It wasn't long ago when Bethesda Games Studios was not only content with, but actually encouraging players to come up with mods for the PC version of Fallout 4. It's understandable Bethesda would be okay with this, especially since they'd eventually make mods available on both Xbox One and PS4 for the single-player post-apocalyptic title. With Fallout 76 however, the idea of mods isn't as well received for a number of reasons.

Mods in the online-centric Fallout 76 are not only forbidden from use in-game, but result in a player's permanent ban from having access to Zenimax Online Services (Zenimax is the parent company of Bethesda). It turns out some users who've been banned are claiming to have not been using mods, but rather were detected for having third-party applications running at the same time as the game, triggering a warning of potential cheating.

Since it appears a number of users may not actually be running mods in-game for Fallout 76, Bethesda has offered a way for those affected to regain access to the online service. A report from Variety claims Bethesda will reverse bans put on players if they submit an essay to the company on 'Why the use of third party cheat software is detrimental to an online gaming community.' The essay will then be reviewed to determine if the respective user can have their account reinstated.

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Given Fallout 76 is an online-only game, coupled with the fact mods have been heavily used and even encouraged in previous games in the series, a portion of the bans being handed out are probably legitimate. However, forcing those who might have been wrongfully accused to be subject to punishment resembling something seen at a grade-school level isn't what anyone wants to be dealing with.

While the chance of righting the wrongs for the mishandled banning of players is a show of sympathy, these problems further add to the pile of issues Fallout 76 has had since launch. Aside from players being given a game which clearly felt rushed and incomplete, more problems surfaced for those who preordered the game's Collector's Edition. It also doesn't help those looking to request refunds and exchanges were at risk of having their personal information compromised also.

While Fallout 76 has gotten off to a rough start, Bethesda appears to remain loyal to the idea of supporting the game for quite a while. Following the company's current plans include fixing major in-game issues, there's still more to look forward to by the time the next console generation likely begins in the near future, with Project Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI being confirmed years down the road. For Bethesda, the future couldn't come any sooner, as the launch of Fallout 76 has been anything but smooth.

Fallout 76 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: Variety