Bethesda posts a message for fans on the eve of the Fallout 76 beta

The Fallout 76 beta begins tomorrow, October 23, and many players are going into it hoping to answer the question that's been bugging them ever since Fallout 76 was initially announced: what is this game? Bethesda pondered that same question in a statement posted to Twitter earlier today. The studio also discussed its buggy reputation and its long-term plans for Fallout 76. 

"'Will people want this from Fallout? Will they want it from us? How the hell are we going to make this? And what, exactly, is this?'" Bethesda said. "Our worlds, whether it be Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or the coming Starfield, are important places to us. We know they mean just as much to you ... and that with Fallout 76, you too are left wondering, 'What, exactly, is this?' And the answer to that question, more than any game we've ever made, is 'that's up to you.'"

Now, it's no grand secret that Fallout and Elder Scrolls games are, historically, buggier than a bug buggin' about in a Volkswagen bug. Bethesda warned players that Fallout 76's impending beta will inevitably feature some "spectacular" bugs and performance issues of its own, and the studio says it's eager to squash them and improve the game - with your help. 

"Usually after years of development, we finally finish, release the game, and take a break," Bethesda said. "With 76, we feel we have not finished, but reached a starting line where all new work begins. We all know with the scale of our games, and the systems we let you use, that unforeseen bugs and issues always come up ... we need your help finding them, and advice on what's important to fix. We'll address all of it, now and after launch ... this is just the start."  

Fallout 76 wouldn't be a Bethesda game without some bugs, frankly, but here's hoping the worst of them are fixed before launch. 

We also went into our hands-on session with Fallout 76 wondering what, exactly, it is, and we left hungry for more. Here's everything we saw and learned.