Class Warfare Erupts Between Fallout 1st Subscribers and Non-Subscribers

In many ways, it’s never been easy to be a Fallout 76 fan. The game was plagued with problems from the beginning and even had PR disasters that went well beyond the virtual world.

However, with the October 23 launch of Fallout 1st, the premium membership subscription for Fallout 76, Bethesda has brought class warfare into this virtual West Virginia dystopia.

What is the troubled history of Fallout 76? Why are two groups of players trying to destroy each other? And what does all of this mean for the future of the franchise? Fortunately, we’ve got the full scoop on everything.

A Troubled Start

When Bethesda announced Fallout 76 in June 2018, the hype was real. Fan love for the franchise was at an all-time high after the single-player adventures of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. The notion of a multiplayer Fallout game seemed like a dream come true.

Bethesda tried to stoke the hype with some cool pre-order incentives. For example, fans who bought the “Power Armor” edition of the game for a cool $200 were promised themed military-style duffel bags. More than just a branded prop, these would be a real tool for your own rural survival adventures.

Instead, fans got cheap nylon bags. And when they complained, Bethesda customer support promised real bags… and ended up leaking addresses, names, and phone numbers of customers. By the time Bethesda started sending out the promised bags, their reputation was already reeling.

The company also sold $80 rum modeled after the franchise favorite “Nuka Cola.” But this alleged specialty souvenir glass was actually cheap plastic you could barely pour out of.

Taken altogether, fans started suspecting Bethesda was more interested in cash grabs than fan desires.