Almost right after we wrote an article about that .gif posted by Bethesda, the game studio goes right ahead and posts the first teaser for Fallout 76.
Going by the colourful test-card, some people - well, us - had guessed it might have been something along the lines of a vault from a different city beyond or even somewhere outside the US. Instead, we now that the new Fallout game will concern Vault 76 and the inhabitants therein. Going by what we know from Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, the vault was used as a "control" vault for other experimental vaults.
What does that mean, you ask? Basically, when you run an experiment of any kind, you need a control group to understand the baseline. Vault 77, for example, contained one man and a crate full of puppets. Vault 69 contained one man and 999 women. Yes, really.
Anyway, the teaser for Fallout 76 didn't give much in the way of information regarding the game so naturally, it's sent everyone into speculation overdrive.
Here's our five best guesses.
5. It's going to be an online multiplayer game
Given the so-so success of Elder Scrolls Online, it's hard to know exactly why Bethesda would want to go in for another MMORPG. Maybe it's a case of wanting to right the wrongs from that? It certainly could work as one, especially if you add in...
4. It's going to be a base-building game
This seems likely, as the only dialogue heard in the teaser specifically states that "...when the fighting has stopped, and the fallout has settled, you must rebuild." OK, it's just a bit of dialogue - but really, it's not unheard of. Skyrim and Fallout 4 both had base-building as an additional feature rather than the central focus, so why not make a game out of it? Refine the mechanics, scale it up, add in a multiplayer aspect to it where you have competing settlements with other players? You'd play that, right?
3. It'll be a battle royale / survival game
To be perfectly frank, this would be the worst possible outcome for Fallout 76. There's enough battle royale / survival games out there. Fallout 76's setting might seem like a good fit for it, but come on - nobody wants another Fornite / PUBG clone in the world. We've got enough as it is, thangyouverymuch.
2. It'll be Fallout 4's Fallout: New Vegas
While Obsidian weren't announced (yet, anyway) as the studio working on Fallout 76, a Fallout: New Vegas-style take on Fallout 4's engine and mechanics was our first gut reaction. Nobody would be too annoyed about that, to be honest. Fallout: New Vegas was an intriguing addition to the franchise, so why not try it again?
1. It'll basically be a sequel to Fallout 4
Pretty much that, folks. It's a straight-up sequel to Fallout 4. E3 will likely see a rake of information land online about it and hopefully some gameplay as well to give us a better idea of what's in store for everyone. Meanwhile, Elder Scrolls fans are left with nothing. Typical.
