［インタビュー］「現実は正反対。プレイヤーが望むのは互いに助け合うことだった」――「Fallout 76」開発陣が語るコミュニティとの歩み

Online RPG provided by Bethesda Softworks「Fallout 76」（PC / Xbox Series X|S / PS4 / Xbox One) celebrated its 7th anniversary in November 2025.
In December of the same year, a major free update expanded the map westward to the Ohio side.「Burning Springs」is also distributed. This is a crossover with the drama version of “Fallout,” whose second season began at the same time, and is about the bounty hunter.The Ghoul (Cooper Howard)appeared in Appalachia.

This time, we spoke with the creative director who is in charge of the operation and development of “Fallout 76”.Mr. Jonathan Rushproduction directorMr. Bill LacosteI had the opportunity to talk to him. We asked him about the status and outlook of the series, focusing on “Fallout 76,” so please take a look.

*Online interview was conducted on January 28, 2026.

4Gamer：
First of all, congratulations on your 7th anniversary. I’ve been playing Fallout 76 since its launch. Although I’m not a heavy user, I occasionally return to Appalachia to explore the world of Fallout 76.

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
thank you. The community has provided us with a tremendous amount of content and feedback that has helped us improve the game. We truly appreciate your contributions, especially the feedback we receive on a daily basis.

4Gamer：
I think there are a lot of people working on Fallout 76, both in development and management. How many people will there actually be?

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
I can’t reveal exact numbers (lol), but we have a fairly large development team in Austin, and we also work with several outside studios. The Rockville studio also has staff involved in game development.
Well, overall, it can be said that a medium-sized team is working on development.

4Gamer：
Seven years have passed since the service was launched, but have there been any deviations in user trends from what you expected in advance?

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
Bethesda Game Studios had never made a live service game before Fallout 76, and it had always been a single-player game. The current situation is very different from what was expected at the time, and that is because we are attempting something unprecedented.
As the years passed, we also grew as developers. Through great mutual communication with the community, we have deepened our understanding of the players, and we ourselves have become part of the community.
We love playing games, and we love jumping in and experiencing games with other players.

Talking about our predictions, we initially thought that players would end up killing each other.
However, the reality was just the opposite. What the players wanted was to help each other. They had fun just showing off their buildings and collectibles.
The past seven years have been a truly eye-opening experience.

Mr. Bill Lacoste:
Although we cannot reveal the total number of players currently participating, the amount of feedback from the community is always amazing. We receive many messages every day.

4Gamer：
There are communities all over the world, but are there any characteristics or trends among Japanese players?

Mr. Bill Lacoste:
That’s a great question. Actually, I don’t think there is much difference. Everyone seems to be in general agreement about what they want to do.
However, it seems that Japanese fans are especially good at building camps. When we try to recreate what the Japanese people have created in the gaming world, we usually fail miserably. He’s really good at it.

4Gamer：
This is a very interesting story.

Mr. Bill Lacoste:
Whether it’s building camps, solo adventures and story progression, or simply trying to play efficiently and conquer all events, raids, and endgame content, the Japanese approach is consistent.
In many cases, you are looking for “more.” You want to deepen your interactions with friends, you want to fight, or you want to increase the area where you can build camps. I think the community works so well because everything is consistent.

We all agree on “how we want to play this game and where we want to go.” The beauty and differences become apparent in the way content is expressed, such as the character’s attire, the way they behave in the game world, and the architectural style of the camp.
Some people created things such as flame-breathing chainsaws and giant fish, while others built the most gigantic towers imaginable. Seeing them is truly an amazing experience.

A number of camps recommended by Bethesda Game Studios. All of them are spectacular masterpieces.

???? ? camp?

Ginkakuji ????modern wood house?

#Fallout76 #Fallout76camp pic.twitter.com/uEAeFGU5Lo

— Iam howa (@white31864779) June 7, 2023

Hey! Good news for the sushi-loving residents there!
Apparently there is a long-established sushi restaurant in Appalachia!
The owner seems to be the fourth generation!
Sushi lovers should visit!

– From the nearby raider scum –#Fallout76#Fallout76camp#fall out pic.twitter.com/iqsYmYUUjO

— ?Shimo-san (@shimosushi) May 18, 2025

“Appalachian Immigration Plan: Footsteps of Recovery” pic.twitter.com/lYtd7ZHdcE

— −? OBORO ?− (@OBORO_080059) October 4, 2025

4Gamer：
You mentioned feedback earlier. Regardless of whether or not it will be implemented in the future, I would like to know what kind of requests have been received recently.

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
Due to the huge amount of feedback we receive, it is extremely difficult to respond to all of it. When formulating our yearly roadmap, we keep in mind the broader direction of the project. “What do players want?”

For example, when talking about the high-difficulty content “Gleaming Depths” that was implemented at the end of 2024, it’s not like someone wanted a raid called “Gleaming Depths” and a giant snake (editor’s note: final boss).
Players wanted things like, “The Scorchbeast Queen is too weak, so I want the difficulty level to be increased,” “I want the player’s fighting power to be strengthened,” and “I want more challenges.”

We analyzed this feedback to shape elements like raids, prepare for battles against giant snakes, and provide ways for players to strengthen their forces.
Star Legendary equipment is one example. The core of the patterns that players often seek is generally “higher difficulty.” We frequently receive requests for more efficient camp construction and adjustments to existing systems.

4Gamer：
Through such steady work, new entertainment is being provided to Appalachia.

The Ghoul has arrived from the drama!

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
I think it was probably decided through discussions between the two parties, but I can’t say for sure. At the time, most of my attention was focused on Fallout 76.

Years and settings of the “Fallout” series

2077…nuclear war
2102…Fallout 76: Appalachian Mountain Region
2161…Fallout: Southern California
2241…Fallout 2: Southern California
2258…Fallout 3: Around Washington DC
2281…Fallout: New Vegas: Nevada
2287…Fallout 4: Eastern Massachusetts
2296…Drama version of “Fallout”: Northern California to Nevada

4Gamer：
According to an interview with Jonathan Nolan, who serves as the drama’s executive producer and is a deep fan of the Fallout series, planning for the show began around 2018. This coincides with the release of Fallout 76, but was there a crossover plan from the beginning?

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
At that time, there were no such plans. I think we were at the stage where we were trying to figure out what era and region the drama version of the story would be set in, and what kind of story we wanted to create.

4Gamer：
“Burning Springs,” a major free update for “Fallout 76,” has achieved crossover with the drama version.

Mr. Bill Lacoste:
Yes, The Ghoul has arrived in Burning Springs, Ohio. It’s a crossover game in which you work as a bounty hunter to eliminate troublesome people scattered around the world with the help of local residents.

4Gamer：
I think the number of new players has increased since the drama version started. Are there any differences in style between new players and players who have been enjoying the Fallout series for a long time?

Mr. Bill Lacoste:
There isn’t much of a difference, and the reactions seem to be roughly the same.
“Fallout 76” players are roughly divided into three types. The type who is passionate about building camps, and the type who enjoys adventures and single-player games. This type of game focuses on improving characters and equipment by progressing through the main story and side quests.
Players who joined the drama version also follow a similar path while searching for a style.

4Gamer：
Ah, I understand that classification. I fall into the second category. Production for Season 3 of the drama version has been decided, but will crossovers continue in the future?

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
It’s possible. I can’t comment on future projects, but when it comes to Fallout 76, it’s set in the most distant past, so direct crossover opportunities will be limited. There is a huge time gap between the two.
The Ghoul’s appearance made sense because of the mysterious process of “ghoulization.”

Of course, it is also possible to make characters appear by thawing them from a frozen state. Building such connections is a little tricky, though.
However, there is a certain connection that always exists. That our fans can trust that the show will always be great and tell authentic Fallout stories. And the games are great, and you can trust them to tell an authentic Fallout story. This is the most important thing.

4Gamer：
Speaking of ghoulization, ghoulization of player characters was implemented in March of last year. I was very impressed, but I wonder if there was a connection with the drama version.

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
We had been discussing it long before the drama version, but at the time there was no good reason for it in terms of gameplay, so we decided not to implement it. I felt that there was nothing that players could gain from playing as a ghoul that they felt was missing when playing as a human character.
However, as I continued to update the game, I began to understand the player’s style, and realized that “Becoming a ghoul has the advantage of being 100% resistant to radiation, turning wild, and driving you crazy.”

4Gamer：
If this happens, I have high hopes for the implementation of super mutants.

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
That’s exactly one of the requests we get frequently from players. That doesn’t mean it’s not possible. However, the premise is whether or not we can find an appropriate benefit that allows players to do so.
How do we improve the player experience? We have to find an answer that satisfies us.
By the way, I would like to ask you, would you like to become a super mutant in the world of “Fallout 76”?

4Gamer：
Of course, I’d be happy to do that!
Super mutants have been my favorite characters ever since I met Uncle Leo and Fawkes, who don’t attack people, in the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3. It’s hard when you ask about the merits, but there’s always the desire to become a super mutant and roam around in a devastated world.

Mr. Jonathan Rush:
I see, thank you very much (lol).

The future of the “Fallout” series