Bethesda Closes January by Making Fallout 76 Free to Play

2 weeks ago 4

Bethesda Closes January by Making Fallout 76 Free to Play

Published Jan 28, 2026, 4:32 PM EST

Covering the video games industry since 2017, with experience in news, articles, lists, and reviews (and I blame The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for that).

If you are a fan of RPGs and want a third-person version: Tayná Garcia is a Brazilian journalist (but you can call her Tay) who ended up working with video games after finishing Zelda: Majora's Mask when she was a kid. With more than eight years of experience in the segment, she has been an assistant editor at Jovem Nerd in the past and is currently a contributor at DualShockers and a writer for gaming magazines for Editora Europa. Oh, and she may like Hideo Kojima a bit too much.

It seems that Bethesda wants to take advantage of the fact that Prime Video’s live-action adaptation of Fallout got everyone hyped for the franchise once again with its Season 2, and decided to invite new players into the wasteland with a special treat.

That’s because you can literally jump into the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 76 entirely for free right now for a limited time, making this the perfect opportunity to see how the game has evolved over the years without spending a dime.

Every Fallout Game Ranked By Story

Every Fallout game has its own unique story, but some stories are better than others.

And here’s everything you need to know so you don't miss out on the action!

Surviving Appalachia for Free with Bethesda’s Special Treat

Starting this Wednesday, Fallout 76 – the franchise's dedicated online multiplayer experience – is completely free to play on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam) for a full week.

If you are interested, all you have to do to participate is simply head over to the official free play event page (at this link, you can thank me later) and choose your preferred platform.

Oh, you can also find this limited trial version on the digital storefronts of each platform, if you prefer.

Surviving Appalachia for Free with Bethesdas Special Treat 2

If you decide to buy the full game after the trial ends, all of your progress will carry over, so your hard work in the wasteland won't go to waste.

Just keep an eye on the clock, though, as the free trial period ends slightly earlier for PlayStation users. While the event runs from January 28 to February 5 on Xbox and PC, the PS4 version will only be available until February 4.

You can literally jump into the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 76 entirely for free right now for a limited time

Bethesda didn’t explicitly state the reason for the sudden generosity, but a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) shows the team is more than excited to welcome new Vault Dwellers.

“Download and play Fallout 76 for free on all platforms until February 4!”, the post reads, accompanied by some developer tips like “say hello to the Ghoul and take on some bounties,” “go fishing in watering holes around Appalachia,” and “build a C.A.M.P. in the irradiated deserts of Ohio.”

This move aligns perfectly with recent comments from creative director Jonathan Rush, by the way. In an interview with Radio Times Gaming, he revealed that the team “saw a huge spike” in the Fallout 76 player count recently. It seems the studio is eager to keep that momentum going and win over even more fans.