Fallout 76's Recent Controversy Makes the Case for More Un-Nukable Areas
Ahead of Fallout 76's new playable Ghoul character officially releasing in March 2025, this upcoming feature is currently available to playtest on Fallout 76's Public Test Server. While the new Ghoul builds are already shaping up to be quite powerful, players should beware that Fallout 76's playable Ghoul character won't be compatible with the existing meta builds, potentially requiring players to reinvest in a completely new set of armor, weapons, and Perk Cards.
The current meta for endgame builds in Fallout 76 is Bloodied-Unyielding for offense, and Overeater's for defense. However, because Ghouls are immune to Radiation and they also don't have to manage their hunger and thirst, these existing meta builds generally won't be viable for players who transform their character into a Ghoul when this update officially releases.
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Fallout 76's Playable Ghoul Isn't Compatible with the Existing Endgame Meta Builds
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Fallout 76's Ghoul's Radiation Immunity Means Bloodied-Unyielding and Bolstering Builds Aren't Viable
With the Legendary Bloodied weapon meta builds in Fallout 76, players can sacrifice their health to significantly increase their damage output with any weapon. Low-health Bloodied builds can also take advantage of Legendary Unyielding armor, which increases all of the player's SPECIAL attributes except for Endurance by up to a total of twelve additional SPECIAL when equipped on all five armor pieces.
Because there are a variety of ways to receive passive healing, the most consistent way to stay at low health for a Bloodied-Unyielding build in Fallout 76 is to take Radiation damage since this is much less likely to be healed by an unwanted, passive source. However, the new Ghoul playable character coming to Fallout 76 is not only immune to Radiation, but Radiation also heals them. Consequently, a low-health Ghoul build will be highly impractical, making Bloodied-Unyielding builds incompatible with Ghouls. This also means that Ghouls won't be able to benefit much from Bolstering legendary armor, since this also requires players to be at low health to take effect.
Ghouls Don't Have Hunger and Thirst to Utilize Overeater's Builds
While Bloodied-Unyielding is considered the meta for offensive builds in Fallout 76, Overeater's armor is generally considered the meta for defensive-focused builds. Unfortunately, though, Overeater's builds may not be compatible with Ghouls either, since the Ghoul's hunger and thirst are replaced by the new Feral mechanic, and Overeater's relies on players having full hunger and thirst.
Ghouls can currently utilize Overeater's builds in Fallout 76's Public Test Server, though the Public Test Server isn't always an exact representation of future updates. Consequently, this may not be the case when the Ghoul officially arrives in Fallout 76's Season 20 update coming in March 2025.
Fallout 76's Public Test Server is available free for players who own the game on Steam.
Fallout 76's Ghouls Aren't Compatible with Junkie's Builds
Although it's often considered off-meta, another build that will be off-limits for Fallout 76's playable Ghoul character is Junkie's. This one-star Legendary weapon mod in Fallout 76 buffs players' weapon damage based on how many addictions they have, except Ghouls are completely immune to addictions. This isn't all bad though, considering that Ghoul players can frequently use damage buffs provided by chems without risking addictions.
Fallout 76's Ghoul Character Is a Separate Meta
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Admittedly, the new buildcrafting tools that are exclusively available for Ghouls are quite powerful, especially for melee builds in Fallout 76. However, players who are using an existing meta build should beware that transforming into a Ghoul won't provide an immediate upgrade without requiring some major adjustments.
While the playable Ghoul character is likely to undergo several changes before it officially arrives in the game in March 2025, the Ghoul is expected to be incompatible with the majority of meta builds in Fallout 76. In the meantime of this update arriving, players can participate in the Public Test Server to provide feedback on the Ghoul playable character and other upcoming features.
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Fallout 76
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers -- chosen from the nation's best and brightest - emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland's greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley - a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type - The Lost.
Action
RPG
Systems
OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Rating: 54/100 Critics Recommend: 8%
Franchise Fallout
Platform(s) PC , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One
Released November 14, 2018
Developer(s) Bethesda
Publisher(s) Bethesda
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Engine Creation
ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
How Long To Beat 34 Hours
Steam Deck Compatibility yes
X|S Optimized No
PS Plus Availability Extra & Premium
File Size Xbox Series 97 GB (May 2024)
OpenCritic Rating Weak
Cross Save no
Cross-Platform Play no
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