Fallout 76 Season 20 introduces a thrilling new feature: players can now transform into Ghouls in the radiation-filled wasteland of Appalachia. This update, titled "The Ghoul Within," is now live and brings a host of ghoul-related features, mechanics, and new cosmetics to enhance players' C.A.M.P. experiences.
Unleash the Ghoul Within
Bethesda announced on March 18 that players can now embark on the "Leap of Faith" questline to undergo Ghoulification, a new transformation process that unlocks a fresh area in the Savage Divide. This journey introduces players to new characters who assist in the transformation. As a Ghoul, players gain access to unique abilities such as Glow and Feral, along with 30 new Ghoul-exclusive Perks, known as "Gherks."
The Feral ability replaces traditional hunger and thirst mechanics with a Feral meter. Depending on the meter's level, players receive different boosts. However, if the meter drops to 0%, gameplay changes dramatically: "+150% Melee Damage, and lose -5 Endurance, -99 Charisma, -30 Max HP, -20 Max AP, -300% Hip-fire Gun Accuracy & V.A.T.S. Accuracy."
The Glow ability allows players to consume radiation, granting immunity to diseases and mutations, and even causes the player to emit a glow. This ability boosts maximum health, heals damage, and enhances the effectiveness of Gherks.
Players can choose from 28 Gherks and two new legendary perks specifically designed for Ghouls. Note that certain perks related to Hunger, Thirst, and Chem Resistance are not available to Ghouls, as these are not relevant to their new condition.
A Day In The Life of A Ghoul
Exploring the radiation-infested wasteland as a Ghoul is made easier with the new abilities and Gherks. However, factions like the Brotherhood of Steel may become hostile towards Ghouls, potentially locking players out of some questlines. To navigate around this, players can acquire disguises from a new NPC named Jaye, allowing them to access content restricted to Ghouls. If the Ghoul lifestyle doesn't suit a player, they can revert to being human via the Character Screen, though this is irreversible without purchasing the Ghoul Retransformation for 1000 Atoms.
Level 50 Character Boost and Season 20 Patch Notes
New and veteran players alike can now accelerate their journey with the Level 50 Character Boost, available for 1500 Atoms. This boost helps players dive into multiplayer features such as Daily Ops, Public Events, and select story content more quickly.
The Season 20 update also includes various bug fixes, balance adjustments, accessibility improvements, combat tweaks, and weapon damage changes. Bethesda has also teased the upcoming "The Big Bloom" update, set for April 29, as part of their season calendar.
Since its launch in November 2018, Fallout 76 has overcome initial challenges and now boasts a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam, with 76% of reviews being positive. The game is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
