fallout series is in a Steam sale which no doubt helps newer fans from the TV show, and not just returning players, find it easy to get involved with the games.
Fallout 76 is free to play until Friday April 19 with a Steam sale knocking 80% off the asking price until then, so expect to pay $7.99 / £6.99 over on the Valve platform right now.
Perhaps you want to play more in the satirical post-apocalyptic universe than just 76? If so, we’ve got a complete Fallout guide to the RPG series to help you pick the game that’s right for you. Otherwise, you can brush up on the Fallout 5 release date, which we know is coming.
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