Fallout 76’s New Burning Springs Bounty Hunt Mechanics Explained
When playing Fallout 76, players essentially have two different games to enjoy that are wrapped up in a single experience. There’s the traditional Fallout RPG content that is best enjoyed on one’s own, which sees players completing quests, reading documents and lore, and discovering landmarks all around the Appalachia map. And then there’s the multiplayer portion, which sees players embracing PvP, trading, or completing public events over and over again. There are dozens of public events in Fallout 76, not to mention mutated variants, with new ones consistently coming to the title via updates. Bounty Hunts seem poised to be loved by both types of Fallout 76 players, as they’ll be catering to both play styles.
Game Rant recently got to chat with Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush and production director Bill LaCoste about everything coming in Burning Springs, from beloved television character The Ghoul to new villain The Rust King and more. During that discussion, the mechanics of Bounty Hunting were covered in detail, with fans now having a clear idea of exactly what to expect from the activities handed out by Walton Goggins’ irradiated gunslinger. And based on Bethesda’s explanation of the feature, it certainly sounds like it’s going to live up to the hype.
How do Bounty Hunts Work in Fallout 76’s Burning Springs update?
Fallout 76 players will find bounties at The Last Resort, a location within Highway Town. These repeatable activities are handed out by The Ghoul, so players can expect plenty of fun dialogue as they take on tasks to hunt down threats within post-apocalyptic Ohio. There are two types of bounties, with the first form essentially being busy work that The Ghoul can’t be asked to deal with, as he’s got bigger fish to fry. After reaching Highway Town and finding The Ghoul, players will be able to engage with GRUNT hunts. There will be “plenty” of these radiant quests, ensuring a variety of targets as players collect steady XP, Legendaries, and Caps.
While these basic GRUNT hunts can keep solo players busy, those seeking out a more difficult experience that leans into Fallout 76’s multiplayer mechanics can engage with HEAD Hunts. As explained by Rush, these bounties will take everything players have to complete.
“For the more daring among us, a tougher contract can either be found on successful Grunt Hunts or can be bought outright from The Ghoul. These are called ‘HEAD Hunts.’ A ‘HEAD Hunt’ is a special bounty hunting contract–it’s a Public Event, where everyone within earshot can join. The main target is as tough as they come, and players can’t go it alone!
Currently, it’s unclear how common the drop rate will be for these stronger bounty hunts or how much it will cost to buy them off The Ghoul, but having two ways to access HEAD hunts should guarantee that they pop up on the map constantly. Players will want to do these often, as Bethesda shared that there will be numerous rewards to chase if users can successfully topple the most dangerous figures roaming Burning Springs.
In addition to the HEAD hunt, two traditional public events will appear in the new region of Appalachia. These are Gearin’ Up, which sees players defending a Deathclaw as a Beastmaster prepares it for a fight, and Sinkhole Solutions, which will see players clearing bugs like stingwings and radscorpions out of a sinkhole.
How Bounty Hunts Strive to Be as Rewarding as Possible in Fallout 76
LaCoste shared that the ultimate goal of Fallout 76 is to keep “expanding the different ways that players can build a loadout and engage with the game,” specifically highlighting the additions of Legendary mods for Fallout 76‘s Ghoul characters and kill streak bonuses. Bounty Hunts strive to add depth to character builds, as in addition to Caps, XP, and weapon/armor drops, players have a “chance” to acquire several brand-new mods for both humans and ghouls. As explained by Jon Rush:
“Completed ‘HEAD Hunts’ additionally gives our bounty hunters the chance to earn one of dozens of unique, new mods benefiting human and ghoul playstyles alike.”
With so many new mods coming to Fallout 76 in Burning Springs, it seems highly likely that at least a few of the additions will become meta drops that players grind for. Fortunately, that grind doesn’t seem like it will be all that tedious since variety is the name of the game when it comes to bounty hunting. Each hunt will appear randomly in “one of twenty preset, custom locations,” with Rush also highlighting that there are “dozens” of unique contract targets as well as a variety of gang members that can accompany them. With so many potential combinations, bounty hunting will likely feel fresh for a long time, and it will be a while before players have faced off against every possible foe.
Whether players are grinding the basic GRUNT hunts to build up their Cap stash, or watching the map like a hawk for someone to trigger a HEAD hunt so that they have a chance at a new mod, it sounds like the bounty system will cater to casual and hardcore players alike. And while it’s arguably the main draw of this content update thanks to The Ghoul’s involvement, players also have new lore to uncover, quests to complete, and characters to meet, ensuring that Burning Springs will keep them busy for hours on end.
- Released
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November 14, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol