With players still left in the dark about Bethesda's upcoming Fallout 76, new leaks suggest two possible launch dates in July. Instead of a Fallout 3 remaster or a long-awaited Fallout: New Vegas 2, Fallout 76 was a surprise announcement following Bethesda's tease of something new.
A first-look trailer didn't give much away as it focused on the inhabitants of Vault 76 and Vault-Tec's plans to repopulate the Earth following nuclear war. Fans have been poring over the trailer ever since and have so far deduced that 76 will be a prequel to the main series as the earliest Fallout game to date. Little else is known about the mysterious title, but the latest reports could at least give fans a release date.
Related: What We Know About Fallout 76 So Far
Gamers can barely move for potential leaks ahead of E3 and even Bethesda's usually top secret projects are fair game for spoiler hounds. Instead of just one rumor for Fallout 76's release, there are two different dates that fail to corroborate with each other. The first was posted on Restera and features a blurred photo with the tagline "Rebuild the Wasteland" and a July 31 release date. Considering that 76 is rumored to be an online multiplayer with a focus on crafting, and that Vault 76's original purpose was to rebuild, there is every chance this is legitimate. Elsewhere, a Reddit post uses similar marketing material (and a clearer image) but gives Fallout 76 a July 6 release.
While both dates should be taken with a pinch of salt, they also offer some interesting possibilities. Although both releases could be fake, the July 31 timeframe matches up with what was leaked on a recent Amazon listing. Considering the game's merchandise is expected for release at the end of June, a month's leeway sounds about right. As for July 6, there is every possibility that this could be a general release on the likes of PC, Ps4, and Xbox, followed by a Nintendo Switch release later that month. Bethesda has already shown its commitment to Nintendo with its upcoming port of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus for the Switch on June 29.
Gamers are tipping Fallout 76 for a big E3 announcement, so it is great news if the wait until release just got shorter. Either way, reveal trailers, a possible look at gameplay, and a solid release date are all expected at the expo. Whatever Fallout 76 has up its sleeve, it looks to be a spinoff from what Interplay Entertainment started the franchise with back in 1997. Find out more during Bethesda's E3 presentation on June 10 at 6PM PDT.