The short answer is – yes! Amazon Prime members can claim a free digital copy of Fallout 76 on Windows PC for a limited time through Prime Gaming.
Keep reading this guide to learn all about the Prime offer, what‘s included with the free version, and why Fallout 76 is worth playing in 2022 after years of post-launch improvements.
We‘ll also provide tips to help you thrive in Appalachia as a newcomer to the game. Let‘s dive in!
How to Get Fallout 76 at No Cost with Amazon Prime
Getting your free copy of Fallout 76 through Prime Gaming is quick and easy:
Head to the Prime Gaming website and login with your Amazon account that has an active Prime membership.
Find Fallout 76 in the Prime Gaming game catalog and click the "Claim Now" button on the offer.
You will receive a unique product code that can be redeemed for the Windows PC version on either the Bethesda Launcher or Microsoft Store.
Download the launcher or open the Microsoft Store app, and enter your code to add the game to your library permanently.
Install the full game on your PC, and you‘re all set to play! The standard edition of Fallout 76 is now yours to enjoy.
The Prime offer is only available for a limited period, so be sure to claim your code soon. As long as you activate the code before the promotion ends, you‘ll have lifelong access to the base version of Fallout 76 on that Bethesda/Microsoft account.
So if you‘ve been curious about the game or looking for your next big online RPG, now is the perfect chance to jump in completely free as an Amazon Prime member.
What‘s Included in the Free Version of Fallout 76?
The Prime Gaming freebie provides the full core standard edition of Fallout 76, identical to what you‘d get purchasing the regular game. Here‘s an overview of everything you‘ll have access to:
- The complete main story campaign set in post-nuclear West Virginia
- Full open world map of Appalachia with diverse biomes to explore
- Hundreds of quests, NPCs, public events, dungeons, and side activities
- Deep crafting system to create weapons, armor, CAMP items, and more
- Player housing with the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform (C.A.M.P)
- Perk system to customize and specialize your character
- Public and private team options with cooperative multiplayer
- Nuclear Winter 52-player battle royale mode
- Trade economy with vendors, legendary gear, and commodities
- Quality-of-life enhancements like free fast travel and inventory management
- Major expansions like Wastelanders, Steel Dawn, and The Legendary Run
That covers the core gameplay experience – a huge amount of content and features to dive into! The optional purchases mostly cover cosmetic items, convenience bonuses, and additional story content.
Here are some examples of items not included with the base game:
- The Fallout 1st membership with private worlds, monthly Atoms, and other perks
- Paid expansions like Wild Appalachia and Nuclear Winter standalone
- Cosmetic outfits, camp items, weapon and armor skins in the Atomic Shop
- Scrapbox to store unlimited crafting components
But for a completely free addition to your gaming library, the included content goes far beyond just a trial or demo. You‘ll have hundreds of hours of adventures awaiting you in the irradiated hills of West Virginia alongside other survivors.
Why Fallout 76 Deserves a Second Chance in 2022
Fallout 76 had one of the most notoriously unstable and content-light launches in recent gaming history back in 2018. But since then, Bethesda has continually updated, expanded, and supported the game over its four years of life.
Let‘s look at some of the major improvements and additions that make Fallout 76 worth revisiting in 2022:
Technical Improvements
- Performance optimization – Framerates and stability are much better thanks to graphics enhancements and bug fixes.
- Server connectivity – The online services have been bolstered to reduce disconnects and downtime.
- Game engine upgrades – Visuals, lighting, and loading times have improved on newer engine versions.
Balance and Gameplay Changes
- Weapons/armor rebalance – Stats and effects have been overhauled for more balanced combat and builds.
- Enemy and level scaling – More consistent challenge progression thanks to level scaling and One Wasteland.
- Perk loadouts – Customizable builds to swap your abilities on the fly. Great for flexibility.
- Item locking – You can now lock items to prevent accidental selling/scrapping.
- C.A.M.P. slots – Multiple home base slots to build more freely.
- Daily Ops – Randomized instanced dungeons provide lucrative repeatable endgame.
- Legendary crafting – Allows making your own legendary gear with star ratings.
Content Expansions
- Wastelanders – Added fully voiced NPCs to Appalachia with new main quests and allies.
- Steel Dawn – Brotherhood of Steel-themed questline with fan favorite characters.
- The Legendary Run – Seasonal content system with 100 levels of rewards to progress through.
- Public events – Dynamic events across the map for repeatable large scale co-op vs PvE.
- Expeditions – Upcoming content featuring instanced missions to iconic Fallout locations outside Appalachia.
- Night of the Moth – Added a new seasonal event with unique activities and rewards.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
- Unlimited junk storage – Scrapped junk takes up infinite space in your stash.
- Ammo Converter – Automatically exchange unused ammo for types you actually need.
- Lunchboxes – Give an XP boost to yourself and nearby players.
- Mannequins – Show off your favorite gear at your C.A.M.P.
- Universal legendary cores – Simplified crafting system for making legendary items.
- Area looting – Loot all nearby containers and corpses with one button.
- Text chat – Built-in native cross-platform text chat.
- Respec option – Change your SPECIAL points after level 25.
- Holiday Scorched event – Special holiday scorched enemies that drop presents filled with loot.
As you can see, the sheer volume of free improvements and features added completely transformed Fallout 76 well beyond its initial offering. This level of long-term support is rare, and really gives the game a second chance for fans of the Fallout franchise.
Fallout 76 Gameplay Tips for New Vault Dwellers
If you‘re entering Fallout 76 for the first time from Prime Gaming, the amount of freedom and different mechanics can feel overwhelming. Use these tips to make the most of your time in post-nuclear Appalachia:
Follow the Overseer‘s journey – The main quest will introduce you to the game‘s systems while touring the Appalachia map. Don‘t feel rushed though!
Join Public Teams – Team up for free fast travel, shared rewards, and buffs. Casual teams provide an XP boost.
Scrap junk often – Scrapping junk at workbenches nets crafting materials while reducing weight. Don‘t hoard low level items.
Build and upgrade your C.A.M.P. – Your mobile camp provides free fast travel, crafting, and a place to showcase your style!
Participate in public events – Join server-wide public events for big rewards. Use the map to fast travel when one starts.
Sell unused ammo – Ammo weighs you down, so sell types you don‘t plan on using for easy caps.
Sleep and play instruments – You‘ll get an XP boost after sleeping in a bed or playing an instrument like the guitar or piano.
Don‘t worry about endgame gear early – Enjoy your first playthrough, and don‘t stress min/maxing your gear until you complete the story.
Join Daily Ops teams – Daily Ops are randomized dungeons that give rare rewards. Joining an Ops team lets you participate without pressure.
Have multiple CAMP slots – Additional CAMP slots let you build multiple bases for free fast travel to various regions.
Explore every inch – Some of the best environmental storytelling lurks off the beaten path. Investigate anything that looks interesting.
Take your time, use the social features, and savor the charm of Fallout 76‘s Appalachia. Once you complete the main quests, you‘ll be ready to start perfecting endgame builds and gear.
Fallout 76 Player Count and Revenue Data
For an online-only RPG that launched to poor reception, Fallout 76 has shown impressive longevity and financial success:
Over 13 million players have tried Fallout 76 as of October 2022 according to official figures.
In 2021, total Fallout 76 game sales increased by 123% year-over-year according to market research firm NPD Group.
SuperData reports that Fallout 76 generated $400 million in total revenue by the end of 2020 since launch.
Despite a 83% price drop in 2022, monthly Fallout 1st subscriptions still drive over $10 million in revenue based on estimates by GameRefinery.
The Fallout franchise ranked as the 5th most watched gaming franchise on Twitch in 2021 with 284 million hours viewed.
Google search interest in "Fallout 76" has more than doubled since 2018 according to Google Trends data.
Bethesda‘s ongoing support combined with the IP‘s enduring popularity has cemented Fallout 76 as a financial success. These figures clearly show a growing player base that generates impressive revenue four years after launch.
Is Fallout 76 Cross-Platform?
Fallout 76 offers full cross-play functionality across PC, Xbox consoles, and PlayStation 4. Players on any of these platforms can freely team up, join groups, trade, and adventure together.
Your account progress, Atomic Shop items, and C.A.M.P.s are shared across linked platforms thanks to the unified Bethesda.net account system. This means you can switch between playing on PC and console while retaining everything.
To enable cross-play:
Link your Bethesda.net account in the game‘s main menu under settings.
Link your platform accounts like Xbox Live, PSN, or Steam to your Bethesda account.
You will now see players from other platforms in the game and social interfaces.
Some limitations to note:
Voice chat only works between players on the same platform. But text chat is fully cross-platform.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers on console and PC can cross-play with non-Game Pass players.
Making the game cross-platform expands the community and gives players the flexibility to team up with friends that use other systems. You‘re no longer limited by isolating the communities per platform.
Recurring Free Offers and Discounted Sales
In addition to the limited-time Prime Gaming promotion, Fallout 76 regularly has other free events, gameplay trials, and deep discounts:
Free Weekend Events
Free Trial Weekends – These occur every few months, allowing new players to try the full game for several days without buying. Your progress carries over if you choose to purchase.
Free Play Week – For Fallout‘s 25th anniversary, the game was temporarily free for all players to try for one week in October 2022.
Free Bonuses
Discord Nitro Perk – Active Discord Nitro subscribers can claim a free Fallout 1st membership that has exclusive bonuses and Atoms.
Prime Gaming Drops – Amazon Prime members occasionally get free cosmetic bundles through Prime Gaming drops.
Limited Time Events – Special anniversary events and celebrations often come with free player icon rewards.
Twitch Drops – Watching Fallout 76 streams on Twitch earns you free in-game loot during select promotions.
Discounted Purchasing Options
Xbox Game Pass – An Xbox Game Pass subscription includes access to Fallout 76 on Xbox and PC at no extra cost.
Steam Sales – The game sees discounts around 50-75% off during Steam seasonal sales events.
Atomic Shop Sales – Rotating sales cut prices on cosmetics, consumables, and utility items by up to 50% off.
Humble Bundle Deals – Fallout 76 headlined a Fallout-themed Humble Bundle in October 2022 starting at just $1.
If you enjoy your introductory experience, be on the lookout for these recurring promotions and discounts to save money on expansions and Atomic Shop extras you may want.
Should You Play Fallout 76 in 2022?
Despite its notorious launch, Fallout 76 today is a great example of long-term commitment to improving a live service game. The sheer amount of added content, features, and technical upgrades solved many of the biggest complaints since 2018.
For RPG fans, Fallout 76 lets you lose yourself in the iconic post-nuclear Fallout universe like never before thanks to the expanded map of Appalachia. Exploring the ruins of civilization while completing quests and befriending survivors captivates that signature Fallout magic.
The simplified gameplay makes it more approachable for newcomers compared to previous mainline entries. And the inclusion of other players gives you endless opportunities for adventure together, whether tackling the story or goofing off in the open world.
While it still has some jankiness and monetization, the ability to try Fallout 76 entirely free via Prime Gaming removes any barrier to entry. Now is the perfect time to let the game‘s steady long-term improvements win you over at zero cost.
So claim your free copy while you can, and enjoy unraveling the sinister secrets buried under the surface of post-nuclear Appalachia. We hope some of the tips and info here give you a great head start. Let us know your thoughts on giving Fallout 76 a second chance in 2022!
