In the months immediately preceding the launch of Fallout 76, Bethesda revealed that the PC version of the title would not be available through Steam. Indeed, fans looking to play Fallout 76 on PC up to this point have been required to do so through the Bethesda.net launcher, but that is about to change, and the date that the game will release on Valve's extremely-popular digital distribution platform has now been confirmed.

More specifically, Fallout 76 will be available on Steam beginning April 7, 2020, just over 16 months after the game's initial launch. This Steam release date coincides with the launch of the massive Fallout 76 Wastelanders update, which will bring NPCs to the game's post-apocalyptic West Virginia, and perhaps this confluence of events will be enough to restore interest in this troubled multiplayer title.

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To note, fans using Steam will be able to play Fallout 76 with those using the Bethesda.net launcher, but there are some details that players thinking about switching between platforms should be mindful of. Namely, a player's Atoms and Fallout 1st membership balance cannot be transferred between Bethesda.net and Steam, and any Atoms that a player earns are thus tied to the platform that they are earned on.

fallout 76 wastelanders logo with power armor

That said, Bethesda has confirmed that any items a player purchases through Fallout 76's Atomic Shop will be shared across Steam and the Bethesda.net launcher. This means that fans that are looking to switch platforms have the option of turning their Atoms into items, and while that might not be the ideal solution in every scenario, it at least means that players do not have to completely abandon the Atoms that they have earned.

Bethesda has also emphasized that players that already own Fallout 76 through its official launcher will not get free access to the title on Steam. Instead, they will need to purchase Fallout 76 again, and this coupled with the aforementioned issues with Atom and Fallout 1st membership transfers may be enough to keep current players from switching platforms. Even still, the addition of Fallout 76 to Steam is almost guaranteed to increase the title's playerbase, and that is something that will benefit almost everyone.

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

MORE: Will NPCs be the Game Changer Fallout 76 Needs?

Source: Bethesda