TheFalloutfranchise takes a lot of inspiration from old, pulpy science fiction movies for its tone and retro-futuristic aesthetic, but little is known about what the setting’s own Hollywood was like.Fallout 76’sOnce in a Blue Moon updatebrought one of the rare peeks at that hidden history.
Once in a Blue Moon also marked the beginning of Season 13 for the Scoreboard–Fallout 76’s version of a battle pass. These Seasons bring themed rewards, lore snippets, and the occasional radio drama, withFallout 76Season 13 tackling pre-War Hollywood. Golden weapons, popcorn machines, and posters for in-universe movies are among the rewards players can get through completing daily and weekly challenges and moving along the board game like Scoreboard. Game Rant recently spoke withFallout 76art director John Rush about this direction for this season’s Scoreboard.
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According to Rush, the decision to focus on pre-War Hollywood was driven by a desire to give players tools to aid in their creative expression inFallout 76.
“When ideating a new seasonal theme, we’re on the lookout for an experience that will be new to our players and offer quality thematic items to enrich their experience. For instance, this season brings our players a new ‘movie set’ type shelter space for their camps. This will expand the potential for our players to tell their own stories through images, or player-made movies. A unique feature of this shelter is that the player has full control over the lights.”
That kind of shelter could be massively useful for groups likeFallout 76’s Wasteland Theatre Company, which is a group of players adapting classic productions like Shakespeare toFallout’s world to put on plays. New C.A.M.P. items like stage lights and pyrotechnic tools could seriously benefit the troupe, while the possibilities for other player groups remain limitless. There is a lot folks could do with these Hollywood-like props to complement things that already exist in the game.
While this season is putting a spotlight on pre-War Hollywood content and allows players to tell their own stories through them, the franchise has plenty of hints at this culture before the war.Fallout: New Vegas' DLC introduced a lost movie inLove Sets Sail, as well as pre-War celebrities like Dean Domino and Vera Keyes, andFallout 4’s Far Harbor DLCdid something similar with the Vault 118 side quest “Brain Dead.” Each of these titles gave fans a little look into pre-War Hollywood, butFallout 76takes it a huge step forward.
The Season 13 rewards also mention movies from Hollywood before the bombs dropped, likeWeapon of Mass Attraction,Honk Honk Stab Stab, andThe Egg. OtherFalloutgameshave name-dropped Hollywood films and television shows as well, andFallout 76features the mansion of the voice actress for an in-world superhero radio drama–Shannon Rivers, who played the Mistress of Mystery. It’s unclear if any of the actors mentioned or met inFalloutlore thus far have won the illustrious Goldie Award–a golden Vault Boy statuette–but players can. It’s one of the rewards on this season’s scoreboard.
Fallout 76is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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