Fallout 76’s NCR Power Armor is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Fallout 76 has gone all out with its attempts to capitalize on the successful Amazon series. The Ghoul himself is the source of bounties in Burning Springs, a spin on Ohio meant to invoke memories of New Vegas’ Mojave Wasteland — the show’s current setting. Players can also unlock a Vault 33 jumpsuit, making it so that their character looks as if they come from Lucy and Norm’s home. Fallout 76’s latest attempt at synergy has drawn ire, though, as what should be a celebrated addition has instead kicked a hornet’s nest and led to community-wide outrage.

From the second Maximus donned a never-before-seen set of NCR power armor to do battle with some Deathclaws, the Fallout community was demanding to use it within the video games. While modders could answer the call for games like Fallout 4, it was up to Bethesda to add it to the live-service game Fallout 76. And fortunately, it didn’t keep players waiting for the stunning NCR Ranger-like getup, adding it within just days of Episode 7 airing. However, while Bethesda would normally be celebrated for the timely addition, it’s instead being criticized for the cost of the armor set and a problematic bonus item.

Issue #1: Fallout 76’s NCR Power Armor is Exclusive to a $30 Bundle

Image via Bethesda

While Fallout 76 has had expensive bundles of Cosmetic items before — the Atomic Angler bundle that has since been replaced by this controversial new pack also cost $30 and was full of fishing items — said bundles didn’t lean on New Vegas nostalgia. Dubbed the Mojave Bundle, players will get the following items if they’re willing to spend that much for the pack:

• NCR Power Armor skin
• Legion Lagate Outfit
• NCR Flag CAMP item
• New Vegas sign CAMP item
• Ad Victorium Prefix and Tribune Suffix
• A unique Super Sledge with the 4-star mod “Charged”

While the community has been quick to label the bundle overpriced, what’s particularly problematic is that none of the items are purchasable on their own. If someone wants the NCR Power Armor but doesn’t care about the Caeser’s Legion set, they’re out of luck, as they’ll have to pay for both (and the other items) just to get what they’re looking for. Even worse, this bundle is a separate PlayStation or Microsoft Store purchase that exists outside the Atomic Shop. This means that, even if players have tons of Atoms saved up from in-game purchases, grinding challenges, or their Fallout 1st subscriptions, they’re completely worthless when it comes to this bundle. Players will need to spend a separate $30 just to get this sought-after Power Armor, even if they’re a dedicated player with plenty of Atoms to their name.

As expected, this has sparked the usual debates about video game microtransactions, with players offended by Bethesda’s approach with the bundle. Many wish that the items were also offered separately and could be purchased for atoms, but there’s no telling if Bethesda will cave to the criticism and make that kind of change. Others are disappointed because of how the bundle seems to be taking advantage of casual players who come from the show and really want to use something from it. However, this is only half the story regarding the Mojave Bundle controversy.

Issue #2: Whether It’s True or Not, Players Fear Fallout 76 is Becoming Pay-to-Win

The other issue with the bundle is that, for the first time, players can purchase an endgame mod outright. Normally, four-star mods need to be grinded through high-end activities like Fallout 76’s raid, but purchasing the Mojave Bundle insantly grants players the four-star mod “Charged.” This mod allows them to use light attacks to build up three charges, and they can then deliver a heavy attack to create an AoE explosion that consumes said charges. It’s fun, and can be useful for certain builds, but players are perturbed that newer users can pay to essentially “skip forward” in the endgame grind.

Sure, the mod may not be good enough to actually be considered pay-to-win, but it being made available this way could become a slippery slope. If this bundle sells well, what’s to stop Bethesda from including more (and better) 4-star mods in future bundles? While the pay-to-win argument may be a bit of an overexaggeration for now, this bundle does set a worrying precedent, explaining the backlash. It’s also worth noting that, though there is only a 1% chance of the mod being unlocked when the new Super Sledge gets dismantled, players can keep making and destroying the weapon to get tons of these mods. They can then sell them in their shops, effectively printing caps, Fallout’s iconic currency.

Fallout 76’s Mojave Bundle Will Hopefully Be a Learning Experience For Bethesda

While it’s too late to remove the 4-star mod from this particular bundle, the backlash to it will hopefully ward off future mod inclusions in whatever bundles Bethesda releases going forward. Beyond that, it’s clear that players want to be able to individually purchase more items, which doesn’t seem all that extreme of a request given how other live-service games like Overwatch 2 allow players to snag bundle items individually if they don’t want the whole thing. There’s still time to sell the NCR Power Armor and other items separately, ending the controversy in its early stages. It’s totally understandable that Fallout 76 needs to keep making money off cosmetics to justify free content drops like Burning Springs, but there’s room for a much more consumer-friendly approach than what was taken with the Mojave Bundle.

Released

November 14, 2018

ESRB

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