Skyline Valley comes to Fallout 76 today
Since the launch of Fallout 76 in 2018, Bethesda has continually released new content updates to keep its players entertained – similar to ZeniMax’s The Elder Scrolls Online, which will soon add the Gold Road chapter. Skyline Valley is rolling out as Fallout 76’s 52nd content update, and for the first time ever, the map of Appalachia is being expanded, opening up a whole new region in the south.
I was lucky enough to check out Skyline Valley during a recent preview, where I fought a monstrous hermit crab van, explored a haunted house, and met a beautiful group of Ghouls led by Hugo Stoltz. During our preview we were given plenty of freedom to explore Skyline Valley, and as is normal when you give a group of players free rein with powerful characters, many of us headed to the new public event, Dangerous Pastimes, to see what we could do. doing. The event sees you fend off wave after wave of new enemies called the Lost and their massive robot companions while powering a lightning rod. It’s an explosive event, which I may have enjoyed a few times during my session with the game. Chainsawing your way through dozens of electrically charged ghosts is too much fun!
With my chaotic side satiated, it was time to see what Skyline Valley’s new story content had to offer. When you venture to the new southern region, you will immediately notice that the area is an electrified mess. There’s a huge storm in shades of red hanging over the area, and it all starts with the mysterious Vault 63, which has been a long-standing – and inaccessible – location in Fallout 76 for some time now. Now that the door has been blown open, we can now see what’s hiding behind those steel barricades: Ghouls!
My limited time with the game gave me the chance to check out Skyline Valley’s first few quests, which contain a total of 12 main missions. “The quest content here is about the size of Steel Dawn and Steel Reign combined,” Fallout 76 creative director Jonathan Rush told me, so there’s plenty to delve into. In the depths of Vault 63 I met its overseer, Hugo Stoltz, a friendly member of the new electrically charged Ghoul faction, the Lost. It’s worth noting that while Stoltz and his allies don’t mind interacting with you, many of the Lost you meet in Skyline Valley would sooner kill you than enjoy a minute of good conversation. We must work with Stoltz to unravel the mystery behind the Lost, and decide whether to help or betray him.
Of course, with the new update we’re also getting Pioneer Scouts-themed Season 17, so expect to work your way through a battle pass packed with camping treats that fit perfectly with Skyline Valley’s setting. Just looking at a few of the goodies on offer this season, we can mention the new Vintage Camper Survival Tent, an Outdoor Movie Projector, new paints for the T-45 and T-51 Power Armor, a Dissection Kit and more much more.
Looking ahead in Fallout 76
While our preview of Skyline Valley gave us the chance to check out Fallout 76’s latest update, Bethesda also gave us information about some of the other content that will be coming in the near future. If you haven’t seen our post yet, we have a ton of details about the playable Ghouls coming to Fallout 76 in 2025, but there are other exciting things in the works before then.
Bethesda will release its Milepost Zero update this fall, which will be the “origin of new experiences in Skyline Valley,” Rush told us. We are going to help the Blue Ridge Caravan company get their freight-carrying Brahmin safely to their destination. We can work together with other players to protect the caravans from ambushes. “Fun fact: To make the Brahmin go faster, you can even punch him so he starts running,” Rush said.
In return for your help, the Blue Ridge Caravan company will reward you with a customizable Caravan Outpost that you can create yourself, similar to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s housing system, allowing you to upgrade and furnish the Outpost. As you continue your journey with Blue Ridge, you’ll unlock special vendors that sell items unique to them, and unlock new decor for your outpost. You also get Brahmin, and Rush says, “Maybe you can milk them. I’m not sure, but I’m going to say you can milk them.”
During a Q&A, Rush told us that “with every successful caravan run you can build some kind of fame where you can earn your own caravan network, which is what happens in the south of the map. And so this caravan outpost begins. as very minimalist, and as you do more successful caravan runs you unlock additional parts to decorate it, and you unlock specific vendors, special vendors from around the world that only appear inside. So the incentive to continue running the caravan routes is that you can unlock and develop all of this – and your friends can come in and check out your space.
Elsewhere in the fall of this year, Fallout 76 will also be getting the seasonal event Mischief Night to celebrate the spooky season.
After I’ve had a chance to scratch the surface of today’s update, I can’t wait to explore Skyline Valley and Vault 63. The Lost is certainly an interesting new faction – even if they aren’t overly friendly – and I’ll enjoy learning more about their creepy ways, and perhaps learning something ready for next year’s playable Ghouls. Plus, Skyline Valley turns out to be the perfect place to create a camping-style CAMP, which I have yet to do!
Skyline Valley is playable by all Fallout 76 players of all levels, so if you haven’t tried the game yet and are excited to check out the new content, you can dive in and take a look around today. Don’t forget that Fallout 76 is available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, so subscribers can join in at any time.
Check out our growing list of upcoming Game Pass games to see all the exciting experiences on the horizon.