Fallout 76 Skyline Valley release date, new content, map, and features

Since the release of the Fallout TV show with Amazon, the Fallout games have seen countless updates. One exciting thing that Bethesda has announced for Fallout 76 is the newest update, Skyline Valley. This will be the 19th major update for the game since it was released and is expected to add quite a bit of new content for players to dive into. If you aren't playing the game now, this is the perfect time to start a new character and hop into the exciting world of Appalachia.

When will Skyline Valley be released?

As of now, Bethesda's community calendar for Fallout 76 only shows Skyline Valley (along with Season 17) coming out in June 2024. While there are events scheduled for June, it isn't clear when during the month we will see the update come. This will be an entirely free update, meaning anyone who owns the game can play it.

Everything we know about the new content and features

The update is based on the National Parkway, Skyline Drive, which is located in Shenandoah National Park, an important area in real-life Appalachia. According to Bethesda's release on the Public Test Servers, the new region will be located south of the Savage Divide, which is the largest region and separates Ash Heap from Cranberry Bog and The Forest and Toxic Valley from The Mire. This will be the first time that the game actually adds an entire region to the map of Appalachia. The other updates have added locations (such as Nuka-World On Tour) to the map, but the addition of an entire region hasn't happened before.

Related: Does Fallout 76 work on Steam Deck? (Best Settings)

As of now, we know there is a new public event called Dangerous Pastimes. Bethesda says that this event will feature storm chasers who need help getting the perfect picture of a storm. Players will need to protect them from the storm and the creatures around them.

They have also mentioned working on rebalancing the combat in the game, including adjusting creatures, weapons, and other items. There is also a new falloff weapon damage system so that weapons won't lose most of their damage right away.

New areas called The Dark Hollow Manner and the Slumber Mill Hotel River will also be introduced as part of the Skyline Valley update. Additionally, a new type of enemy known as "The Lost" will arrive in the wastelands. These have been added to notes at the end of Bethesda's release (the same one mentioned earlier), letting players know some details beyond what was originally announced.

How to join the Skyline Valley Test Servers

Bethesda announced that the Public Test Servers are only available to Steam users. To access them, you need to head to your Steam Library and look for the "Fallout 76 Public Test Server" game, which should automatically be on there if you have the full game on Steam. Once the game is downloaded, you can hop into it and let Bethesda know your opinions on the update before it goes live. However, any progress made on the test servers will not carry over to the regular game.

We should get some more information soon as the second part of the Test Servers is supposed to be released, adding even more content and giving us a better look at the full update.

For more information on Fallout 76, check out Where to find Burnt Book in Fallout 76 (Map) and Where to find Lesser Devils in Fallout 76.