Bethesda Game Studios has released the Fallout 76: Burning Springs update across all platforms. The patch updates the game to version 1.7.22.12, with download sizes of roughly 28.8 GB on Steam, 39.3 GB on Microsoft Store, 41.9 GB on Xbox, and 40.8 GB on PlayStation.
As previously covered, it's a major free expansion for the online survival action game Fallout 76 that opens a new Ohio‑set region west of Point Pleasant, introduces the Ghoul from the award-winning Amazon Prime Video TV show as a recurring character, and adds a full bounty‑hunting system plus new public events and creatures.
According to the developers, Fallout 76: Burning Springs is one of the largest map expansions released since the game's launch in 2018, probably the biggest since 2020's Wastelanders. It is accessed by crossing the Point Pleasant bridge into a rust‑scarred, war‑torn area of rural Ohio, which was never previously featured in any Fallout game. The region includes new wildlife and fishing content, including creatures like the Radhog that can be adopted as a C.A.M.P. pet, plus new fish species and at least one “local legend” catch.
The update adds a new questline that begins when level 30+ players tune into the Ohio Distress Signal; this story centers on Highway Town, its Last Resort saloon hub, and the ruthless Rust King, setting up a multi‑update narrative arc that will keep players engaged for some time. The patch also adds two new public events (Gearin’ Up and Sinkhole Solutions); both are located in the Burning Springs region and are built around the new enemy groups and environmental hazards there.
The patch applies a broad pass to weapon balance, legendary mods (including some new ones), and certain enemy behaviors. C.A.M.P. budgets have also been loosened, as several decorative and functional items receive lower budget costs.
Arguably, the highlight of Fallout 76: Burning Springs is the new Bounty Hunting feature, which lets players pick up basic Grunt Hunt and harder Head Hunt contracts in the Last Resort. Grunt Hunts target 1‑star Legendary enemies that can scale up to 2‑ and 3‑star as the player successfully completes more hunts, making them a structured Legendary farming path. Head Hunts, on the other hand, put the player on the trail of named targets tracked through the Challenges tab, with unique cosmetic and item rewards tied to specific bounties. Bounty Hunting is essentially a major new progression pillar, designed to be revisited for long‑term gear chasing.
The hook is that the quest giver is none other than The Ghoul, the popular character played by actor Walton Goggins in the TV series, who did all the voice work for the digital version as well. In the game, The Ghoul is overwhelmed by these bounty contracts and asks the player to step in and help clear them as they appear. Fallout 76: Burning Springs is neatly timed to release just ahead of the highly anticipated second season of the Prime Video show (due on December 17), where Lucy and The Ghoul pursue Lucy's father into New Vegas.
On the other hand, Milepost Zero is closing down in the Skyline Valley region. The rewards that were previously available when protecting Milepost Zero caravans are now spread across the Wasteland. The developers reckon that Bounty Hunting delivers the same promise of on-demand content with legendary enemies and great rewards more succinctly and satisfyingly. They also teased 'exciting plans' for the Skyline Valley region.
Fallout 76: Burning Springs lands right alongside the launch of Season 23, Blood x Rust, featuring a new scoreboard themed around raiders, scrapyards, and Deathclaws. The board is packed with Raider themed C.A.M.P. items, workbenches, and décor, such as raiderized workstations, metal braziers, junk‑metal fences, and scrap‑themed prefabs, aimed at giving camps a freshly pillaged look. Multiple cosmetics and utility items reference the new Burning Springs content, including bounty‑hunter icons, Rust‑themed player titles, and props tied to the Ohio region's Dino Golf attraction.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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