Fallout 76 is getting much weirder — and more interesting — in 2022

polygon.com:

Bethesda has gone through the long process of fixing up Fallout 76, taking its bug-ridden and deeply flawed roots and turning it into an interesting, experimental online take on the Fallout franchise. In 2022, the game will be receiving a series of four free updates: Invaders From Beyond, a series of public events and random encounters starring alien invaders; Test Your Metal, a series of arena fight events against combat automatons;Expeditions: The Pitt, the players’ first trip out of Appalachia; and Nuka World on Tour in the summer.

Tuesday, a new update for Fallout 76 went live, introducing Invaders From Beyond, season 8, the ability to earn seasonal rewards in Fallout Worlds, and new Custom Worlds settings that are fantastic for builders. It’s a strong start to the roadmap, and the game has finally figured out how to deliver upon the best parts of its post-apocalyptic fantasy.

“Within Appalachia, a big emphasis this year is renewing and reinvigorating our public events,” said Fallout 76 design director Mark Tucker in a call with Polygon. “We’ve been listening to the feedback loud and clear that they want more public events, so we’ve made a concerted effort this year to really focus on providing that kind of content to our players.”

This first event is admittedly experimental, with the alien invasion of earth. The aliens have been a part of the Fallout franchise since the very first games, where they showed up as an easter egg in both Fallout 1 and 2. They play a slightly more prominent role in Bethesda’s Fallout titles, but this is their biggest stage yet.

“We’ve been batting around an idea like [Invaders from Beyond] since before we ever launched. It’s popped up in a lot of our brainstorms along the way when we