Fallout 76 Is Now Live

It's now November 14, and Fallout 76 is officially available, with servers live around the world. There were some server issues as players got online at midnight US time, but those appear to have been resolved.

Fallout 76, the newest installment in Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG series, officially launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on Wednesday, November 14, but some players won't have to wait until then to start exploring the irradiated ruins of West Virginia. Users on Reddit have pointed out that the Fallout 76 servers are now live ahead of its release date, so you can jump in a little early if you have the game.

Unlike previous entries in the series, Fallout 76 is always-online and requires a persistent internet connection, even if you plan on playing solo. GameSpot booted up Fallout 76 on Xbox One today and can verify that its servers are indeed live. If you managed to get your hands on an early copy of the game or have it pre-loaded on PC, that means you won't have to wait until November 14 to start playing.

That said, given the fact that it still isn't widely available, you may not run into many other players in Fallout 76 just yet. While the game can still work as a solo adventure, it places a heavy emphasis on multiplayer. For instance, Fallout 76 completely eschews NPCs; the only human characters you'll encounter in the game are other players, making for a very different kind of RPG than previous Fallout games.

Taking such a radically different approach with Fallout 76 was "scary," Bethesda admits, but the publisher is committed to supporting the title. Bethesda boss Pete Hines said Fallout 76 servers will be up "forever." He told GameSpot, "We're going to keep going as long as people keep playing it and it shows no sign of slowing down."

In the meantime, PS4 players still have a little more time to claim some Fallout 76 freebies. From now until November 14, you can get three Fallout 76 avatars and a theme for your PS4, whether you've pre-ordered the game or not. There are other bonuses available; you can read more about them in our Fallout 76 pre-order guide.