Fallout 76 returns with the largest expansion in over half a decade — and Walton “The Ghoul” Goggins joins in

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I remember watching the Bethesda showcase back in the summer of 2012 and being really excited about Fallout 76. The idea behind the game seemed amazing, and my friend and I were playfully predicting we’d immediately try to blow up anyone we encountered in the game with nuclear weapons.

As an analyst, I remember when Fallout 76 finally released – it really didn’t live up to my expectations, or frankly, what I thought the game would be when it was first announced. That was my impression back in 2018, anyway. More recently, the Fallout TV series came out and quickly became one of the best adaptations of a video game ever made, which has sparked a huge renewed interest in the entire Fallout universe.

To my surprise, Fallout 76 unexpectedly became popular again. I’d initially dismissed it as a failure when it first came out, so I was shocked to learn it was breaking player records. I had to see what was going on for myself.

After playing for twelve hours straight, I looked up and saw the sun was coming up. I was completely addicted to Fallout 76, totally obsessed and practically glowing from it!

After spending around 500 hours playing, Fallout 76 has become a real favorite of mine. Everything from the missions and events to simply exploring other players’ creations is genuinely enjoyable – it’s just a lot of fun!

I’ve become a big fan of Fallout 76 and I’m really into it now. I keep encouraging all my friends to join me and play!

Fallout 76 just got its biggest update in over five years – Burning Springs! It adds so much new content that I’m even more excited to tell my friends to check out the game.

And let’s not forget Walton Goggins! He’s returning to voice his character in the game right as the second season of the Amazon Fallout TV show comes out on December 17, 2025. That timing also lines up with the release of the Burning Springs expansion – and good news, it’s coming to the Public Test Server tomorrow, October 2nd!

The Burning Springs of Ohio

The adventure begins in Burning Springs, a part of Ohio transformed by a nuclear blast. This new area is filled with interesting characters, quests, items to find, and special events. It also introduces the Bounty system, led by The Ghoul – who appears almost 200 years before the events of the Fallout TV series.

I only had a couple of hours to check out the map, so it was a bit of a rush! But I stumbled across this really cool place in Ohio called Highway Town. It’s a little village built around an old, huge concrete highway bridge that’s seen better days – it’s falling apart, but still really interesting.

I started by taking the elevator down, which is conveniently located near where everyone appeared at the preview event. Driven by my curiosity, I immediately checked out the bounty system – it’s always a highlight!

Walton Goggins, baby!

Okay, so one thing to know about this early version of the game is that we didn’t have the actual voice actor’s recordings yet – we were using computer-generated voices. But I just saw some new gameplay with his voice, and honestly, it sounds *so* good – I’m pretty sure they captured his personality perfectly! I’m definitely going to give him a thorough test run when he’s available on the Public Test Server.

The system can be quite demanding, but rewarding. You’ll constantly receive missions – more than The Ghoul himself wants to handle – and you’ll be well-compensated for successfully completing them.

I managed to take down a couple of enemies pretty easily, though it wasn’t *quite* as smooth as when I’m playing my stealth build – yeah, I know some people aren’t fans of that one! But I adapted and just went in swinging, grabbed the loot I needed, and headed back to Highway Town.

I’ve been informed that eventually, you’ll acquire The Ghoul’s gun. Honestly, I was a little frustrated to have to leave this system; as I said before, I only had a two-hour window to properly test everything out.

The Rust King’s land

While completing missions, I kept hearing about a character called the Rust King and that I needed to team up with him. Getting to him involved a really crazy series of events – I won’t give any details away – but let me just say that the people living in the wasteland are awful; they’re just not good people.

The Rust Kind is a really smart Super Mutant, and he brought Virgil from Fallout 4 to mind. Though, this one felt more like a character straight out of Mad Max.

Looking out at the ruined landscape, it seems like complete disorder. But someone is always in control, The Ghoul observed. In this case, that controlling force in Ohio is the Rust King.

I also checked out the new events, naturally – a Wastelander always needs to know what challenges are coming! I got to try four of them, and they were really fun.

The first area is a small zone overrun with dangerous radscorpions. You’ll definitely need help to fight them off – I once saw someone try to take them on alone and quickly become scorpion food!

My teammates and I were initially disorganized, running around aimlessly. Switching from Xbox to PC, I struggled with the controls, repeatedly hitting the wrong buttons for melee attacks until I finally remembered how to use the V.A.T.S. system.

Honestly, getting to the final waves was a bit of a struggle, but it was SO worth it – we finally faced off against some seriously amazing legendary creatures! That’s when everything exploded with action, and the whole Ohio area just lit up with incredible energy. It was wild!

During the events, I collected a lot of powerful items and automatically turned them in for Legendary Script, even though I didn’t really need to. Legendary Script is always useful, and honestly, I just couldn’t bear to get rid of those items.

After that, I took on a mission to escort someone, but honestly, it felt unnecessary – it was just a Deathclaw, and those aren’t very tough if people stay focused. Here’s a helpful hint: stay close to the Deathclaw, or you’ll miss out on some good rewards. You can thank me later!

I’m leaving the discovery of the last two for players to enjoy themselves – either through their own exploration or by watching others play. I won’t be the one to spoil the surprise.

Once I had my fill of quests, it was time to do a little scouting ala Bethesda style.

Exploring Burning Springs

I mostly explored small, isolated towns and simple, barn-like buildings. I ended up collecting tape, screws, and all sorts of other useful items – things my character didn’t even need at the preview event. Old habits die hard, I guess.

I distinctly remember The Ghoul saying something about always getting distracted by pointless things – or at least, that’s how I recall it. And honestly, I think he might be right about me.

What really struck me was how much love and history seemed to be embedded in every location. If you paid attention to the small details – like discarded notes, the surroundings, or even the position of a body – you could piece together stories about what had happened there.

Compelling stories can truly immerse you, and Fallout 76, even as an online multiplayer game, delivers that experience. I’ve always loved how the game’s environments tell their own stories, and it still manages to capture that special Bethesda charm.

I also discovered a new collectible that led me on a search for a specific building in a town I wasn’t familiar with. It seemed a lot of people at the event were having trouble locating it – I’m calling it the “Fallout 76 Ninroot quest” location. I even ended up helping someone, Danny Peña, find the exact spot.

That sparked a friendly competition to see who could collect the most items. I’m a player who likes to be active, so I didn’t manage to collect as many as I wanted. I’d call it a tie, and I’m sure Danny would too.

I’m Deathclawing to jump back in

Aside from my terrible joke, what really struck me about Burning Springs was how it changed what I look for in games. I’ve spent the last month seriously playing both Rainbow Six Siege X and Borderlands 4, trying to get really good at one – either as a competitive player or someone who can quickly defeat tough bosses.

Fallout 76 brought back fond memories of relaxing gameplay, a welcome change from the stress of competitive games where every loss feels significant. It’s a truly escapist experience, offering a chill and enjoyable way to quest and connect with other players, fostering a sense of friendly camaraderie.

It was amazing to see how much everyone at the event loved Fallout 76 – a game I’d almost given up on. I’ve never encountered a kinder gaming community, and that really came through in everyone I met, from fellow players to the developers themselves.

Burning Springs isn’t simply more content for Fallout 76-it’s a compelling reason for anyone who loves adventure to return to the game’s challenging and beautiful world.

And to make things even better, this new game world perfectly reflects the creativity of its players, giving us another fantastic place to explore and enjoy for hundreds of hours.

Not to mention, you get more Walter Goggins.

The Burning Springs update for Fallout 76 will be available for testing on the Public Test Server (PTS) starting October 2, 2025. Players can try it out before it’s officially released on the live game servers later in the year.

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2025-10-01 17:12