Get Fallout 76 free on Steam if you already own it on Bethesda.net

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Fallout 76 is coming to Steam in April, as you may have heard, and today Bethesda confirmed some good news for existing players: Anyone who links their Steam and Bethesda accounts prior to 11:59 pm ET on April 12 will be given the game on Steam for free.

Current players who make the move to Steam will not be able to take atoms, the game's premium currency, or Fallout 1st subscriptions with them, and atoms earned after the move will only be usable on the platform where they're earned. Any items purchased through the in-game store will be available on both Steam and Bethesda.net, however, and all game progress carries over between platforms as well.

The Steam edition of Fallout 76 will have the same achievements that are currently available on the console versions of the game, but you'll need to start a new character to earn any that are related to quests or levels you've already completed. The friends list on Steam and Bethesda is shared, so players on both platforms will be able to play together. Refunds on existing atoms will not be offered to players who want to move to Steam, unless they're eligible for a refund under the TOS anyway. And, sorry console folks, but the free Steam offer is only for PC players on Bethesda.net.

Fallout 76 will go live on Steam on April 14, which is also when the Fallout 76 Wastelanders update rolls out. Wastelanders will add human NPCs, new quests, locations, and bases, a new reputation system, and more—get the full details here.

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.