Bethesda To Give First Three Fallout Titles To Fallout 76 Customers Next Month

It might be hyperbole, but to me, it seems like the gaming industry is dealing with a rough patch right now. Don’t get me wrong – it’s stronger than ever. Games like Fortnite prove that. But look at how quickly the industry at large transitioned itself to begin crafting money-grubbing titles that make you think more about hauling out your wallet than actually enjoying the experience you paid $60+ for.

There’s a lot about Fallout 76 that highlights most everything wrong with the gaming industry right now, and it really stems from a complete lack of respect for fans. Fallout 76 isn’t just a bad game because Bethesda is milking the franchise to death. On one hand, that hurts, but on the other, the game is buggy, and then we have situations where people who paid $200 for a Collector’s Edition of the game wind up a dollar store-quality bag instead of the canvas one they were promised (which was thankfully corrected).

Bethesda doesn’t come right out and say it, but its latest offer is likely one to help smooth over relations right now with its fan base, although I’m not entirely sure how it’s supposed to. In a new tweet, the company says that anyone who logged into Fallout 76 up to this point will receive the original Fallout, and also Fallout Tactics and Fallout 2 for free. This applies to both PC and console customers, but console users will still receive the PC version.

Those who want these free games will be able to claim them next month, presumably after Bethesda’s systems establish a list of qualified customers.

I have never been a Fallout fan, so it’s easy to judge from the outside. It’s not the game itself that bothers me, because I never planned to play it to begin with, but the disrespect from game developers is really becoming frustrating. Companies certainly have to make money, but there is a right and wrong way to go about things. Developers like CD Projekt RED prove it can be done. It’s telling when your apology for a bad game is to give people free old ones.