It would be generous to say that the past few months have been frustrating for both Bethesda and its fans. Fallout 76's quality has majorly disappointed players, fans who bought its Collector's Edition were tricked by a bait-and-switch, and then Bethesda offered those same fans outright laughable compensation. Now that fans have had time to consider the offer, they are beginning to realize that accepting Bethesda's compensation may very well void any further recourse.
Shortly after Bethesda offered in-game currency to fans who bought the Collector's Edition, Reddit erupted in a spew of enraged fans. Feeling that they have been cheated, fans who were expecting to receive a canvas bag rather than a cheap nylon bag began rallying together on Reddit. Unhappy with the 500 atom compensation offer (roughly $5 in USD), these Reddit users are now urging others to ignore Bethesda's offer in pursuit of proper compensation. One upvoted Reddit user has begun spreading the word that "by accepting their compensation, you essentially waive the right to seek further compensation." This statement is echoed throughout the Fallout subreddit, along with a large, but unsurprising amount of furious posts aimed at Bethesda.
Although this is not the first time a developer has been under fire for misrepresentation, Bethesda will definitely feel the repercussions from this. Legally, it may be in trouble. Reddit user, Congressbeta, claims that law firms are evaluating the situation and may file class action lawsuits. While this has not been confirmed, the number of gamers that support and/or were tricked by the bait-and-switch suggests that some form of legal action will be taken against Bethesda sooner or later. It certainly does not help Bethesda's case that many gamers had already felt cheated by Fallout 76's lack of quality. Numerous fans believed the $60 price tag for it is utterly ridiculous, saying that it should be in early access with a marked down price.
Regardless of whether Fallout 76 should be in early access or not, its disappointing launch forced Bethesda to address the state of Fallout 76, in which it admitted to approaching Fallout 76's issues all wrong. Bethesda has definitely taken a hit with the release of Fallout 76, and that will play a huge role in the future of the Fallout franchise. Although many Fallout fans dreaded the idea of an MMO, it is more than safe to assume that the next game in the franchise will be single-player focused.
Fallout 76 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.