Following the release of Fallout 76, Bethesda has been under frequent fire for the subpar state of the game, as well as the massive price reductions that have come less than two weeks after its launch. Now, purchasers of the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition are the ones up in arms, and the company has announced that they will be offering them compensation.
The Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition is a $200 version of Bethesda’s new multiplayer RPG, and it features several collectibles, including a wearable Power Armor helmet and figurines. The initial marketing also indicated that it would come with a canvas duffle bag; however, as players began to receive their copies, they found that this had been replaced with a cheaper nylon version.
Understandably, purchasers were upset, and one took to Reddit to share a correspondence with Bethesda Gear Store Support. In this correspondence, a representative indicated that the material change was due to the high cost of the canvas bag’s production, and nothing would be done in the way of compensation. This post caught the attention of many, gaining 127,000 upvotes in one day, with some users providing further corroboration of Bethesda’s position.
Since, the company has backtracked on this stance, and a Tweet from the official Fallout Twitter account offers an apology and provides information on how owners of the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition can claim compensation of 500 Atoms:
We understand and respect that there is disappointment with the bag in the Power Armor Edition. We are sorry. Please contact Bethesda Support to provide proof of your CE purchase. They will assist in granting your account 500 Atoms.
Please visit: https://t.co/TJBMjYaph0
— Fallout (@Fallout) November 29, 2018
Atoms are Fallout 76‘s approach to microtransactions. While they can be earned by completing in-game tasks, they can also be bought with real-world money, at approximately $1 per 100 Atoms, and are used to purchase in-game cosmetic items. To be clear, this means that the compensation currently being offered to owners of the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition is around $5 in virtual items.
Further, this about-face from Bethesda has left some players confused about the responses they were receiving from Bethesda Gear Store Support. The company has answered with another Tweet:
The Bethesda Store’s Support member is a temporary contract employee and not directly employed by Bethesda or Bethesda Game Studios. We apologize to the customer who took the time to reach out. The support response was incorrect and not in accordance with our conduct policy.
— Fallout (@Fallout) November 28, 2018
While it is unclear if players will consider this level of compensation acceptable, it is certainly an improvement upon the position taken by Bethesda Gear Store Support. The company has recently promised to be more communicative about the gameplay improvements they have planned for Fallout 76, but these updates may be for naught if they continue to alienate their customers at the cash register.
The initial conversation surrounding the bag controversy can be found on Reddit.
