Fallout 76 adding free new modes, quests and main story in 2019
Pump it full of FEV - that'll fix it!
Troubled pseudo-MMO Fallout 76 has had its fair share of problems, but Bethesda aren't calling it quits yet. Celebrating (commemorating?) the game's hundredth day since launch, Bethesda have published their update road-map for the game for the rest of the year. They've got a whole lot planned, split into three seasons - Wild Appalachia, Nuclear Winter and Wastelanders, each containing several major updates, all free. There's a yet-unexplained new play-mode on the way, a new main story arc coming later in the year, and a bunch of new side-quests and events planned.
The updates start rolling in March, with a brewing and distilling system on the 12th. On March 19th, the Fasnacht Parade time-limited event offers "unique rewards", if you complete its activities. March 26th introduces the previously-covered Survival mode, which basically adds unrestricted PvP to the world. April brings player-run vending machines and a new camera mode, and May adds a new vendor who can trade unwanted Legendary items for chances at once you may desire. April 9th adds side-quest arc Shear Terror, and May 7th adds another set called Ever Upwards.
Details begin to dry up, getting into the Nuclear Winter season, ironically starting in Summer this year. There's the titular new game mode - Nuclear Winter - which is "completely changing the rules of the Wasteland", which sounds interesting. They're also opening up two new Vault Raids - 96 and 94, which (according to this Fallout fan-Wiki, at least) are a pacifist, spiritual community and a 'genetic ark' packed with frozen embryos respectively. Potential for some dark stories down in both. There's also a prestige system coming, letting top level players show off a bit.
The Wastelanders season starts in autumn. Bethesda are staying tight-lipped on this, but promise their "biggest and most ambitious update", including a new main quest arc and new factions to deal with. While I'd love to see living, breathing NPCs return, I'm assuming that means we'll be meeting a new monster faction or two. Still, more uses coming for all that ammo players are likely hoarding.
I'm hopeful that Bethesda will take a page from Ubisoft's book (in recent years, at least) and keep on hammering away at Fallout 76 until people start coming back. Just because a game was a mess at launch doesn't mean it has to stay that way - not these days, at least. You can see the update road-map (detailed up to May 7th) here.