Bethesda is issuing its latest robust patch for Fallout 76, the post-apocalyptic online multiplayer game set in the popular Fallout universe. Patch 5 will be the first patch since Patch 4 several weeks ago, when a fix for item duplication was implemented but ultimately didn't slow down the practice. As such, the January 29 Fallout 76 patch is approaching the issue in a new way that Bethesda hopes will sideswipe item dupers. The patch will roll out throughout the day across all platforms if it isn't already available.

The new item dupe change is just one highlight in Tuesday's Fallout 76 patch. The bulk of it is focused on dozens of bug fixes and balance changes, including improved stability changes and performance improvements. Other highlights include an update to the unique but oft-ignored Hunter/Hunted PvP quest. Players server-wide will now get a message when another player starts the quest, allowing anyone to join and create huge PvP chases and fights. Plans and Recipes the player has learned will also now force duplicate items to have the "(Known)" tag. And Plans and Recipes purchasable at vendors will no longer be randomized, allowing players to hunt down exactly what they're missing as needed.

But again, the one big change in this update is intended to counter item duplication. As Bethesda fixes specific item duplication issues as they come, this new change is meant to have a broader purpose of protecting server stability and preventing extreme item duplication. Players now have a Carry Weight cap, where before there was none. Item dupers could effectively infinitely dupe items into their inventory. Now the cap will sit at 1,500 pounds over a player's current maximum carry weight.

fallout 76 hunter hunted quest start

Beyond those highlights, the patch list is quite literally dozens of items long. Fallout 76's list of known issues is unfortunately ever growing. The full list of patch notes will hopefully help players discover if the issues they're encountering have been solved in this latest update by the Bethesda development team.

Bethesda continues to plow forward addressing Fallout 76 player concerns and iterating on feedback. Issues that the team continues to work on for an upcoming patch include improving Energy Weapons across the board, which many players are understandably frustrated about. There're also fixes coming for dead tamed animals taking up storage, the Class Freak perk altering other perks, and more. Bethesda's efforts to continue improving Fallout 76 are undeniable, even if sometimes it feels like a drop in the bucket to players.

Fallout 76 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.