Fallout 76 private servers are coming next week

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Fallout 76's Wastelanders update may be delayed until 2020, but the good news is the game's private servers are coming next week. The official arrival of the long-anticipated private servers was revealed in an October 17 announcement on the official Fallout page, along with the caveat that you'll have to pay for them. 

"We're happy to announce our work on the service for private servers is complete and will be launching next week!" The post reads. "The ability to play in your own private world with your friends has been the number one community-requested feature, and we're thrilled it's finally coming." 

The official announcement also mentions that "in the future, you'll be able to mod your words," but that details would arrive "in the coming days." It also looks like the private server service will need to be purchased, although there's no word yet on the cost. We reached out to Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines, who told us to "stay tuned" as more information would be coming "in the next few days."

As Fallout 76 is an entirely online game set in a post-nuclear world, fans have been asking for a private server option for quite a while. Bethesda originally said that private servers would be added to Fallout 76 sometime after launch, and technically this is some time after the game launched (nearly a year). Back in July, Jeff Gardiner told a QuakeCon audience that the servers were "coming sooner than you think." In August, Hines made it clear on Twitter that the private servers would be hosted through Bethesda.

You'll be happy to know that Fallout 76 is also reportedly getting public test servers as early as next year, as well as perk loadouts. 

Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features writer at GamesRadar based out of Brooklyn, NY. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.