You can try Fallout 76 for free this weekend. Here’s how

By Chris Morris May 13, 2020

Fallout 76 was kind of a dud with fans when it launched in 2018 — and Bethesda Softworks has made many improvements since then. Now the publisher is hoping to lure players back, offering a free play weekend starting Thursday.

Starting at noon ET on Thursday, May 14, and running through noon on Monday, May 18, players can download and play Fallout 76 — and its expansions, including the most recent, Wastelanders, for free on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

Current players will earn double experience points for the length of the free trial weekend.

Critics and many players were not kind to Fallout 76 when it initially launched. The game had several bugs and the multiplayer focus didn’t sit well with many longtime fans of the game. Bethesda immediately acknowledged the criticisms and got to work improving the game. The culmination of that work is Wastelanders, which overhauled the in-game world of Appalachia, adding human NPCs, and new quests.

The expansion has been widely praised, with IGN saying “Fallout 76 is starting to feel like a true Fallout game. … New human NPCs bring a healthy dose of personality and interaction to the world and the new storyline is far more engaging because of them.”

The asterisk to that review is that most of the new story content is only available to players who are level 20 and above. New Fallout 76 players will have to grind like anyone else. That could frustrate some, but changes to the introductory content make it easier to reach that level.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Chris Morris has covered consumer technology and the video game industry since 1996, offering analysis of news and trends and…

Gaming

If you really want to, here’s how to cheat in Words With Friends

Playing Words With Friends on a smartphone.

Words With Friends 2 is one of the best word games out there right now. Unlike Wordle, which is more of a solo game, Words With Friends 2 allows you to directly compete against your friends to see who has the superior vocabulary and strategy game skills.

Those who have mastered the game might be able to take on any opponent solo, but some of us need a little help.

Gaming

You can try No Man’s Sky for free this weekend

A screenshot of the Omega update for No Man's Sky.

Hello Games released the Omega update for No Man's Sky today and is making the sci-fi game free-to-play temporarily to celebrate.

The main draw of the Omega update is that it incorporates cooperative expeditions into the main game experience rather than relegating them to a side mode. The Omega expedition was added to the game today, and tasks players with exploring and charting every inch of the planet Nafut Gamma. Completing this expedition will reward players with a limited-edition helmet and staff Multi-Tool, and players can carry over any resources gained during it. While this change is the biggest addition of the Omega update, it's far from the only notable change.

Gaming

If you can’t get enough Palworld, try these great games next

A pal aiming a gun in Palworld.

Palworld took the world by storm following its early access launch on January 19. It peaked at over 2.1 million concurrent players on Steam, selling over 12 million copies on that platform alone and amassing at least 7 million more purchases via Xbox Game Pass. That means you’ve probably played it at this point, even if you aren’t playing many other video games right now. Thankfully, the melting pot -- or derivative, depending on who you ask -- design of Palworld makes it a gateway game to several other amazing titles.

From fellow captivating survival crafting titles to games in other genres that Palworld has pulled features and inspiration from, there’s a lot to try out if you're looking to branch out and play some other games the next time you take a break from Palworld. In particular, we recommend playing the following five titles to get a better idea of where Palworld's inspiration came from and where it might go in the future.
Minecraft