Fallout 76 Steel Dawn launches a week early

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The expansion was originally planned for a December 1 release

Fallout 76
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Christmas came early this year for Fallout 76 fans, as the Steel Dawn expansion is going live tonight, one week ahead of schedule.

Steel Dawn is Fallout 76's sixth major expansion and the first chapter of a two-part Brotherhood storyline in which the Brotherhood of Steel returns to Appalachia. According to Bethesda, something happened that mistakenly allowed players to download the Steel Dawn update early but prevented them from playing the game, so instead of taking it down and working on a fix, the studio just let it loose.

"Earlier today, there was an error that caused players in our Xbox community to download the Steel Dawn Update ahead of schedule, but prevented them from actually playing. We immediately investigated ways to get our Xbox players back in-game as soon as possible, but, through our discussions, the entire BGS team felt confident that Steel Dawn is ready to go," Bethesda said.

To get the update live, Fallout 76 is undergoing maintenance at the time of this writing, and that's expected to continue well into the night. But once you manage to get access to the new content, you can expect a new questline, a new feature that lets you build your own C.A.M.P. shelter, and a bunch more. Check out the complete Steel Dawn patch notes straight from Bethesda to see everything new.

If you're still tunneling through Fallout 76 season 2 content, you have until December 15 before the new season and rewards start.

If you're entering the West Virginia Wasteland for the first time or need some help making the most of your time there, don't miss our essential Fallout 76 tips.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.