Bethesda Keeps Looking Into Fallout 76 Cross-Play, but It ‘Wasn’t Designed That Way From the Beginning,’ Todd Howard Says
Fallout 76 has seen a significant boost in players following the success of the Fallout TV show, with over one million players in a single day. This renewed interest has brought the lack of cross-play in Fallout 76 under scrutiny, especially since most modern multiplayer games offer the feature. Bethesda’s development chief, Todd Howard, addressed the issue in an interview with Kinda Funny Games, explaining that the game wasn’t built with cross-play in mind.
Fallout 76 Wasn’t Designed for Cross-Play
“We keep looking into it. It [Fallout 76] wasn’t designed that way from the beginning,” Howard explained. “So obviously we get into server and database silos.” While acknowledging the demand for cross-play, Howard highlighted the technical challenges of implementing it into a game that wasn’t designed to support it from the start. These challenges stem from the way Fallout 76 was built, with separate servers and databases for each platform, making cross-platform play a complex technical hurdle.
Fallout 76’s Journey From Criticism to Popularity
Fallout 76, released in November 2018 across PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, faced significant criticism from both critics and players upon release. However, Bethesda has dedicated years to improving the game, introducing content updates and addressing player feedback. This effort has resulted in a positive turnaround for the game, garnering a “mostly positive” user review rating on Steam. Howard acknowledged that the game has seen a period of “sneaky popularity” over the past three to four years, highlighting the success of the team’s efforts.
Cross-Progression Takes Priority Over Cross-Play
Beyond cross-play, Fallout 76 also lacks cross-progression, another common feature in modern multiplayer games. While cross-play might be considered a luxury, cross-progression allows players to seamlessly transfer their character progress between platforms. Howard stated that Bethesda prioritizes cross-progression over cross-play for Fallout 76, but admitted that the technical challenges of implementing it are significant. The architecture of Fallout 76 presents an obstacle, making cross-progression a complex undertaking that Bethesda is still exploring.
A Focus on Cross-Progression in Future Games
While the future of cross-play and cross-progression in Fallout 76 remains unclear, Howard emphasized that these features are important for Bethesda’s future games. The recently released Starfield, Bethesda’s latest single-player adventure, features cross-progression between PC and Xbox. Howard expressed a desire to incorporate cross-progression into future titles, ensuring a seamless experience for players regardless of the platform they choose to play on.
New Fallout Projects on the Horizon
Howard’s interview also hinted at the possibility of new Fallout projects in development. While no details were shared, the mention of “two unannounced Fallout projects” has ignited excitement amongst fans. The future of Fallout seems promising, with Bethesda committed to exploring new ideas and embracing features like cross-progression that enhance the player experience. The evolution of Fallout 76 from a troubled launch to a thriving community serves as a testament to Bethesda’s dedication to improvement and its commitment to engaging with its players.
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