Fallout 76 free on Steam — for people who already own it on PC

Fallout 76 is launching on Steam April 14 with its big Wastelanders update. Bethesda announced that players who already own the game on Bethesda.net will get a copy for free on Steam — if they link their accounts by April 12.

“Ever since we shared details about Fallout 76’s Steam launch earlier this year, we have received feedback from PC players in the community who would like to be able to explore Appalachia on both Steam and Bethesda.net,” Bethesda said on its blog. “We want you to be able to play on your PC platform of choice.”

Players must link their Bethesda.net and Steam accounts by April 12 to get the free copy. Anyone who links their accounts on time will “automatically receive a copy of the game on Steam,” according to the company.

In February, Bethesda said that players aren’t able to transfer Atoms or Fallout 1st memberships between accounts, but noted that items purchased in the Atomic Shop will be shared across Steam and Bethesda’s own launcher.

Alongside the Wastelanders launch, Bethesda said it’s giving away its Fallout Classic Edition — Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics — for free to anyone playing on Steam between April 14-28.

“As a reminder, if you currently own Fallout 76 on PC through Bethesda.net, you should also have access to the Fallout Classic Collection there,” Bethesda said.

Fallout 76 had a rough start when it was released in November 2018, but it’s since found a dedicated community. The Wastelanders update is expected to bring new story content, including human NPCs, to Appalachia.