Fallout 76 Not Coming to Steam

August 7, 2018

Fallout 76

Bethesda have confirmed today that both the Fallout 76’s B.E.T.A (Break Early Test Application) and final release will not be available or sold through Steam, with Bethesda’s own FAQ further implying that the PC release will only be available through their own Bethesda.net client for the PC.

In an email to PC Gamer, a Bethesda representative stated that:
[quote]”The PC version of Fallout 76, for both the B.E.T.A. and the launch, will be available only via Bethesda.net, not on Steam.”[/quote]

Bethesda.net is an in-house distribution website and application that’s been available for some time now as a way to buy Bethesda’s back catalog of games and creation club mods for some games. However at the time of writing there is little in the way of a social platform included within Bethesda.net, which has been a key part of Fallout 76’s marketing to date.

Reaction to the confirmation has been mixed online, with many expressing concerns around the length of the B.E.T.A program only being 1 month, and the availability of refunds. The latter being an issue for the Steam platform with a $3 million fine issued in 2016 for refusing refunds on games sold through its platform.