After several rounds of massive balancing changes have been introduced in past updates throughout the last year, heavily shifting the infamous early game difficulty curve as well as the endgame difficulty of Fallout 76, Bethesda just announced that yet another batch of balance adjustments will be coming to Fallout 76 in the near future. The tentative patch notes shared on Bethesda’s Inside the Vault article so far include a long list of changes, potentially making it the biggest balancing update for Fallout 76 so far. Some of the most notable changes from these patch notes include buffs for melee builds, ranged weapons’ performance outside of VATS, and improvements to DoT status effects.
Ultimately, while these changes seem like a cause for celebration for just about every kind of playstyle and endgame build in Fallout 76 to get some welcome buffs, these balancing changes still don’t address one of the most highly requested features among recent updates: an expanded variety of weapons. So, whether it ends up being a surprise addition to Fallout 76’s 2025 roadmap or it arrives soon after, right now arguably seems like the perfect time for Fallout 76 to get its own version of Fallout: New Vegas’ Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC.
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The big Fallout 76 update teased for the end of 2025 has the opportunity to give longtime franchise fans what they’ve been begging for.
Fallout 76: The Case for a Fallout: New Vegas Style Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC
At this point in Fallout 76, the endgame meta is now more open and unrestricted than it’s ever been. Now, players can use a variety of previously overlooked weapon types and off-meta builds that are now among some of the strongest meta builds in Fallout 76, finally capable of participating in endgame content.
So, given how open the current meta is, this could be the perfect opportunity to finally address players’ requests for expanding the variety of weapons and weapon types in Fallout 76 with a big new update. Not only this, but Fallout 76 should also take this opportunity to pull a page from Fallout: New Vegas’ book and introduce its own version of a Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC, complete with new combat challenges, as well as new weapon mods and ammo types for existing weapons, all in one big update, as opposed to Fallout 76’s typical pattern of updates that introduces one new weapon every in-game Season.
What Comes With Fallout: New Vegas’ Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC?
- 38 unique weapons
- New weapon mods, ammo types, and ammo crafting recipes
- New Mad Bomber perk
- 7 additional achievements/trophies
- Weapon-specific combat challenges that reward bonus XP
Fallout 76 Could Benefit From an Expanded Weapon Variety and New Endgame Challenges
One pressing issue that a Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC-style update for Fallout 76 could address is the limited variety for some of the existing weapon types. More specifically, unarmed, explosive, throwable, and automatic melee weapons in Fallout 76 could arguably stand to benefit most from an expanded weapon variety. Otherwise, this could also be a convenient time to introduce some of the most iconic and craziest weapons from the Fallout games to Fallout 76, such as the fan-favorite anti-material rifle or the junk jet.
Even with the meta in Fallout 76 being as open as it is, there are no incentives for longtime players to branch out and try new overpowered builds that previously weren’t viable in the endgame. So, while a new variety of weapons, mods, and ammo types could provide some refreshing variety to Fallout 76’s meta builds, these new buildcrafting tools might meet a similar fate and go unused. Consequently, adding new weapons in Fallout 76 wouldn’t feel complete without going the full Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC route and also introducing incentives for players to use them.
Fallout 76
5/10
- Released
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November 14, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Engine
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Creation