Fallout 76 Ghoul Update Arrives

Fallout 76's 20th season introduces a radical new transformation: players can now become Ghouls in the radiation-choked wasteland. Discover all the new Ghoul-themed features, mechanics, and the fresh level 50 character boost to accelerate your adventure.

Fallout 76 Season 20 is Live

Unleash the Ghoul Within

The latest update for Fallout 76 allows survivors to roam the Appalachian wilds as a Ghoul. Bethesda announced on March 18 that Season 20, named "The Ghoul Within," is now available. This release introduces a range of Ghoul-inspired gameplay elements, systems, and cosmetic items to customize your C.A.M.P.

A key addition is Ghoulification, a transformation unlocked by completing the "Leap of Faith" quest chain. This journey guides you to a previously unexplored area of the Savage Divide, where new characters assist in your metamorphosis. As a Ghoul, you gain unique abilities called Glow and Feral, plus access to 30 exclusive Ghoul Perks.

The Feral ability replaces traditional hunger and thirst mechanics. Instead, it provides various stat bonuses based on your Feral meter's level. Letting the meter drop to zero, however, introduces drastic changes: you gain a 150% boost to melee damage but suffer penalties including -5 Endurance, -99 Charisma, -30 Max HP, -20 Max AP, and -300% Hip-fire and V.A.T.S. accuracy.

The Glow ability, meanwhile, lets you feed on radiation. It grants immunity to diseases and mutations, causes your character to literally glow, increases your maximum health, and gradually heals damage. This ability also interacts with Ghoul-only Perks, nicknamed "Gherks" by Bethesda.

Ghouls can select from 28 standard Perks and 2 new legendary Perks. Note that Perks related to Hunger, Thirst, and Chem Resistance become unavailable, as Ghouls no longer benefit from their effects.

A Day In The Life of A Ghoul

Embracing the Ghoul life makes navigating irradiated zones much easier, thanks to your new abilities and Gherks. However, factions like the Brotherhood of Steel are hostile to Ghouls, which may lock you out of certain quests.

Thankfully, a new NPC named Jaye provides disguises that let you bypass these restrictions and access content otherwise blocked for Ghouls. If the Ghoul lifestyle isn't for you, you can revert to human form via the Character Screen. Be warned: this is a one-way process. You cannot replay the "Leap of Faith" questline to become a Ghoul again. Instead, a Ghoul Retransformation can be purchased on the Character Screen for 1000 Atoms.

Level 50 Character Boost and Season 20 Patch Notes

New arrivals and seasoned Appalachians alike can fast-track their progress with the new Level 50 Character Boost. Part of the Season 20 update, this boost costs 1500 Atoms and provides a suite of benefits, allowing players to immediately engage with multiplayer features like Daily Ops, Public Events, and select story content.

The patch also delivers numerous bug fixes and balance adjustments, including accessibility improvements, combat tuning, and weapon damage revisions. Bethesda also reminded players of the next major update, "The Big Bloom," scheduled for April 29 as part of their seasonal roadmap.

Since its challenging launch in November 2018, Fallout 76 has seen consistent improvement through regular updates. The current Season 20 content has contributed to a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam, with 76% of recent reviews being positive. Fallout 76 is playable on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.