Fallout 76 accidentally releases 'Steel Dawn' update, decides to officially release early

Fallout 76 Vault
Fallout 76 Vault (Image credit: Bethesda)

What you need to know

  • Fallout 76 is the latest entry in the long-running RPG Fallout franchise, and aimed to shake things up for the series.
  • While the game had a really rough launch, it has strived to improve itself with numerous post-launch updates.
  • The latest update, Steel Dawn, was going to drop next week, bringing the Brotherhood of Steel to Fallout 76.
  • The update was supposed to drop next week, but a happy accident led Bethesda to release the update a week early for everyone.

Fallout 76 has made a lot of improvements since its very shaky launch, and last month the game teased the return of the Brotherhood of Steel with the 'Steel Dawn' update. However, earlier today, an accident at Bethesda led to Fallout 76 players on Xbox downloading the Steel Dawn update, a full week before the update was intended to launch. Because of this, Xbox players were unable to play the game.

After some consideration, Bethesda decided that the update was ready, so instead of reverting it for Xbox players, Steel Dawn is officially rolling out for every platform.

Fallout 76 is going dark for maintenance for approximately six hours (starting at 4 pm ET) to prepare for the update, and when the game comes back online everyone will be able to access the brand-new Steel Dawn content. The update includes a new questline, C.A.M.P. shelters, and a whole lot more that players can discover.

If you've never played Fallout 76, or it's been a long while, it's definitely worth a look to see how the game has changed and improved over time. It's currently included in Xbox Game Pass, but you can also buy the base game at a discount right now. You can check out our Ultimate Fallout 76 Guide for some tips and tricks. If you're already gaming on, or are planning to, a new Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, consider some of the Best Accessories for Xbox Series X|S to upgrade your set-up.

Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.

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