Main menu with the Survival mode selected.
Nuclear Winter is a 52-player Player vs. Player (PvP) Battle Royale mode for Fallout 76. Nukes have set the world ablaze and the battle to claim the spot as Overseer of Vault 51 has begun – which player will be the last one standing or be consumed by the ring of fire?
The mode allows players to rank up, unlock exclusive perks, and build up their CAMP to weather the storm, while scavenging for weapons, supplies, and nukes to take on other players and creatures and earn unique cosmetic rewards.
For loading hints, see here. You may also wish to peruse our perk coverage, armor sets, weapons, consumables, and the Nuclear Winter map.
For holotapes unlocked with Overseer ranks, see this category. For terminals, see Vault 51 terminals.
Overview
- Fast paced PvP match lasting about 20 minutes. Characters from other modes can be reused, but the mechanics have been rebalanced completely to fit in with the new mechanics and a smaller map.
- Merely surviving in a match will provide XP that will count towards the next Overseer rank and unlocks. The general experience allocation is as follows:
- 1 XP every 4 seconds survived
- 120 XP per kill
- 10 XP per downed player
- 525 XP for first place
Character builds
- All the base SPECIAL stats also transfer to the new game mode, but not the perks or passive bonuses. These have to be earned while playing through the mode.
- Any cosmetic items purchased in The Atomic Shop are automatically added to the inventory at the start of the match.
- Caps and experience earned during Nuclear Winter matches are applied to the Adventure and Survival modes. The same goes for cosmetic and workshop items. Perks do not transfer.
- Mutations will unlock more often in Nuclear Winter! However, they will only be active through the current match.
- Bobbleheads and Magazines are used automatically when acquired and will remain active for the current round of Nuclear Winter.
Weapons and equipment
- Players start only with a Vault 51 jumpsuit, a PIP-Boy, and any cosmetic outfits unlocked in the mode.
- Player level does not affect weapon damage or armor protection. Finding better gear is the key to increasing both. All armor pickups are also complete suits, rather than individual pieces. Power Armor in Nuclear Winter is always equipped with a fully charged Fusion Core.
- Creatures killed by players will drop various gear, depending on their tier. Scorchbeasts drop the best loot, as usual.
Perks
- 73 new perk cards have been added, with ten of them being exclusive to Nuclear Winter. See Nuclear Winter perks for details.
- ZAX has modified terminals in the area to provide bonuses to Nuclear Winter candidates with the Hacker Perk Card equipped. See Nuclear Winter terminals for available options.
Spawning
- Players are spawned with a Stealth Boy activated and can't take damage for a short window of time. This protection is disabled if they pick items up, interact with objects or try to damage another player.
CAMPing
- CAMP construction does not require resources and blueprints from other modes are preserved. As balance, turrets cannot be constructed and must be collected in the world or taken from dead players.
Radiation storm
- A radiation storm is closing in on Appalachia, much like the kill zones in other Battle Royale games. Staying in the storm will damage the player's health and give them rads. The storm is dangerous and will increase in strength as the match progresses and the longer the player remains inside. The direction of a safe zone is marked on the compass.
Nukes
- Nukes can be launched, but have a smaller area of effect and deal less damage. However, they persist throughout the match. As the map has been scaled down, players will need only to collect four nuclear launch codes and a launch briefcase to make the launch.
