Fallout 76 may get pets in future according to project lead Jeff Gardiner

An image of Dogmeat from Fallout 4
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Now that NPCs have arrived in Fallout 76 thanks to the free Wastelanders update, pets might be coming to Appalachia in future too. 

The question of whether pets will be coming to Fallout 76 came up during a Reddit AMA with project lead Jeff Gardiner and lead designer Ferret Baudoin. Reddit user AzarianCouncil asked the developers "are pets coming soon?" 

Gardiner replied, "Edible ones? I Kid. Now that we have our companions system in the game, we are looking to add pets as well." 

While there's no suggestion of when the pets may arrive in Bethesda's post-apocalyptic online RPG, it looks like the studio has been paying some thought to the addition already. When Fallout 76 first launched, it was completely devoid of NPCs, and players had to find quests from holotapes and terminals. This left the game feeling a little hollow and really changed the atmosphere of the world in comparison to other Fallout games in the series. 

The free Wastelanders update that recently went live significantly changed up the game by quite literally breathing new life into the world with the addition of NPCs, companions, and the reintroduction of the dialogue system the Fallout series is so well known for. 

Not only that, but the big free update also adds factions, and new main story quests, as well as introducing new enemies, items, and updated locations. Pets really would be just the right touch to bring the experience together. I mean, who doesn't want an adorable little buddy following them around as you explore the wastelands? It'll be exciting to see what pets get added if and when they do. 

Here's why Fallout 76 Wastelanders is a huge overhaul and shows Bethesda is ready to do whatever it takes

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.