The Bethesda.net Launcher Is Closing, But Most Saves And Progress Will Be Migrated To Steam

Bethesda has announced it is closing its PC storefront, the Bethesda.net Launcher, later this year. In a blog post, the company thanked fans for their support and assured them they won't lose their games.

Anyone who owns games through the Bethesda.net Launcher can migrate them, along with any funds in their wallet, to Steam beginning in April. Most games will have their saves automatically transferred, too, though some will require manual transfers, and one title is not supported at all, Bethesda said. Additionally, the company clarified that all Bethesda.net accounts will remain accessible.

All games will remain playable through the Bethesda.net Launcher until May, but Bethesda advised players to begin the migration process to Steam in April when it becomes available to do so.

Regarding game progression and save transfers, Bethesda said in most cases this should be very simple and it applies to most games. However, Wolfenstein: Youngblood progression and saves will not carry over to Steam.

"Some saves will automatically transfer, however some will require you to manually copy them to your Steam folder. We will have more information on manually transferring saves soon. At this time, we expect almost all save progress to be transferable automatically or manually with the exception of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which currently is unable to transfer," Bethesda said.

For Fallout 76 specifically, Bethesda said fans don't need to worry about losing anything. "We're taking every precaution to ensure your Fallout 76 characters, progression, Atoms, Season progress, cosmetics, rewards, your friends list, and even the Perfectly Preserved Pies you've been hoarding, make that journey with you," it said. "In addition, your Bethesda.net account will remain accessible on our website, and you will still use it to log into and play Fallout 76."

Bethesda also mentioned that Fallout 1st memberships will remain active after the Steam migration. However, memberships will not automatically renew after the shift to Steam, so players will need to resubscribe, if they want to, via Steam.

You can check out a Fallout 76-specific FAQ on the changes here.

Bethesda further clarified that save and progression transfers only apply to Steam and not other PC stores and that transfers to console platforms are not available.

Bethesda provided no reason for why it is closing the Bethesda.net Launcher.