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

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Gardiner says Bethesda is "looking to add pets" to Fallout 76

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
Heather Wald
Evergreen Editor, Games

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.