Playable Ghouls Set to Arrive in Fallout 76

Fallout 76’s radioactive landscape is about to get even more enjoyable. Scheduled for release in early 2025, a significant update will introduce the option to play as Ghouls. This addition caters to fans requesting the ability to embrace the post-apocalyptic mutation for a while. 

Exploring the wasteland as a Ghoul could offer a fresh perspective on familiar quests and locations while presenting new challenges and opportunities based on the Ghoul’s physiology and lore.

(This focuses on the player experience, the timing of the update, and the potential impact on gameplay and story.)

A significant update arriving in early 2025 will introduce the long-awaited option to play as Ghouls. 

This free update unlocks the Ghoul character option through a new questline accessible at level 50. While aesthetics may take a hit (certain factions might be more suspicious), Ghouls gain a unique edge – the ability to utilize the wasteland’s radiation to their advantage.

The Ghoul character is fully customizable, allowing players to tailor their appearance and select from specialized Ghoul-specific perk cards. This addition significantly departs from the existing character system, offering a fresh gameplay experience. 

The timing couldn’t be better, with fans still buzzing about the recent Fallout TV show and its compelling Ghoul character, Cooper, played by Walton Goggins.

At a recent preview event in London, I had the chance to experience playing as a Ghoul in Fallout 76 and chat with lead producer Bill LaCoste.  

Naturally, I was curious if the Ghoul addition’s timing was strategic, aligning with the popularity of the Fallout TV show’s Ghoul character, Cooper, played by Walton Goggins.

 “It’s more of a happy coincidence,” LaCoste explained.  “We knew the TV show would feature Cooper, and given Walton Goggins’ portrayal and the nature of Ghouls, we anticipated his popularity. However, the Ghoul character concept in Fallout 76 has been developing for some time now.”

“But we had plans, even before that, to play as a Ghoul. So I would say that it’s very coincidental that the popularity of Cooper and our ideas to want to play as a goal happened around the same time. So we were already thinking about wanting to do this and, again, Cooper’s popularity has just made this an amazing feature at this point.”

While the ability to play as Ghouls arrives in early 2025, this week brings the highly anticipated “Skyline Valley” update. This massive expansion marks the first-ever map extension for Fallout 76 and introduces a wealth of new content.  

Expect a fresh batch of quests, features, and a revitalized wasteland to explore.  For a deeper dive into Skyline Valley and the overall status of Fallout 76, be sure to check out the upcoming interview with lead producer Bill Lacoste, launching alongside the update on June 12th.

You’re covered whether you prefer PC, Xbox One, or PlayStation 4.  For those adventuring on next-gen consoles, Fallout 76 is playable via backward compatibility on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.  

So dive in and explore the vast wasteland before the expansive “Skyline Valley” update arrives later this week!