Fallout 76 PVP is supposed to be entirely optional, but a subset of players have found a way to kill peaceful players anyway.
There are actually a few different types of PVP in Fallout 76, but the simplest way to explain it is that all of them are more or less voluntary. If someone is shooting you and you don't want to be bothered, you can be on your merry way without any substantial risk to yourself.
That's how it's supposed to work, anyway. Unfortunately, a handful of devilishly creative players have figured out how to get around this system in a very Fallout-esque fashion: by using radiation.
The Fallout 76 PVP Exploit
The Fallout 76 PVP exploit was detailed in this submission on the /r/fo76 subreddit. In short, this is how it works:
- The attacking player equips either Nuka Grenades or Nuke Mines.
- The mines and/or grenades are thrown at the defending player who is not in PVP.
- The defending player takes no initial damage from the blast, as one would expect.
- However, the defending player does take radiation damage.
Worse, there are several perks and debuffs in the game that can exacerbate this scenario. Attacking players can make used of the Grenadier perk to double the area of effect, making it much more difficult for the defender to escape. Defending players in PVP might also be equipped with a piece of gear like the High-Capacity Backpack which gives you -60 Rad Resist.
Radiation can and should be deadly in Fallout 76, but it seems pretty clear to me that this is an exploit that is badly in need of patching. Hopefully, Bethesda will get a fix sooner rather than later.
What do you think of the Fallout 76 PVP exploit? Do you think Bethesda should patch it or leave it in? Let us know in the comments below!
