Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or brand-new to Fallout 76, there’s a new area you can explore if you own the game on Steam. Bethesda has opened a new Public Test Server to collect feedback on the new Skyline Valley region, so now’s your chance to head in and get your bearings ahead of its official release.
Skyline Valley is based loosely on the real-world Shenandoah Valley, which lies in Virginia just to the east of the West Virginia border. It’s a whole new region to explore in the MMORPG, and it features a new public event called Dangerous Pastimes, which runs every 20 minutes.
The idea is that you’ll be helping a group of storm-chasers – the Fallout 76 equivalent of the crew from Twister, presumably – get close to a raging maelstrom while protecting them from weather effects, the Lost, and some charged wildlife in the area.
Bethesda says it’s also interested in having players nuke the new area while the PTS is active. “Maybe something will happen, maybe nothing,” the blog post reads. “Probably nothing… right?”
The PTS will also be testing a series of updates to Fallout 76’s combat, which are planned to be spread out across several patches to the live servers. In the PTS, these will start off with adjustments to anglers, cave crickets, floaters, gulpers, mutant hounds, and Protectrons. Further updates are planned for other creatures, for weapons, and more.
The team says it’s also made improvements to the way damage falloff is calculated, which should translate to big improvements to the performance of shotguns and pipe guns, particularly against larger enemies.
You can participate in the PTS by finding the Fallout 76 Public Test Server in your Steam library and installing it (and yes, you do need to own the Steam version to participate).
Check out our list of the best games like Fallout if you’re looking for alternatives, and have a look at out list of the best Fallout 4 mods to liven up the Commonwealth a bit.
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