Bethesda elaborates on Fallout 76's microtransactions and Atoms currency

We've known for a while that Fallout 76's microtransactions will focus on cosmetics and not any pay-to-win nonsense, and Bethesda's Pete Hines has discussed how the game's Atoms currency pays out in Fallout 76 in more detail.

"If you don't want to spend money in the Atomic shop for cosmetic stuff you don't have to. We give you a shitload of Atoms just for playing the game," Hines told Gamespot at PAX Australia. "Folks that want to spend money on whatever the hell it is because they don't have enough Atoms, they can, but it's not, 'I'm now better playing against other players because I spent money.' It's not pay-to-win. And it's not loot crates."

Hines then underlined once again that all of Fallout 76's post-launch DLC will be free. After playing the beta for a few hours, I did feel like I was earning Atoms at a steady clip for completing certain challenges, like killing enemies or crafting certain items. I'm not personally desperate for cosmetics (or photomode emotes, as shown above) in a game I will only ever play in first-person, but maybe when I'm playing with others I'll change my mind. 

Gamestop in Ireland has retail listings for Atoms on console (cheers GamesRadar) that put the price at €10 for 1000, with various 'bonus' Atom amounts depending on how many you buy at once. These could just be placeholder listings, though. 

I left my computer on for most of yesterday to download the Fallout 76 beta because of my bad internet—then I clicked a button last night and the download started again. I briefly thought I'd imagined downloading it to begin with, then I looked on the internet and saw it was an error. Oh well. The real victim here? My electric bill. 

On the plus side, Fallout 76 will get another extended beta later this week to make up for it. 

Samuel Roberts
Former PC Gamer EIC Samuel has been writing about games since he was 18. He's a generalist, because life is surely about playing as many games as possible before you're put in the cold ground.
Latest in Fallout
Ghoul in sunglasses
I'm convinced being a ghoul in Fallout 76 is the best way to vibe in West Virginia, thanks to these powerful perk cards and my new true love: Radiation
Fallout 76 ghoul screenshots
Getting to level 50 in Fallout 76 to become a ghoul actually isn't as daunting as it seems, which is why I created a new character
Scorched person with their hands on their head
Ghoul players in Fallout 76 are starting to place their camps in the most radioactive areas of the map, and regular humans aren't happy: 'I had to inject 30+ radaway into my veins'
Fallout 76 ghoul screenshots
How to become a ghoul in Fallout 76
Ghoul in sunglasses
Some Fallout 76 players have encountered a 'major game-breaking bug' which either makes it impossible to complete the ghoul quest or just makes you temporarily invisible
A ghoul player character standing next to another ghoul
'You are hereby conscripted': Fallout 76 players demand newly-transformed ghoul players help them mine radioactive ore
Latest in News
A Viera looking confused in Final Fantasy 14.
Old armor continues to fall victim to Final Fantasy 14's bizarre two-channel dye system, unless you're super into changing the colour of teeny-tiny eyelets: 'Why even bother at this point?'
Starfield: Shattered Space
By the time Bethesda was on Starfield, you'd 'basically get in trouble' for breaking schedule, says former dev: 'A lot of the great stuff within Skyrim came from having the freedom to do what you want'
Otter AI Meeting Agent
As if your work meetings weren't already fun enough, now Otter has a new all-hearing AI agent that remembers everything anyone has said and can join in the discussion
Monster Hunter Wilds' stockpile master studying a manifest
As layoffs and studio closures continue to deathroll the western AAA industry, analyst points out 5 of 8 major Japanese companies hit all-time share prices this year
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Ogryn
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide adds a psychic horde murderzone mode and makes Ogryns even smashier
A woman wearing a VR headset with dramatic, colourful lighting across the background
'World’s smallest LEDs' could lead to accurately lit screens with 127,000 pixels per inch and much more immersive VR