Fallout 76: The Slasher Update Gets Animated Trailer At Tokyo Game Show

Bethesda brought something considerably darker than your usual Fallout 76 update to Tokyo Game Show this weekend, debuting an animated trailer for Fallout 76: The Slasher. The game’s 70th free update is now live, introducing a season-long murder mystery that will gradually unfold across Appalachia.

The trailer puts the spotlight where it belongs, on the mysterious killer stalking the Wasteland and the followers gathering around him. The new Slasher is masquerading as the infamous Pint-Sized Slasher from Fallout lore, but this isn’t simply a case of digging up an old legend. Players will have to piece together what is happening as disappearances, grisly discoveries, and increasingly strange encounters begin appearing throughout Appalachia.

That makes The Slasher somewhat different from a traditional Fallout 76 update. Rather than dropping everything on players at once, the new content is designed to unfold over the course of the season. From now through December 1, new activities and challenges will appear across the map, encouraging players to return as additional pieces of the mystery become available.

Players will collect mysterious evidence connected to the Slasher’s killings while taking part in activities ranging from scavenger hunts and investigating unmarked graves to Daily Ops, Infestations and the return of Mischief Night. Eventually, all those clues are supposed to lead to a cinematic showdown.

The investigation also brings some new threats. The Pint-Sized Slasher’s devoted followers include Pint-Sized Phantoms and fanatics, giving players more than clues to worry about while exploring Appalachia. Completing the new activities will also unlock themed rewards, including new Power Armor and skins.

Bethesda describes The Slasher as a first-of-its-kind update for Fallout 76, connecting activities across Appalachia into one evolving experience rather than treating them as completely separate pieces of content. Creative Director Jon Rush says the goal is to create a frightening experience that unfolds over several weeks, with the system potentially being used for future updates.

There is another major reason to return to Appalachia now. Alongside The Slasher, Fallout 76 has received its next-generation update for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. The game now runs at 1440p and 60fps on all platforms, while Xbox One and PlayStation 4 owners can upgrade to the newer console versions for free. Bethesda says previous-generation versions will continue receiving visual improvements and stability updates.

Fallout 76: The Slasher is available now on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. The game is also available through Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra.

Tags: Fallout 76, The Slasher, Tokyo Game Show, trailers Written byMitchell Gassner Old enough to have played retro games when they were still cutting edge, Mitch has been a gamer since the 70s. As his game-fu fades (did he ever really have any?), it is replaced with ever-stronger, and stranger, opinions. If that isn't the perfect recipe for a game reviewer, what is?