Fallout 76 will still be fun if you're an introvert, and Bethesda's Pete Hines explains why

An illustration of Vault Boy saluting before a nuclear mushroom cloud.

One of the few perks of an apocalyptic wasteland is not having to make small talk with anyone - so the news that Fallout 76 would mean bumping into other real-life people set my anxiety glands pumping. Luckily, Bethesda's Pete Hines is here to explain that Fallout 76 will cater to those looking for a more single-player experience.

"I just go out and explore," he tells IGN. "I decide whether I'm going to try and do some big quest or a personal quest like putting a scope on a rifle I just went through the trouble to repair... I'm in this world where I'm just trying to survive, and I feel like I'm alone. I feel like I'm playing Fallout by myself."

He drops an anecdote about playing with his colleagues (including Todd Howard) and the four of them splitting off to go it alone as proof.

"It's not like grouping up means all four of us have to walk around the map together and do stuff. The game is like, 'Look, just do whatever you want.' If he decides to go off here and start base building, [someone else is] doing quests... the game doesn't care."

But don't try and compare it to other open-world games you can play with friends, because, according to Hines - and let's face it, he's seen more of Fallout 76 than we have - it defies easy labeling. "If you just try and take any game concept and say, 'So, 76 is like this?' I promise you you're wrong. It's not. I've played the game. I know."

Fallout 76 will be released in November, with an open beta starting in October. For details on that and everything else, check out our handy guide.