Fallout 76's troubled launch hasn't put Bethesda off making multiplayer games

Fallout and Elder Scrolls firm Bethesda might make more multiplayer-centric experiences.

That's according to the company's Todd Howard, who told GamesIndustry.biz that the firm might work on non-single-player projects at some point in the future. This in spite of the fact that Bethesda has somewhat struggled in this space, namely with 2018's Fallout 76.

That title faced a lot of problems after its launch and failed to meet player expectations. Howard said last year that the team knew Fallout 76 wasn't going to review well on launch, but that it would improve over time.

The perception has turned around in recent years, with the huge Wastelanders expansion coming out in April of this year and introducing a wealth of new features. In March, Bethesda's VP of global marketing and communications Pete Hines said that the company was surprised by the negative reception its PvP mode received.

"We quickly recognised that the game wasn't really giving our audience what they wanted and they were really let down by what we delivered on day one. Without a doubt, we let a lot of people down," Howard said.

He adds: "We wanted to make something different, but the audience doesn't always want something different. And that's no fault of theirs, it's totally understandable. I think maybe we did a bad job of saying
how different it was going to be."

He continued: "Overall, it's been a really positive experience for us," he says of Fallout 76. "It's made us much better developers, much more connected with our community. So I can't say it's going to be a one-off."