Fallout 76 sees return of The Enclave and some brand new factions
No bunker-ing off.
Over the weekend, Bethesda has been up to its usual tricks again by teasing Fallout fans with mysterious hints about Fallout 76. Despite saying the upcoming game will not have any human NPCs, the official Fallout Twitter account has been drip-feeding photos of the game's factions - although whether these will be made up of NPCs or human players remains to be seen. My bottlecaps are on the latter.
The latest tweet confirms Fallout 76 will feature the return of an old friend (or rather, enemy) in the form of The Enclave - the Fallout series' infamous government baddies. Having first appeared in Fallout 2, The Enclave is essentially formed of the remnants of the US government before the bombs fell. Apparently it's still bitter about this, and in Fallout 76 will attempt to "re-establish control of America from key locations, like a secret bunker somewhere deep in Appalachia". They just can't let it go.
Unlike the controversy surrounding the inclusion of the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 76 (which has since been explained by Bethesda), fans seem a little more content with The Enclave's appearance. As the faction is made up of the US government, it makes sense the group would want to re-gain control as early as possible after the war.
Personally, I just want to know whether The Enclave is joinable so I have a legitimate excuse to run around being evil. Then it's just an honest government job. Although I guess the crown for most evil is a toss-up between The Enclave and the Raiders.
And indeed, according to an official Fallout instagram post, the Raiders are also making an appearance in Fallout 76. This time, they're controlled by "enigmatic leader" Rose, who seems to have set up camp at what appears to be a fairground. If I wanted a base in a nuclear wasteland, that is where I would go.
Anyway, Fallout 76 isn't just about the return of old factions from the series - there are also some brand new West Virginian groups ready to make their mark on the nuclear landscape. There's a distinctly communist-looking group called the Free States - a bunch of doomsday preppers - and a more civic-minded faction called the Responders, made up of "fire fighters, police officers and medical professionals" left at a loose end after the war. They sound a little too nice to survive in the wasteland - they're basically the equivalent of Hufflepuff.
It won't be too long until we find out exactly how these factions are implemented in the game. Fallout 76's beta releases on Xbox One tomorrow (for those eager enough to have pre-ordered), while PC and PS4 owners can get their hands on it on 30th October. The beta has some strange quirks to it, so have a look at our guide page for the full details.