Bethesda has announced an optional premium membership for its online game Fallout 76, offering the player-requested private server feature and a handful of other perks behind a $12.99-per-month membership.
It’s a new monetization approach for the MMO-like game, though the subscription itself is angled as an optional “enhancement” to the core game experience rather than a monthly fee required to log in to the online game.
Fallout 76 launched as a premium game last year and, before the introduction of the new Fallout 1st subscription, monetized after the fact by selling a premium in-game currency that can be spent on cosmetic items like outfits and emotes.
Fallout 1st runs as either a $12.99 monthly subscription or a $99 yearly subscription. Players that opt to sign up for the new subscription option receive a monthly stipend of that Atoms currency, alongside the ability to set up a private world and invite a handful of friends, and a handful of other items detailed on Bethesda’s site.