Fallout 76's first seasonal event sounds like a mix of Halloween and Burning Man

Fallout 76 is gearing up for Wild Appalachia, the first leg of its extensive plans to add all kinds of new and exciting activities to its virtual West Virginia. When Wild Appalachia goes live tomorrow, March 12, the brewing and distilling systems will let you become the bartending brewmaster you've always wanted to be - and on March 19, the weeklong Fasnacht event will kick off Fallout 76's seasonal content in spectacularly creepy fashion.

An official Inside the Vault post has given us an early look at what to expect from the coming Fasnacht festivities. Imagine, for a moment, a procession of robots marching through the streets of Helvetia, all wearing garish, 'Mardi Gras nightmare' masks. You'll be in charge of assisting said robots in the repeatable, limited-time Fasnacht Parade quest during the event, prepping for the party and acting as protection as you ward off killer creatures attracted by the festivities. 

For the grand finale, you'll burn an effigy of Old Man Winter to signal the start of spring before collecting your loot, with the freaky Fasnacht masks being a chance drop rather than a guaranteed bonus. Some masks are rarer than others, so collectors will want to party up and repeat the Fasnacht Parade quest. You can also unlock some Fasnacht-themed blueprints for your C.A.M.P. as a keepsake of the limited-time event.

Hints at the Fasnacht tradition are strewn about Helvetia, like the 'Happy Fasnacht!' note explaining that the name for this German and Swiss tradition translates to 'fast night' and also has a doughnut named after it. You can also snag a horrifying Fasnacht clown mask year-round if you brave the dangers of Fort Defiance. 

Bethesda also outlined some balance changes coming with Patch 7, the kickoff for Wild Appalachia. Energy and Heavy weapons are getting a boost, with buffed damage and reduced wear so they don't need to be repaired as often. C.A.M.P. budgets are also getting adjusted so you can fine-tune how to build the best Fallout 76 camp, while certain areas will be labeled as "no-build zones," possibly to prevent exploits or griefing. The map is also getting an added challenge tracker, complete with little notifications as you make progress.

Anyone who enjoys a macabre masquerade would do well to take part in Fasnacht before it goes away on March 26. You never know when you'll want a mascot-sized mask that can scare the daylights out of your fellow wanderers!

Whether you want to rule the wastes or just survive another day, our Fallout 76 tips are what you need. 

Fallout 76 power armor | Fallout 76 patch notes  | Fallout 76 vending machines | Fallout 76 mutations | Fallout 76 mothman | Fallout 76 tips | Fallout 76 CAMP tips | Can you play Fallout 76 single player | Fallout 76 perk cards | How to build the best Fallout 76 CAMP | Fallout 76 map | How to get Two Shot Explosive guns in Fallout 76

Lucas Sullivan

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them. 

Latest in Fallout
Fallout overseer
Original Fallout creator says he "pushed" for a happy ending with "cake and balloons" instead of the RPG's downbeat finale
Fallout
Disco Elysium lead says original Fallout is an RPG "that's almost Biblical in its annihilation," making "other post-apocalyptic worldbuilding seem like an amusement park"
Fallout 4 mod Fallout London screenshot showing a ruinous post-apocalyptic Camden
As if Fallout: London wasn't already big enough, its devs now say the mod's "first DLC is getting closer" with "more surprises" to come
mister burke sat in a beige suit, black tie, white shirt, and black hat and shades
Bethesda fans raise $140k for prolific VA's medical bills as Bethesda describes him as "an incredibly talented and instrument part of our games"
Fallout: New Vegas mod Fallout: Nuevo Mexico
After 4 years, Fallout: New Vegas' massive New Mexico mod is canceled: "Continuing forward simply isn't sustainable"
MTG
30 years later, Fallout creator Tim Cain is searching for a legendary D&D player who cheesed an entire competitive dungeon with a lightning-fast Monk build
Latest in News
Powerplex in Invincible
Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul has perfect response to being cast as Invincible's Powerplex: "Just another role being traumatized"
The Russo brothers
The Russo brothers defend use of AI in The Electric State: "There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid"
Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling season 2 arise from the shadow
Solo Leveling just broke a Crunchyroll record we thought would never be beaten
Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid is fans' top pick to play Max Payne after his new action movie, but the actor admits he's never played the games
Dark Souls: Remastered
Dark Souls Remastered seamless co-op is officially coming from the creator behind the same Elden Ring mod, and it's set to include everything from PvP to scaling
The Apex Predator in horror game Repo.
After blowing up on Steam, indie horror hit Repo confirms its first major update will include a new map and a 'duck bucket'