Prior to the release of Fallout 76, Bethesda repeatedly promised that real money could only buy cosmetic items in the game that in no way affected gameplay mechanics. However, as YouTube blogger YongYea discovered, Bethesda broke that promise, so far only as part of a limited-time promotion.
Users who logged into the game between January 29 and February 4 of this year saw an advertisement for a promotion featuring costumes of five superheroes from the Unstoppables – a comic book series from the Fallout world.
If your character wore one of these costumes, their maximum health increased by 15 points. If another player wearing a different Unstoppables costume joined you, the health stat increased by 30 points. If you managed to assemble a team of four unique Unstoppables, you could increase each member’s health stat by 60 points.
Meanwhile, four costumes were sold for premium currency (Atoms) and cost 800 Atoms each (around 8 dollars). Atoms, as is well known, can be earned in-game, but they are also sold for real money. Only one costume could be earned directly in the game. Naturally, to get the maximum bonus, one had to purchase premium costumes.
YongYea notes that increasing the health stat in Fallout 76 is not that easy, since it is tied to the Endurance attribute.
Currently, the costumes do not grant bonuses affecting gameplay mechanics, but for a week, players could open their wallets and gain an advantage, albeit a small one. Such a move goes against Bethesda’s previous statements.