Fallout 76’s Burning Springs Update Will Explore the “True Motives” of The Ghoul

Since it was announced in late October, Fallout 76 fans have been waiting patiently for the debut of Burning Springs, the largest update for the multiplayer game since Wastelanders. Within this update, players will be getting to explore a new region of Appalachia that represents Ohio, including important landmarks like Athens. A new quest line will see players working to overthrow a villainous Super Mutant named The Rust King, while a couple of fresh events provide new plans to chase. However, for most fans, the biggest draw of this content drop is The Ghoul and his assortment of bounty hunts, as the Fallout TV series character is incredibly popular.

Game Rant recently got a chance to speak to Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush and production director Bill LaCoste about Burning Springs, with the Bethesda developers highlighting how special the crossover between the show and Fallout 76 actually is. With a nearly 200-year gap between the game and TV series, there was no room for other characters like Lucy to appear, and including her ancestors could have felt forced. Fortunately, The Ghoul being roughly 270 years old made him the perfect candidate for a cameo, and having him as a bounty hunter feels like a natural fit. However, it seems like The Ghoul isn’t in Ohio just for profit, as Bethesda has hinted that players will learn his motives very soon.

Bethesda Teases The Ghoul’s Agenda

Considering how Fallout 76 takes place just 25 years after the bombs dropping, The Ghoul players will meet in the game will have undergone his ghoulification just a few decades prior. Him pawning off weaker bounties on the player may suggest that he’s already become very skilled in that time frame, though there may be an ulterior motive for him handing off this extra work.

If he’s too busy with a personal mission, but still feels determined to help Burning Springs’ Highway Town since he’s not completely jaded (yet…maybe), relying on the player character to clean up Fallout 76‘s Ohio makes sense. Rush suggested as much, promising some connective tissue between Burning Springs and Fallout Season 2.

“Due to his ‘ghoulification,’ The Ghoul being present makes sense. What are his true motives while in Burning Springs? I’m not one to speak for The Ghoul–I don’t want a bounty put out on me–so for the time being we can all speculate. However, while in Appalachia, this thread is a direct connection to the show.

Based on the promise of a “direct connection” between these two Fallout projects, perhaps The Ghoul’s time in Ohio will even be mentioned in Season 2. Alternatively, simply watching Season 2 may make it clear what The Ghoul was up to in Fallout 76, assuming he doesn’t reveal it to the player in-game through a dialogue check. It’s clear that Bethesda doesn’t want to say too much about The Ghoul’s reason for being in Appalachia, keeping the focus on his role as Burning’ Springs’ Bounty Hunt vendor, but the idea that there is an ulterior motive is tantalizing. And really, there’s one theory in particular that makes perfect sense.

via Bethesda Game Studios

As The Ghoul ventures off with Lucy at the end of Fallout Season 1, it’s clear that he is still looking for his family. Whether it’s finding their bodies to get some closure or discovering that they’re alive after being frozen, The Ghoul hasn’t given up on finding them, even after searching for hundreds of years. The Ghoul’s Fallout 76 appearance could essentially be one of those early searches, with the character using Highway Town as a home base of sorts for work and a place to stay as he searches every inch of Appalachia. After finding nothing in the Vaults of the region, he could move on, with Highway Town made safer via his bounty work. While The Ghoul would obviously fail to find his family since he’s still looking at the time of the TV series, this potentially being his agenda would be a good touch that reiterates how tragic his story is.

via Bethesda Game Studios

The Ghoul Isn’t the Only Reason Burning Springs is Perfect for Fallout TV Fans

While interacting with Walton Goggins’ charismatic gunslinger is obviously going to be a delight for fans of Amazon’s Fallout series, exploring Burning Springs should check off another box. If TV viewers fall in love with the setting of New Vegas—something that feels quite likely given the faithfulness of the show—they may want to explore New Vegas. And while the game where the city debuted is undoubtedly a classic, Fallout: New Vegas is also 15 years old now, meaning its dated visuals and mechanics could put fans of modern games off a bit. Fortunately, Fallout 76 is aiming to recapture some New Vegas vibes with the look of Burning Springs, as explained by Rush.

“Seeing where Season 1 ended up, in the desert of what used to be Las Vegas, we wanted to offer a region that felt similar in Fallout 76. If you look at the regions on the Fallout 76 map, they’re all distinct – and this arid, desert hellscape was a climate we hadn’t explored yet. And at the same time, a nice tonal link to what viewers may experience in Season 2 of the show.”

With both The Ghoul and a “tonal link” via a desert setting, Fallout 76’s new update is handcrafted to attract fans of the Amazon show. Its release is perfectly timed to bring those newcomers in, too, as the update will be dropping on December 2—just two weeks before the show’s return on December 17. It should be able to attract fans hyped for the show and craving some Fallout gameplay in the lead-up to its release, while also luring in a second batch of would-be Vault Dwellers once the show is actually out. Once players get to view the episodes and take on Bounty Hunts, they should finally be able to piece together some of The Ghoul’s goal.

Released

November 14, 2018

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol