Fallout 76 will have no NPCs

We already know that Fallout 76 is going to be a very different experience, but new details from Bethesda’s Pete Hines in a GamesIndustry.biz interview confirm just how jarring it could be. One of the most interesting tidbits is the fact that there won’t be a single NPC in the game. 

We already know that Fallout 76 is going to be a very different experience, but new details from Bethesda’s Pete Hines in a GamesIndustry.biz interview confirm just how jarring it could be. One of the most interesting tidbits is the fact that there won’t be a single NPC in the game. 

While this had been alluded to in the past, Hines made it a point to drive this home, explaining how utilizing NPCs in other games is actually a detrimental experience for players. It doesn’t allow for a multitude of interactions with their fellow human players, Hines said. 

“In Destiny, they still have NPCs,” Hines said. “If you want to buy something you don’t go to other players, you can’t go to other players. You go to NPCs and say ‘I wanna buy this, I saved up enough of these things’.”

In a stark contrast, Fallout 76 will feature real-life humans to trade with, so you’ll be buying and selling items from characters backed by a non-robot human-person on the other end.

“Yes, there’s an element of PvP, but it’s not every man for himself and the last one standing wins,” Hines said. “It’s an RPG where you can still do quests and explore the world.”

To that end, quests will actually be unlocked as players uncover items like robots and holotapes. Hines thinks this, in addition to the way the game is set up regarding the lack of NPCs and player interaction, will help bolster the rewarding feelings players tend to have when discovering something they’ve not seen before. That goes for getting to know other players, too. 

“In our previous games, if you’re walking up a hill and there’s an enemy NPC we’ve placed there, there’s a little red thing that shows up on your compass to say ‘that guy’s a bad guy’,” he said. “We cheated for you. You already know. In Fallout 76 you don’t know anything about that person or what their motives are, unless you’ve come across them before.” 

Hines refers to a “system” in place that can help players opt out of scuffles if that’s what they wish, but he didn’t elaborate on what it might be. He’s adamant that other players won’t be able to impede your progress, “steal your shit,” or kill you to make the game harder for you. 

Fallout 76 is coming PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Nov. 14, 2018.