Fallout 76 will be invaded by aliens this spring

Fallout 76 - Invaders From Beyond
(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Bethesda has teased its plans for Fallout 76 in 2022, which will begin this spring with an alien invasion and end the following winter with "The Fizziest Show on Earth."

Aliens are nothing new in Fallout: Evidence of their existence, ranging from strange skeletons to powerful weaponry and crashed ships, have been present in the series since the original game. They'll soon be taking a more active role in in the post-nuclear future in Invaders From Beyond, coming this spring with public events and random encounters in which you'll do battle against an extraterrestrial threat to Appalachia. 

The spring update will also add the ability to earn Score, the points used to rank up and unlock rewards, and kick off Fallout 76 Season 8, entitled A Better Life Underground.

Summer will see the addition of more public events including arena fights against mechanical menaces. Another new season will kick off in the summer, and there will be scoreboard progression updates for Fallout 1st subscribers.

The fall update will feature the addition of Expeditions: The Pitt, a trip to the ruined city of Pittsburgh, which will include new missions, NPCs, enemies, and rewards. The Pitt itself isn't exactly a new location, though: The Pitt was originally released in 2009 as Fallout 3 DLC.

And then in the winter, it's time for the promised Fizziest Show on Earth: A traveling roadshow called Nuka World on Tour, with new public events and a new region boss. The fall and winter updates will also feature new Fallout 76 seasons.

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

The announcement is light on detail, but another year of active development is good news for Fallout 76 fans. Launch dates haven't been announced yet, but you can get a closer look at evil alien menace coming the spring update at bethesda.net.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.