Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update is coming!

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Hot on the heels of the Fallout TV show, a big update to Fallout 4 is scheduled to drop on 25 April. Here's a quick rundown of what's happening and what you need to know to bump up your intelligence stat leading up to the release. 


What's included in the Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update?

Bethesda announced their intent to update Fallout 4 for "Next-Gen" (now "Current-Gen", I suppose) consoles and PCs back in 2022, so it's not completely unexpected but you'll be forgiven for thinking this has come a bit out of the blue!

This will be an in-place update for your Fallout 4 game, not a separate game release (e.g. Skyrim vs Skyrim Special Edition). 

The Next-Gen update will add widescreen and ultra-wide support, improved mod support, and several stability/bug fixes. Fallout 4 will also be Steam deck verified which is good news for handheld players. 

Along with updates to the base game, the update comes with 3 free Creation Club items:

  • Enclave Remnants - A new Enclave quest including new weapons and armour.
  • Makeshift Weapon Pack - A Dead Rising-style pack of improvised weapons.
  • Halloween Workshop - A collection of spooky decorations for your settlements.

A new version of the Creation Kit for Fallout 4 is coming too but Bethesda is keeping its cards close to its chest on this one. We predict it will be similar to the Skyrim Creation Kit update which added a few small quality-of-life fixes. 

While it hasn't been explicitly mentioned anywhere in the announcement, this update will likely introduce the new "Creations" menu as seen in the latest Skyrim update showcasing community content available to purchase through the verified creators scheme

Finally, Fallout 4 will be joining all the previous Fallout and Elder Scrolls RPGs on the Epic Games Store. 

You can read Bethesda's official announcement here.




What does this mean for existing mods?

I can already hear some of you running for the nearest modpocalypse shelter as you read this, but let's take a look at what this is really going to mean for the Fallout 4 modding ecosystem.

Note: Some of the following information is speculative until Bethesda provide more details on the specifics of the update.

Firstly, it's almost certainly going to be incompatible with Fallout 4 Script Extender on launch, which will temporarily prevent the use of any mods that require F4SE to function. We're hopeful the F4SE team will get a sneak peek at the update a few days early to give them a head start. The script extender may not be updated to support the Epic Games release, depending on how different it is from the Steam/GOG builds.

Next, advanced mods may need updating separately, even if F4SE is made compatible. This can happen if any hooks into the game they use have changed. 

Finally, any traditional mods (i.e. those created purely with the Creation Kit) may need some minor tweaks and updates based on the changes to the base game. This would be especially true for any mods that interact with the quests or locations that have been fixed by Bethesda. 

We've weathered the radstorm of these updates several times before we know there will be some pain at least in the short term. So the natural next question is "Can I stop my game updating?". 




How can I prevent or delay this update?

If you're already mid-way through a playthrough and have an intricately crafted list of mods set up, it's fair to say that you don't want a game update to come along and take a Fat Man to your setup. The Skyrim players out there can attest to how frustrating this can be. 

We've prepared this guide on the forums to help you stop Fallout 4 from updating on Steam, GOG and Xbox Game Pass. 

To be safe from unwanted updates or easily roll back your games, we highly recommend getting the game from GOG.com and using the GOG Galaxy app to manage it. Unlike other game store launchers, GOG gives users full control over when an update happens to their game and offers a convenient way to downgrade if you install an update by mistake.


How do I know if a mod is updated for the Next-Gen Update?

We've added a couple of new tags to the Fallout 4 section of the site to help you more easily identify or filter out mods you're interested in. 

If a mod is confirmed to work with the Next-Gen Update, it should have the "Works with Next-Gen Update" tag. 

If a mod is confirmed to be broken by the Next-Gen Update, it should have the "Broken in Next-Gen Update" tag. 

Tags can be added by the mod author, their team or moderators. Tags can also be voted on to the mod page by at least 3 users. So if you find a mod tagged incorrectly, please help us all out by adding your vote!


That wraps up what we know so far about the Fallout 4 Next-Gen update. Come and join us on the Fallout 4 forums or comment below to let us know how you're feeling about the impending changes. 

286 comments

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  1. Pickysaurus
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    The Next-Gen update has arrived! (Version 1.10.980.0)
     
    You can discuss the changes and see the latest updates on F4SE here: https://forums.nexusmods.com/topic/13482003-fallout-4-script-extender-and-the-next-gen-update/
  2. beebidon
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    If I get GOG and switch to that, I'm assuming I'll need a new save file, right? Or can I do a clean transfer of everything? (Mod newbie, sorry if this is obvious.)
    1. Pickysaurus
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      As long as you keep the exact same mod setup you should be able to just load your saves as normal. The folder used on your PC seems to be the same. 
  3. bv2097
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    More Beth greed breaking mods for shitty content no one ask for there is nothing next gen about this update 
    1. ff7legend
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      Like Skyrim AE, the Fallout 4 Next-Gen "update" is primarily aimed at the console audience.  Consoles are Bethesda's true cash cow.  Been that way ever since Bethesda unleashed the Creation Club back in August '17 which destroyed my Fallout 4 saves - prompting me to quit playing the game & uninstall it from my PC.  Skyrim AE is forever blocked from ever deploying onto my system.  I have taken proactive steps to ensure said "update" never sees the light of day on my machine.  I even have a full back-up copy of the last pre-AE update archived in a safe location on another SSD in case something goes horribly wrong with my setup.
    2. bv2097
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      I gave up on Skyrim two months ago i am done until Beth leaves it alone. I start it playing FO4 but nope not even this game is immune to Beths greed. Dont get me wrong i have no problems with modders earning money but pay mods are pure greed by Beths part. Don't get me start it with Starfield. You would think after the horrible failure FO76 was they would try harder but nope they made something even worse. ES6 probably be even worse than Starfield which would be an amazing feat to pull off. Before any Beth simps come in here telling me your tourist I have been playing since Morrowind was release.  
    3. GreedyPotato888
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      Boy you are so entitled.
    4. bv2097
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      Do tell how entitled i am oh let me guess you are one those Starfield is masterpiece people lmao
    5. EstrangedModder
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      How does greed have anything to do with this its a free update you're just a whiner
    6. Veradra
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      People look for any excuse to get upset at Bethesda for supporting their games even if that means jumping through logical hurdles to justify how a free update that objectively does not lead to any direct financial gain is "greed".

      It's an excuse to shove their head in the sand and pretend like they have a point, while ultimately the rest of the modding community continues on without them with little to no meaningful losses, all until the people on an ancient version of the game realize their version is on life support and lose their minds. 
    7. ZURLS
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      In the same way as Bethesda put out a "next-gen" update for Skyrim - the greed part is that the update is free because Bethesda is sitting over there looking at all of those people using all of those mods and they want a fat cut.  So Bethesda puts out a FREE update but most players will have to pay through the nose for their mods, or mods disguised as DLC.  You can see this looking at games like Cities Skylines 2 or House Flipper 2 - both of which had original versions with fantastic mod support, only to have the 2nd in the series kill the free and easy mods and move to an outside company through which you have to get your mods (and who give a kick-back to the main company).  And I imagine with Fallout 4NG people will still have the ability to use Nexus or Bepinex or some such but with a number of hoops to jump through that will make sure that the average player doesn't use them.  "Greed... Greed never changes..."
    8. Veradra
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      In the same way as Bethesda put out a "next-gen" update for Skyrim - the greed part is that the update is free because Bethesda is sitting over there looking at all of those people using all of those mods and they want a fat cut.  So Bethesda puts out a FREE update but most players will have to pay through the nose for their mods, or mods disguised as DLC. 
      Which never happened, as the vast majority of mods are still freely available and recieving updates. Paid mods released via the CC/Whatever they're calling it now does not disprove this.

      You can see this looking at games like Cities Skylines 2 or House Flipper 2 - both of which had original versions with fantastic mod support, only to have the 2nd in the series kill the free and easy mods and move to an outside company through which you have to get your mods (and who give a kick-back to the main company).
      None of which is relevant to this situation, nor is it even true!

      CS2 was released a few months ago, ergo the modding scene is not yet mature, and while the wiki only makes mention of Paradox Mods, that does not mean you cannot download them via the Nexus page. This can be true for several reasons, namely Paradox owns Paradox Mods and thus, are only going to officially endorse it for mods. (This isn't actually true, Paradox doesn't own Paradox Mods. If I had to guess why it's the only one mentioned on the wiki, it could be because it seems like it's the only one with integration in the main game/modding tools. Not sure though).

      Same goes for HF2.

      Either may have paid mods as an option, I didn't look too closely (but clearly did closer than you), but it's always going to be in the minority of mods. Nor does it require you pay for mods.

       And I imagine with Fallout 4NG people will still have the ability to use Nexus or Bepinex or some such but with a number of hoops to jump through that will make sure that the average player doesn't use them.  "Greed... Greed never changes..."
      Just say you know nothing of Bethesda game modding and move on, BepInEx does not exist for the Creation Engine, as it only exists for Unity games.

      There are no additionally hoops to jump through, apart from updating mods.
    9. scean25
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      You can "fan boy" for Bethesda all you like, but it does not change the fact that the updates are all about money. Greed is and apt description.
    10. bv2097
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      Imagine think Beth is cough cough updating a ten year old game and giving free content out of there goodness of their hearts lmao. Beth has to milk something after Starfield failed most modders gave up on it -____-
    11. ArngrimEinherjar
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      It's so sad corporate greed ruins an otherwise great modding scene for a games that survives due to said mods.

      Also, it's sadder some people are so shortsighted to recognize the fact, so they defend corporations to the death and try to demoralize those that call out these terrible practices.

      I lost a lot of enthusiasm about modding/playing Skyrim because of that, and I'm sure a lot of gamers will feel the same about Fallout.

      A real shame.
    12. regularrigby64
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      also blame the tv show for this, they gotta milk that s#*! now that everyone and their mother are talking about it or started to play it, even vtubers
  4. Meeper19
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    Rip Mods but woo for New Weapons and s#*!
  5. landonaaronp
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    People are such dramatic babies about free update. As if Bethada are some sort of monster for trying to support their game. Oh and I love this game. I also love F03 and FNV. I think FO3 is probably my favorite game of all time then FO4 and FNV last. I like fallout for the enviroment, the mood and the atmosphere. So Fo4 not be as good as an RPG as FNV doesn't really bother me, the better gunplay and graphics make up for it.
    1. PyotrPyotyr
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      I get excited for the updates too but the last time they updated fo3 it entirely bricked my game so i will be wary regardless
  6. Zirael2077
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    even if a mod is next-gen compatible, will I be able to download it on a pre-update game? obviously not things like F4SE, but things like armor packs and stuff like new qol mods 
  7. 4425schutzstaffel
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    But do they have a calendar? today is the 25th and I still don't see the update posted but what the f*#@ are they waiting for?
  8. chunkypanda
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    Just get the GOG version and download the standalone installation files that don't require the GOG client. Downloaded all my mods in zip form. This update is not worth ruining my perfect collection of mods. Problem solved.
  9. 4425schutzstaffel
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    I hope it will definitively replace the 120 mod pack, a perfect mod pack except for the fact that if an element is ignored in a list, this should not be downloaded and above all it should not be installed, given that the Full Dialog Extended mod corrupts the language files of I play to the point thatthen you find the game half in English and half in Italian, it's the fourth time I've installed it looking for the solution, trying them all to no avail, some of the texts, audio, and computer data become s#*! in English!
  10. sfried
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    I got the GOTY version of this game on a sale (under $10)...

    Is Fallout 4 a bad game? Seems like everybody says it's the worst entry in the series...
    1. HunterMare
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      Don't think so, have a blast, just that from my experience, lots of bugs, which is why there is a mod for that, but also with or without mods lots of crashes. Regardless, i have spent hundreds of hours in this game. But i know people prefer fallout 3. Fallout 4 is not a bad game. Maybe it isn't the best, but its not bad. 
    2. GamingwithADD
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      I loved the game. I played it for months without changing games. Usually I'm all over the place(or lately)

      I personally think it's a more solid game than skyrim. But it IS a different setting. I also like that your character is voiced(and if female, Jack from mass effect) Companions, though fewer feel more "alive" with more personality.
    3. valentinegreen
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      To me personally F4 was a mighty fine adventure, the main story was not particularly impressive but the sense of exploration was really good and caught me for long hours of playtime. I don't think F4 is a bad game.

      That being said, people can be quite terrible while trying to push their opinion on what's Fallout enough and what's not, so the opinions like "the worst entry in the series" often times should be taken with a grain of sault. I'd suggest just trying out the game and forming the opinion yourself without listening to anyone ✨
    4. exlandia
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      Fallout 4 is a great game in my opinion, but could've been so much more, thankfully there are thousands of mods to choose from which really improve it.  The main problem with the game are the limitations of the Creation Engine which runs it.  Hopefully there'll be a Fallout 5 with a superior engine, who knows what AI could be implemented in the future.