Fallout 76 is free on Steam for those who own the PC version, but you have to claim it quickly

You goin’ back?

More than a year and a half after Fallout 76 first launched, it’s coming to Steam. Alongside the Wastelanders update on April 14 (we’re finally getting NPCs), Bethesda is expanding beyond its proprietary launcher and setting up shop on Steam too.

Bethesda announced today that anyone who already bought the game through Bethesda.net will be able to get Fallout 76 free on Steam. No additional purchase is necessary. You just need to link your Bethesda.net account and your Steam account here. Once that’s done, you should receive your game entitlement automatically when Fallout 76 hits Steam on April 14.

However, it’s not an offer that lasts forever. You can’t dillydally and dawdle, putting it off for weeks while thinking “I’ll get around to that eventually.” You have to link accounts before 11:59pm eastern on April 12. Once the clock strikes midnight, the offer turns into a pumpkin.

There are caveats and limitations. Most important, while progress will carry over between the two platforms, microtransaction currency is restricted to where it was purchased. So, Atoms balance won’t transfer, although items that were bought with Atoms will transfer. Further, anyone who paid $100 per year for private server access as part of Fallout 1st (the ill-received membership service Bethesda rolled out last fall) won’t be able to bring that with them to Steam.

Perhaps the option of playing on Steam coupled with NPCs/dialogue choices/a reputation system will be enough to convince some people to roam the wasteland of West Virginia. Although, plenty more people are permanently turned off to Fallout 76 precisely because of its reputation. Fallout 76 may have started feeling like a Fallout game far too late.

Fallout 76 — Special Steam Offers [Bethesda]