The wasteland is getting a spooky makeover as Bethesda rolls out The Slasher update for Fallout 76. Alongside the new horror experience, the update introduces native Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions, a new Legacy Seasons feature, unique item crafting and Season 26: Beware The Blood Moon.
There’s plenty for Vault Dwellers to discover, with the update also bringing new seasonal fish, gameplay improvements and a large number of balance changes and bug fixes.
The Slasher: A New Horror Experience
Prepare for a frightful fall as a cult of fanatics begins sowing chaos across Appalachia.
Unlike most major Fallout 76 updates, The Slasher’s content will roll out over the weeks following launch. Players can follow the unfolding story through updates from The Debunker Radio, which will provide information about what is happening in the world and what to do next.
To begin the experience, tune into the “Breaking News” broadcast station through your Pip-Boy.
The Slasher promises to bring a darker atmosphere to the Appalachian wasteland, making it a fitting addition to the upcoming spooky season.
Fallout 76 Finally Gets Native Xbox Series X|S and PS5 Versions
One of the biggest additions in the update is the arrival of native Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions of Fallout 76.
The new versions aim to improve performance and stability on current-generation hardware, while giving Bethesda more flexibility to fine-tune the game for both current and previous-generation consoles in the future.
Players will need to redownload the entire game through their console’s respective store to access the native versions.
What Can Players Expect?
- Targeted 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro.
- 4K resolution on compatible displays for Xbox Series X, Xbox One X and PS5 Pro.
- VRR support, capped at 60 FPS, on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro.
- 1440p support on PS5 and PS4 Pro.
- 1080p support continues on previous-generation platforms.
The update also includes a repackaging of the game across all platforms. While the initial download is larger than usual, the overall installed file size will be reduced once the update has been downloaded.
Update Download Sizes
| Platform | Download size |
|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | 119 GB |
| PC (Microsoft Store) | 119.7 GB |
| Xbox | 101 GB |
| PlayStation | 92.2 GB |
Legacy Seasons Give Players Another Chance at Missed Rewards
A heavily requested feature is finally arriving in Fallout 76 with the introduction of Legacy Seasons.
Starting with The Slasher update, players will be able to earn rewards from a previous season alongside the current season. This gives newcomers and returning players another opportunity to collect rewards they may have missed.
Legacy Seasons use the same ticket pool as regular seasons, allowing players to decide how they want to spend their tickets.
The first Legacy Season will be Armor Ace and the Power Patrol in Cold Steel, which will run for the full length of Season 26.
Bethesda has also confirmed that Season 10: Red Rocket ‘Across America’ Presents: The City of Steel will become available alongside the Winter update.
Season 26: Beware The Blood Moon
The blood moon shines bright in Appalachia as Fallout 76 Season 26 launches with a selection of rewards inspired by the spooky season.
Titled Beware The Blood Moon, the new season adds another collection of rewards for players to unlock as they explore the wasteland and complete their seasonal challenges.
With The Slasher rolling out alongside the new season, Fallout 76 is heading into a particularly dark and atmospheric period.
Unique Item Crafting Opens Up New Build Possibilities
Another major addition is Unique Item Crafting, which gives players more freedom when it comes to developing their favourite weapons and armour.
With the update, unique weapons and armour can now have their Legendary Mods changed, while a fourth Legendary Mod can also be added to eligible items.
This gives new life to some of the specially tagged items found and crafted throughout Appalachia, opening up more opportunities for players to tailor their builds.
The update also introduces fixed Scrip costs for changing Legendary Mods, with costs varying depending on the star rating.
Unique items can now be crafted at the workbench using Vault Steel, with new requirements for three-star and four-star items.
Some Notable Unique Item Changes
Several unique weapons receive new effects through the update, including:
- Holy Fire – You and teammates hit by your flame gain +30% damage and +50 Damage Resistance for 15 seconds.
- The Gutter – Poison Damage.
- Boomstick – Fires two additional missiles.
- Unstoppable Monster – Reduces damage taken by 5%, plus an additional 1% per killstreak, up to 10%.
- The VATS Unknown – V.A.T.S. criticals deal between 20% and 200% damage.
- Nuka-Launcher – Launches Nuka Quantum Grenades.
- All Rise – +50 HP.
- Cryptid Jawbone Knife – +50% damage to Cryptids.
These changes should give Fallout 76 players plenty of reasons to revisit older unique items and experiment with new loadouts.
New Seasonal Fish Arrive September 22
Fishing enthusiasts will also have something new to look forward to, with seasonal fish arriving in the Appalachian waterways on September 22.
The autumnal equinox marks the arrival of these new fish, which come with new seasonal food recipes.
Captain Raymond will provide clues to help players locate the new fish, giving wasteland anglers another reason to explore the waterways.
A Huge List of Gameplay Changes and Fixes
Alongside the headline features, The Slasher update includes a long list of improvements across Fallout 76.
Some of the notable changes include:
- Reduced Infestation Boss health.
- New dark fog visuals on the map for active Infestations.
- V.A.T.S. can now target enemies through fences and grates when using basic projectile weapons.
- Legendary item sell values are now standardised based on star rating.
- Legendary Scrip returned from scrapping has been increased.
- Legendary Modules now weigh less in your stash.
- Lone Wanderer now provides damage reduction against all damage types.
- Nocturnal Fortitude, Photosynthetic, Night Person and Solar Powered perks receive changes.
- The Railway Rifle receives increased base ammo capacity, from 10 to 16.
- The Lever Action Rifle’s clip size increases from 5 to 6.
- The Death Tambo receives two new mods.
- A new setting allows players to adjust the scale of other players’ explosion visual effects.
- The Personal Terminal now includes a My Stats section.
The update also includes fixes for weapons, quests, C.A.M.P. items, Daily Ops, UI issues and various crashes.
Fallout 76’s Spooky Season Begins
With native Xbox Series X|S support, a new horror storyline, Legacy Seasons and more freedom over unique weapons, The Slasher is shaping up to be a substantial update for Fallout 76 players.
Whether you’re returning to Appalachia for the new seasonal content, looking to improve your build or simply ready for a darker adventure, there’s plenty to explore.
Fallout 76’s The Slasher update is now available, with seasonal fish arriving September 22.