Free-to-play, free DLCs
It's not surprising that the upcoming Fallout 76, like multiple other games, will have some microtransactions. However, Bethesda's key person Pete Hines assured that there's nothing to concern about it. The man also stated that money will only be used to pay for cosmetic equipment, such as skins and outfits. This is a very important issue since Fallout 76 is pretty unique in comparison with previous entries of the series. It is a multiplayer game which allows gamers to fight to each other directly. If money can affect abilities and essential items in the game by any mean, players who are willing to pay more will have more chances to be overwhelming. And that causes imbalance.
Fallout 76's in-game currency is called "Atoms". You can purchase this currency using real money or just play the game to get it. The studio hasn't told us the cost of these "Atoms". However, Hines implied that players will earn a lot of them just by finishing multiple tasks and missions in the wasteland.
According to Hines, it is up to players whether you want to purchase better-looking outfits. Once again, these purchasable items only make you look better but not give you more powerful.
Hines proceeded to state that the studio has constantly attempted to be as careful as possible when it comes to how microtransactions work inside their games. He recognized that it very well may be complicated yet the studio has dependably strived to keep away from circumstances that vibe like cash snatches. Like other studios, Bethesda has figured out that the best way to keep moving forward is to listen to their customers. Additionally, unlike various previous entries of the series such as Fallout 3 or Fallout 4, Bethesda will sell Fallout 76's DLC for free. This is such a great improvement for the series and Hines hopes that it can satisfy players.
Other notable details
Following a partnership with Microsoft, Bethesda will also give gamers who have already pre-ordered Fallout 76 on Xbox One an amount of 500 Atoms. Yet it remains vague how much this amount of Atoms can do in the game since they didn't confirm the value of it.
To make it even bigger, Microsoft will only offer players 1TB of Xbox One bundle if you choose to buy Fallout 76 on their platform.
It seems like by limiting the microtransactions to only cosmetic items, Fallout 76 is following many games' footsteps, including Fortnite and Overwatch. On the other hand, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is one of the games that let people buy equipment that can directly affect their abilities and power. Similarly, Devil May Cry also allows players to spend real money on upgrading characters.
And that's not everything yet. Bethesda also announced that they will bring back the Perk system. However, this time these Perks can only be acquired through "Perk Cards". Just so you know, these "cards" can't be bought by real money. According to Hines, "You just get them when you level up."
Fallout 76's Perk system explained: