Fallout 76: what it is, when it's out - and why it's dividing opinion

Fallout 76, the latest high-profile game in the highly successful Fallout franchise, has been unveiled by Bethesda Softworks.

As some had predicted, the post-apocalyptic adventure will be an online multiplayer title.

It's fair to say the trailer and announced features, revealed at E3 2018, are causing some controversy. Here's what we know about Fallout 76 so far - and why it's dividing opinion.

What is Fallout 76?

Like previous iterations in the gaming series, Fallout 76 is an open world action-RPG set in a post-apocalyptic America, years after nuclear war devastated the surface.

Unlike other Fallouts, however, in 76 "every surviving human is a real person" - and you can "work together, or not, to survive". Players create their own character and can then team up with each other to contend with the challenges of the world, go it alone, or presumably fight one another for resources and territory.

Base-building will be a key aspect of the game (Photo: Bethesda)

While recent entries have taken place in Washington DC, Boston and Las Vegas, 76 is set in rural West Virginia; a place of wild wilderness, mountains, forests and rivers. It is billed as the largest, most dynamic world yet to grace the franchise, with hundreds of locations and six distinct regions.

Announced gameplay features so far include base-building, crafting and trading, as well as the ability to unlock and use nuclear missiles.

There will be an early access 'BETA' version of the game available to those who pre-order it. You can find details here.

Oh, and the game will also feature giant radioactive sloths.

Why hello there (Photo: Bethesda)

Why is it causing controversy?

The reveal that the game will essentially be a multiplayer experience is dividing Fallout fans.

This is partly because Fallout 76 will be 'always online' - requiring an internet connection at all times to play - and partly because some feel the presence of other human players will dilute and cheapen the classic single-player Fallout experience of story-driven exploration, looting and questing, and interactions with AI non-player characters.

There is also a growing sense that immersive single-player experiences are increasingly rare, with online multiplayer now dominant in mainstream gaming.

Have to admit. Insanely disappointed. Will be the first #Fallout since the original that I shall pass on. Just did not want *any* of this. Don't want online servers. Don't want Multiplayer and don't want more building. I'm sure others will buy, but I say nay. #Fallout76 😔

— Joe Berdecia (@JoeBerdecia) June 11, 2018

Bethesda has made a huge mistake making #Fallout76 an online game, if it wasn't already obvious, the community does not want nor did they ask for this. If Fallout has been a huge success as a single player only game, why mess with the formula. pic.twitter.com/GAG454hobU

— Ryan Selleny (@ThrowMarino13) June 11, 2018

Some have also pointed out that mechanics and gameplay that have become integral to the modern Fallout titles could be impossible when other players are added to the mix, such as the action-pausing VATS system.

Issues with #Fallout76 #E3 pic.twitter.com/z0DgpphBM2

— Cory. (@CoryxKenshin) June 11, 2018

What do Bethesda have to say?

Todd Howard, the game director at Bethesda Game Studios, argues that the chance to share the Fallout or Elder Scrolls experience with other players has been something many have called for in the past.

"We’ve been asked forever to bring multiplayer to one of our worlds. And once we had this idea, we knew it was perfect for Fallout."

Some cannot wait to team up with fellow players. Others are not so sure (Photo: Bethesda)

While it could be argued that it is the option of co-operative multiplayer that appeals rather than a multiplayer focused landscape, othe