The wasteland is expanding once again. On December 2, 2025, Bethesda rolled out “Burning Springs,” the latest major update for Fallout 76 and it could be the game’s biggest expansion to date.
What’s New: A Whole New Region + Bounty System
Burning Springs introduces a brand-new region: post-nuclear rural Ohio. Players can cross the rebuilt Point Pleasant Bridge to reach this previously unexplored wasteland, marking the largest map expansion in Fallout 76’s history.
Inside this scorched Ohio terrain, you’ll find desert-like landscapes, raider encampments, mutated creatures, including armored Deathclaws, and a mix of familiar Fallout series vibes and new, unique lore.
A core highlight of Burning Springs is the introduction of a new Bounty Hunting system. Players meet The Ghoul, the same character from the Fallout TV series, voiced by actor Walton Goggins, who offers a variety of bounty missions, from low-level “grunt hunts” to dangerous “head hunts” against powerful bosses.
Completing bounties and other challenges in Burning Springs yields new legendary mods, unique weapons, and fresh rewards, making this update a significant shake-up.
New Quests, New Events — and New Dangers
The update launches alongside Season 23: “Blood x Rust”, bringing a full questline for the new region. Players begin their journey westward after tuning into the Ohio Distress Signal (available around level 30), leading into a narrative arc featuring the rise of a twisted ruler: The Rust King, a brutal Super Mutant lording over Burning Springs.
Burning Springs adds two new public events: “Gearing Up”, where players aid The Rust King’s Beastmasters with their menagerie of Deathclaws, and “Sinkhole Solutions!”, which tasks teams with defending citizens of the frontier settlement of Highway Town from swarms of mutated enemies like Radscorpions and Stingwings.
Beyond that, the update brings new factions (Rust Raiders), new creatures (including feral Rad-Hogs), and the possibility of adopting some of them as pets for your C.A.M.P.
From Public Test Server to Live Launch — What Players Experienced
Before the December release, the update underwent testing on the Public Test Server (PTS), where players got early access to the new content, including bounty hunting, new events, and map traversal.
With the full patch live on December 2 (version 1.7.22.12 on PC), size ranges from around 28.8 GB (Steam) to larger packages on other platforms.
At launch, the update coincided with server downtime as the patch rolled out globally. Some players reported issues with login and server stability shortly after release which is a rough landing for what many hoped would be a triumphant return to the wasteland.
Why Burning Springs Matters
For Fallout 76, Burning Springs is a statement. It reconnects the game with wider Fallout lore (including the TV show), deeply expands its map, and overhauls gameplay by introducing bounty hunting, public events, and fresh narrative hooks.
For longtime players, it’s a chance to rediscover Appalachia with new eyes; for newcomers, it offers a robust, content-rich entry point. And for Bethesda, it underscores that Fallout 76 remains a living, evolving world — perhaps with more surprises left to come.
Pavle is the founder of PlayForge and its lead writer and reviewer, covering PC, PS5, and mobile games, a with a focus on RPGs, MMOs, FPS games, and more. He’s been gaming since the PS2 days and now writes in-depth reviews and guides to help players find their next obsession and get gaming insights from real players, not just critics. His reviews are honest and transparent, but he always tries to stay positive, because in his opinion, almost any game can be fun if you look at it the right way.
In his free time, he likes to (obviously) play more games, spend time with his family, theorycraft about various media with his wife, and watch anime. So yes, he’s a complete nerd, even if he’ll never admit it.