Fallout 76 Repair Kits: Listening To Player Feedback Or Just Another Bethesda Money Grab?

Fallout 76 has had a rough time since it launched, with much of the blame be squarely placed on developer Bethesda. The game was unpopular enough that it was given away with $5 thumbstick purchases for the PS4. Bethesda has been working to improve the game based on feedback, but so far not many major improvements have landed. Bethesda has Fallout 76 player characters setup so that your gear wears out over time and you must spend time at a workbench getting it back in shape. Past Fallout titles had similar mechanics for repairing equipment as well. For gamers who are annoyed at "wasting" time fixing their gear, Bethesda has unveiled its latest way to reach into your wallet to make Fallout 76 less annoying -- Repair Kits.

Repair Kits are a new type of utility item that Bethesda says will help you spend more time looting and shooting, rather than standing at a workbench fixing stuff. What would also allow players to spend more time actually enjoying the game is the option to turn its gear degradation function off. Rather than an option toggle, Bethesda has trotted out Repair Kits that will keep your gear going, with the caveat of having to shell out real money for the privilege, unless you want to earn them via challenges.

The Repair Kits will be added in "the weeks following Patch 8" with no specific date given. There will be two forms of Repair Kits including Basic Repair Kits and Improved Repair Kits; neither of which can be dropped, sold to vendors, or traded with other players. A Basic Repair Kit will be a single-use consumable that restores a single item in your inventory to 100% condition; the kit requires no use of player crafting materials. Basic Repair Kits will be unlockable in the Atomic shop using Atoms purchased or earned via in-game challenges.

Improved Repair Kits are usable on one item in your inventory and will take item condition up to 150% for extra lifespan. These kits will be rewarded for free for completing various in-game content. One example of how gamers can earn an Improved Repair Kit is by taking down the Scortchbeast Queen. Bethesda is mum on how many Atoms the Basic Repair Kits will cost, however. It says it will make adjustments to Fallout 76 Repair Kits based on player feedback.