Fallout 76's pets can finally come on your adventures, and they're completely safe - for now

A new Fallout 76 update has hit the Public Test Server, and it's one we've been waiting for basically since the survival game first launched. Animal companions have long been a core part of the Fallout series, but they've always been absent from F76 - sure, you do get real players joining you on your adventures, but they're not quite as cool. After much teasing, your Fallout 76 camp pets (themselves a relatively recent addition) can now come along on your journeys across the Appalachian Wasteland, and judging by the menus, it's just the start of what we can look forward to.

Bethesda describes the evolution of camp pets into companions as a "major new feature," one due to hit Fallout 76 "later this year." You can try out its first incarnation on the PTS right now, however, and it seems pretty smooth. Every pet that's currently available can be brought out into the world with you. Simply head to the 'stat' menu in your Pip-Boy and you'll find a new 'pets' tab that includes all of the existing options: cats, dogs, radhogs, and even a deathclaw.

This first rollout is all about "focused testing on pet navigation," which means that your companions will show no interest in combat. They won't attack anything you're fighting, but they also won't take damage. By looking directly at them or pulling up the emote wheel, you can give them commands: for now, these are limited to 'stay' and 'follow,' which do exactly what you'd expect. The menu gives away one extra future feature, which is that we'll be able to level our pets up once they're unleashed for battle purposes.

"The only places you won't be able to take your furry friends into are raids or shelters," Bethesda notes, although it does add that they're unable to swim underwater. Anywhere else, both indoors and outside, is fair game: "Please travel all around Appalachia and let us know of any areas where the experience doesn't meet your expectations," Bethesda requests.

I was always a little underwhelmed by the original implementation of pets; While I have grown to feel a lot of affection for my home base, these days I mostly only return there to dump my materials and maybe cook up a few bits and pieces, or craft more ammo. Leaving a live animal in my back yard, only to rarely interact with them, felt more like active neglect for their care than a way of transforming my house into a home. Now that they can actually come with me, I feel much more fulfilled.

That's not all for the new Fallout 76 PTS update, however. Unique items have been updated across the world; each now comes with "at least three legendary mods and a special effect." You can study the full list courtesy of Bethesda's patch notes, and are able to modify those that are equipped, or add a four-star if you have them available. Additionally, the Scrip cost for swapping out legendary mods has now been fixed, so it won't gradually increase.

There's also some fresh weapon balancing. The Lever Action Rifle gets an extra round in each clip, while the Brotherhood Recon Rifle no longer has any crafting restrictions, and has been replaced by a recipe for the Recon Scope in the Distant Thunder activity. Bethesda has turned both the Fancy Single Action Revolver and Fancy Pump Action Shotgun from distinct guns into weapon skins. If you have either of them, they'll be replaced with the standard versions using the appropriate design.

The Fallout 76 world pets PTS update is live now. Bethesda again stresses that this version "does not represent the full scope of the feature, and it also does not contain the rest of the content that will be arriving alongside it." A second phase of the PTS is due for later in the year, which will both enable companion combat and include the remaining elements of the update not present here.