Renowned Fallout 76 lead designer Eric "Ferret" Baudoin sadly passed away earlier this week, and fans of the post-apocalyptic RPG have been leaving in-game tributes to the beloved developer. Having previously worked as a lead designer and writer on the Dragon Age franchise, Baudoin's first work with Bethesda was as a writer and quest designer on Fallout 4. Baudoin notably served as lead designer of the Fallout 76 update Wastelanders, which is widely credited with saving the title following its infamous launch.While Fallout 76 experienced a very rocky and controversial release, post-launch content helped improve the experience over time. Released in April 2020, the Wastelanders update effectively overhauled the post-apocalyptic RPG and set the foundations for a more successful future. The update added a new in-game currency, the Gold Bullion, which lets players purchase previously removed items without spending real money. The update also added human NPCs to Fallout 76, breathing new life into the Appalachian Wasteland and letting players pick up new quests much more organically. Eric Baudoin's Wastelanders expansion also added faction reputations to Fallout 76, making the game world feel much more dynamic and reactive.Related: Fallout 76: Wastelanders Adds Another New In-Game Currency SystemEric "Ferret" Baudoin died unexpectedly on October 15, and Eurogamer reports that the Fallout 76 community has been mourning his loss by leaving in-game tributes to the talented designer across Appalachia. The Twitter account FalloutForHope shared a photo of one such memorial, which comes in the form of an in-game message reading, "RIP Ferret Baudoin." Other Twitter users and Fallout 76 fans like Johns3n and LaPombe have created similar tributes to celebrate Baudoin's legacy, ensuring that anyone who comes across them takes a minute to appreciate Ferret's contribution to the beloved multiplayer RPG.

The Fallout 76 Community Thanks Ferret Baudoin

Considering Ferret Baudoin was working on Bethesda's futuristic sci-fi RPG at the time of his passing, it seems likely that the new dialogue system in Starfield may be inspired by his work on Fallout 76: Wastelanders. Baudoin was serving as a senior designer on Starfield, which is shaping up to be Bethesda's most ambitious project to date. The title will reportedly include nearly 253,000 lines of spoken dialogue, and it will serve as a spectacular return to form compared to recent titles. In conversation players will simply select a response from a list of options, and the lack of a voiced protagonist means there can be a nearly limitless number of lines to choose from.

Ferret Baudoin played a key role in crafting beloved franchises like Fallout and Dragon Age, and he will be sorely missed by both fans and family. As a writer and designer, Baudoin created stories and fantasy worlds that have touched the lives of countless people around the world. By leaving in-game tributes to the late designer, Fallout 76 fans have made him an eternal resident in the very world he helped forge.

Next: Starfield Teases The Return Of A Surprising Bethesda Character

Sources: Eurogamer, FalloutForHope/Twitter, Johns3n/Twitter, LaPombe/Twitter