Fallout 76 fishing is finally here, alongside a major rework to combat

Every videogame gets better with fishing. Whether it's Final Fantasy 15, Skyrim, or Stardew Valley, being able to stop and watch the virtual world go by while waiting for a catch gives me a real appreciation for all the work that went into the land I've been exploring. I'm always angling for a new way to experience the serene, then, and Fallout 76 fishing is the latest way to do just that. Bethesda has massively expanded its open-world RPG with this update, and I can't wait to dive in.

The title feature of Gone Fission is undoubtedly, well, fishing. The new Fallout 76 mechanic is sure to reel in new and old players alike, as Appalachia's waters are now home to more than 30 new fish you can catch. Bait, weather conditions, fishing rods, and location will all impact your haul, while any fish you successfully rip from their homes can be eaten to restore both health and hunger.

To get started with fishing in the open-world game you need to head to Fisherman's Rest, a new location in the Mire. You don't want to play koi, either, as there is a trio of new characters and the Casting Off questline to help you get started. This is how you get your first fishing rod, and from here, all you need to do is head to a body of water and start your journey.

To make sure you catches don't turn into flukes, you'll have plenty of new fishing challenges and daily quests to help you upgrade your arsenal. Completing these missions will reward you with rod styles, bobbers, and linear reels, all of which will make the next catch that little bit easier. Weather and bait type will also impact the fish you can snag, so you'll want to be aware of both to make sure you remain as e-fish-ent as possible.

Once you've captured a fish, you can also turn them into fish bits, which you can make into grilled fish. This recipe makes fishing easier for 20 minutes at a time, but the more daily fishing quests you complete, the more food recipes you'll gain. Soon you'll be making fish chowder or fish and tatos, so don't forget to take a perch and get those quests done. That's not all, though, as you'll have 12 Axolotls to find across each month of the year alongside Local Legends, which I'm sure you'll be carping on about until the sun goes down.

Okay, now that all my fish puns are out of the way, what else is new to Fallout 76? Well, the other huge addition is Season 21: Gone Fission. This season is filled with fishing-themed rewards for your character and camp. There's even a houseboat, which should make your quest to catch every critter even more enjoyable. Keep in mind, though, that any unused Season Tickets will be turned into Gold Bullion starting with Season 21. When you log in, you'll get a message asking you to confirm the transfer, but if you're unsure if you have enough space, you can deny it, check, and be greeted with the same message again next time you log in.

Bethesda is also makin some pretty big changes to how crippling and limb damage works in Fallout 76, which could massively impact combat. The team has changed many of the mods, perks, and weapons in the game to deal a percentage increase to limb damage, instead of having a chance to cripple a target instantly.

"We expect that these changes will make most enemies easier to cripple while making limb damage more consistent and predictable. It will also result in making crippling enemies like region bosses more difficult, requiring more focused fire," Bethesda writes. "These changes will also allow us to remove cripple immunity from many creatures and leverage limb and crippling in more engaging ways moving forward."

Bethesda is also removing the perk requirements from crafting. Since you've already learned the plan, the team notes that having to change your perk loadout to craft certain things is just "cumbersome," so it's been taken away. Bethesda has also made plenty of minor changes in the patch notes, too, so you might want to check them out to get all the details.

If the land of 76 isn't enough for you, we've also got everything we know about the Fallout 5 release date. Otherwise, check out all the best survival games on PC right now.

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