Fallout 76’s promised Wastelanders update (originally announced at E3 2019 to launch last fall) has a new release date: April 7th. Described as the biggest free update for the controversial multiplayer-focused Fallout 76, the Wastelanders expansion adds something players have been asking for since the beginning: proper NPCs and storylines. Fallout 76 will also be launching on Steam on April 7th alongside the new update.

“Fully voiced NPCs bring new life to Appalachia as players embark on a new main quest, forge alliances and manage their reputation with competing factions, and uncover the truth of what’s hidden in the mountains,” developer Bethesda says, in what sounds like a welcome return to the character-heavy style of earlier games in the series like Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4.

In addition to the new characters — which Bethesda promises will feature the classic Fallout dialogue trees and reputation systems that will shift with player decisions — the Wastelanders update also brings a “revamped” version of the original main quest line, along with a wholly new main quest (both of which will presumably take advantage of the new NPCs for a more traditional Fallout experience). The update also promises new enemies to battle and better gear to earn along the way.

Crucially, the Wastelanders update will be free for anyone who owns the base Fallout 76 game. Bethesda came under fire with the announcement of Fallout 1st last year, a pricey $12.99-per-month subscription service for Fallout 76 that offers a few useful gameplay perks and private worlds for players to enjoy with friends without worrying about running into the rest of the internet.

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