Fallout: The Post-Nuclear War Role-Playing Game" (opens in new tab) was released on October 10, 1997, minus one week from 25 years ago. To commemorate this milestone, Bethesda is offering "Fallout 76" for free for one week.

"Fallout 76" is very different from the original "Fallout," an isometric RPG with turn-based combat set in a gritty postwar world. I won't go into which is "better" - I like the old "Fallout" and I like the new "Fallout" - but the current iteration of the series, a multiplayer first-person game that focuses more on action than role-playing in a somewhat lighter setting, is definitely a different kind of experience. While it did very poorly at launch, earning 60% in 2018 reviews (open in new tab) as a "beautifully crafted but ultimately repetitive world," it has progressed significantly since then, reportedly gaining 13 million players to date, and earlier this year Bethesda announced a "five-year roadmap (opens in new tab)" for the future.

The free week for Fallout 76 will run from October 4 through October 11. Bethesda will also be conducting the Post-Apocalypse Loyalty Simulator (PALS), a survey designed to help newcomers get started with the game and help players find the right faction for them. There will also be bonuses for Prime Gaming and Xbox Game Pass subscribers, a seasonal "Invaders From Beyond" event, and an anniversary live stream on Twitch on October 7.

Fans of the management side of nuclear holocaust survival will also get a nice surprise: an update to Fallout Shelter (opens in new tab) will add new content for the first time in over four years. More details on Bethesda's Fallout anniversary plans can be found at fallout25th.com (opens in new tab).