Fallout 76 Will Let You Open A Shop

Fallout 76 had a tumultuous launch, but Bethesda has been consistently sharing plans to continue improving and iterating on the game well into the future. An update that outlines some planned features includes one big change: the ability to open up your own shops.

In a blog update to celebrate the new year, the studio promises bug fixes upcoming, and then briefly goes over some long-term feature plans. Those include a new PvP mode, new quests, and new Vaults opening, but the biggest feature is mentioned with just two words: Player Vending. That suggests that players will be able to open their own shops and sell unwanted loot, likely for in-game currency.

That would be a shot in the arm to the in-game economy. It would also give players some more non-combat interactions, bringing it that much closer to the community-building aspect that is core to the concept of repopulating the earth. A similar blog post at the end of last year detailed some upcoming plans, including a new mode without PvP restrictions in place.

Bethesda's commitment to keep development going comes amid heavy criticism and a surprising list of issues both inside the game and surrounding its promotion. It received heavy criticism for its canvas bags with the limited edition, which then gave way to a personal data leak. And that all came alongside an investigation into a PC refund policy and a generally negative critical reception. It currently stands at around 52 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

"Bethesda has stated it intends to continue supporting the game for a long time, but at launch, Fallout 76 is a poor experience," critic Edmond Tran wrote in GameSpot's review. "There are echoes of the series' admirable qualities, but look past that facade, past the cute Vault Boy animations, past the familiar radio tracks, and you'll find no heart--just an inconsequential wasteland doomed to be nuked over and over again."