Fallout 76 Pre-Beta Stress Test Has Begun

Ahead of the full game's release date in November, Bethesda will host a Fallout 76 beta later this month. The first leg of this will begin on October 23 for Xbox One, but some fans will have a chance to try it out even sooner than that. Bethesda has announced that before the beta launches, some Xbox Insiders will be able to take part in a limited stress test starting this weekend to help the studio prepare for the beta launch.

Participants for the stress test will be chosen from a pool of players who have both pre-ordered Fallout 76 for Xbox One, and who are also members of the Xbox Insider program. Fulfilling those two criteria doesn't guarantee you a spot, but it does put you in the running. Starting on Saturday, October 13, you can check if you've been given access to the stress test by looking at the Insider Content tab of the Xbox Insider program.

This all comes with a few caveats. This is for North American players only, and you'll need to be an Xbox Live Gold member as well since it's an online game. Participants will be under an NDA, and your progress in the stress test won't be saved. The beta version set to launch later this month is an entirely separate application. You also can't earn any Achievements.

If those sound like deal-breakers, and you've pre-ordered the game anyway, you may be better off waiting for the full beta. It will start on October 23 on Xbox One and follow on PC and PS4 a week later on October 30. Even if you've pre-ordered the game, though, you may not necessarily get into the test the moment it starts. Bethesda is planning to send invites out in waves, with a relatively small number invited to begin. You can read more details about how and when it will roll out in our beta guide.

The Xbox Insider program is a free option for Xbox One owners that gets you into some early software tests for upcoming firmware, to offer feedback. You can find more instructions through the official site.