Fallout 76 beta has a release date, and PC and PS4 owners will lag behind

Fun fact: you can probably stress-test a Power Armor, too.

October 23, 2018, might not have been the day the bombs fell, but it is the day Fallout 76 beta – available to those who preordered the game – will launch on Xbox One. A week later, on October 30, it will arrive on PlayStation 4 and PC. Nicknamed Break-It Early Test Application (for Bethesda wants to stress-test their upcoming multiplayer installment of the Fallout series real good, since sometimes, their games don’t just work), the beta is unique. Bethesda explained that instead of letting the servers run 24/7, there will be “targeted timeframes” (adding up to four to eight hours a day) during which “as many people as possible” shall join the game to break it. And then hope that their struggle will help to make it shine on launch.

‘The future is in OUR hands,’ says Bethesda, and then casually brings the game to the breaking point.

To celebrate the unveiling of Fallout 76 beta starting date, Bethesda has also released an official in-game intro. The introductory segment is similar to the those sparking off all previous Fallout games since Fallout 3, and just like them – with the exception of Fallout: New Vegas – will include the player leaving “the safe confines of Vault 76 on Reclamation Day.” Have a look:

Some players have already laid their hands on the beta, but they are under NDA, stress-testing “top secret vaults.” But when October 23 comes around, everybody will be free to talk about it, give all the feedback they want, and stream their bug-filled journeys. Sounds like a go-ahead for beta-reviews, also. Fallout 76 itself will launch on November 14, 2018, on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. That leaves the beta-testers with 22 days (or 15 for PC and PS4 owners) of glitchy fun.