This weekend at QuakeCon 2018, Bethesda took to a Q&A panel to discuss some of the mechanics of Fallout 76. One of those mechanics was a deeper look at the perks system of the game and the card-based, loot-box mechanic that will factor into the way that players build-out their characters.
While it appears that the industry has started to move away from these mechanics as a whole, Bethesda’s use of a card pack system that factors into progression has already gotten people wondering whether these perk cards will be available for purchase via microtransactions.
You just get them when you level up.
Apparently this does not appear to be the case. Bethesda’s Pete Hines recently explained on Twitter that Perk Cards in Fallout 76 will be doled out when you level up, this was also echoed by the Fallout Twitter account.
In response to a direct question about whether Perk Cards would be available for purchase in Fallout 76, Hines says, “You just get them when you level up.”
It’s unfortunate that Bethesda has to defend this gameplay mechanic out of the gate, but after 2017 and the year of loot boxes it’s also understandable that those interested in Fallout 76 are concerned.
Outside of this quickly diffused controversy, the actual Perk Card system looks like a cool evolution of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character customizer.  As was explained during the convention, these Perk Cards will allow players to really personalize their characters in the world by experimenting with different perk cards that they unlock as they progress.
The actual implementation of the system may still rub people the wrong way, however. The takeaway from the Fallout Q&A was that these card packs would indeed include random cards in them. At the onset of the game they’ll be doled out every two levels, and then every five levels later down the line. Howard explained different use-case scenarios for different cards and how they could encourage players to try different character builds.
Fallout 76 is slated for release on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 14th, 2018.
