Fallout 76 Skyline Valley update release date: Bethesda reveals game's expanded map

Fallout 76

Fallout 76 is about to get a whole lot bigger with the upcoming release of the Skyline Valley update.

The five-year-old game, which plumps you in a vast, plague-ravaged American hinterland stalked by feral mutants, now has more players than ever off the back of Amazon’s hit Fallout TV show.

If you’re among the new vault dwellers to enter the wasteland, Bethesda is about to give you an entirely new region to explore. Here’s what you need to know about the Fallout 76 Skyline Valley update.

What is Fallout 76 Skyline Valley?

Skyline Valley is set to be one of the biggest updates to Fallout 76, a game where players explore a post-apocalyptic version of West Virginia, known as Appalachia, either solo or together.

In the past, players have been able to venture beyond the wasteland by participating in game modes known as Expeditions, which have been set in Pittsburgh and Atlantic City. But Skyline Valley promises something more meatier by introducing a permanent new area to the map.

Located to the south, and inspired by the rolling hills of the real-life Shenandoah, the new zone lies beneath a menacing red sky that’s prone to violent lightning storms. Here, you’ll find the mysterious Vault 63, home to electric ghouls, whose Overseer you can either befriend or betray. Along the way, you’ll get into bruising scraps with gigantic robotic brains and, um, fearsome turkeys (who look too minging to eat, even for a malnourished survivor).

In addition, the update comes with a couple of new public events. In Dangerous Pastimes, players chase down storms to harness their energy for a giant lightning rod. While Neurological Warfare is a massive battle against those aforementioned evil iron giants.

For the entire list of additions and improvements, check out the update notes here.

When is the Fallout 76 Skyline Valley update coming out?

Skyline Valley is due in June on PC and consoles, with the exact release date to be confirmed.

After teasing the update last year, Bethesda made it official in March and ran a public test on Steam throughout April.

During the preview, PC players were able to build bases (known as C.A.M.P.S.) and take part in the Dangerous Pastimes event.

Players who have tried out the update have said that the main questline takes between three to five hours to complete.

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