Bethesda's Fallout 76 will be getting a Public Test Server (PTS) early next year. This server will allow players to test out new updates for Fallout 76 before they're live for everyone, and is common for multiplayer titles to help work out issues with new content.
The title has received a lot of criticism lately, including a recent update making Fallout 76 pay-to-win. While Bethesda has been trying to recover from Fallout 76's disastrous launch, the game has been plagued with buggy DLC and other issues. A Public Test Server will help to alleviate some of these issues.
Many multiplayer titles have some sort of beta testing environment for select players to participate in to try out new content in a controlled environment. Fallout 76 did not have such an environment, instead opting to release new content to the general public without first trying the controlled tested phase. It may not come as a shock, then, that players have been disappointed with Fallout 76. Bethesda has announced that it will be creating a Public Test Server, or PTS, in the coming months:
A Public Test Server (PTS) is currently in the works with the hope to get it up and running in 2020. Once we’ve figured out all (or most of) the kinks, we will be able to provide more details on our PTS and how you can participate.
It's not promising to hear that the developers need multiple months to work out kinks in a test server, but the inclusion of such a server can help to ensure smoother DLC releases in the future. But given that Bethesda knew about Fallout 76's issues before launch, this almost feels like too little, too late. Some of Bethesda's other soon to come features also include basic account security in Multi-Factor Authentication, which is also common in most multiplayer titles.
From the outside looking in, it always seems like Fallout 76 is always trying to catch up and make up for its myriad of bugs and issues. This appears to be the very definition of a rushed title, although players are enjoying the inclusion of the Fallout 76 Battle Royale mode. While the title does have more content than what was available at launch, it's hard to tell if Bethesda will be able to bring lapsed players back into the fold.
Either way, there's a lot coming to Fallout 76 this year and the next. Whether the new content is worth jumping back into the game will depend on the player.
Fallout 76 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: Fallout 76 Blog