When Bethesda first teased playable Ghouls for Fallout 76 several months ago alongside its 2025 release plans, part of me wondered why this new addition that basically amounted to a skin was taking so long.
Like most MMORPGs, adding new races and variants is something which naturally occurs across a game’s lifespan. Ghouls are also so commonplace in Fallout’s universe that I struggled to see why they were such a big deal. Then I played as one.
Ghouls Could Be A Game Changer For Fallout 76
You can’t play as a Ghoul from the very beginning, which is a surprisingly bold move from Bethesda. It has specifically designed this race with a number of distinct qualities that are better suited to experienced players who understand how the world and mechanics found within Fallout 76 operate. Once you hit Level 50, you will be informed of a new quest that has you venturing to an abandoned research station to converse with a couple of Ghouls.
New players can now start out at Level 20, so it won’t take very long to hit the level required to unlock the Ghouls if you’re serious about grinding.
One is an overly enthusiastic scientist (voiced by Genshin Impact’s Corrina Boettger), while the other is a hardened mercenary worn down by the harsh treatment his kind put up with from regular humans. Together they have been running an assortment of experiments that originally aimed to restore their troubled symptoms, but can now save fatally ill humans by turning them into Ghouls. If you choose to accept their experimentation, it takes only a few seconds to change your Fallout 76 playthrough in some significant ways.
The first thing I noticed was my changed appearance. Ghouls have access to a number of new facial cosmetic options, so it’s worth essentially creating your character from scratch right after stepping out of the transformation chamber.
Facial features, skin texture, hair, and a handful of other features can be freely customised, while Ghouls will also have to don disguises or use specific headwear in order to blend in amidst environments where your people are generally frowned upon. One of my concerns was that Bethesda was going to throw Ghouls into Fallout 76 without any concern for lore ramifications or how this would change how we are seen in the game world, but apparently this was taken into account from the very beginning.
I was also told that future expansions and updates will take into account Ghouls too, so there will presumably be unique dialogue options for anyone playing as a ghoul. My mind couldn’t help jumping back to my first conversation with Gob in
Fallout 3
and the awful hate he faced simply for looking and sounding different to everybody else.
Pretty Fly For A Ghoul Guy
Ghouls not only have narrative ramifications, but also mechanical ones. As we know from past games, the skin-peeling buggers are immune to radiation. In fact, they thrive on it. So those playing as Ghouls in Fallout 76 can use the surrounding radiation to both heal themselves and unlock unique abilities. It seems that the more you opt to soak up, the more likely you are to gain distinct perks. It’s a cool twist, considering most of us have spent our entire time in this game avoiding areas filled with radiation due to the swift deaths they tend to inflict. Now there is a cool chance to return to these locations without fear, or the need of an expensive radiation suit.
As for some of the specific perk cards, here are some I made note of during my hands-on preview (which are made clear by ghoulified Vault Boys on each card):
- Radioactive Strength – Using at least 180 Rads, Power Attacks & Bashing deal 100 percent bonus damage.
- Brick Wall – You are now immune to Staggers
- Radiation Power – Harness 5 rads to deal 10 percent bonus damage to targets
- United Ordeal – When you’re in a party with a ghoul character, you gain 10% bonus S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
- Arms of Steel – Your sturdy arms now allow you to reduce ranged weapon recoil, increasing accuracy by 20 percent.
- Thick Skin – Your body now takes 10 percent less damage from Ballistic attacks
- Glowing One – When you are glowing, you periodically apply 8 rads on nearby Ghoul teammates
There are plenty more I’m missing, and more could yet be added, but it’s exciting to see Bethesda is treating Ghouls not only as a new cosmetic feature, but as a new class and race all its own that changes major parts of how Fallout 76 is played. You will have one chance to reverse this decision and turn back into a human – which feels like a bit of a copout if I’m honest – but aside from that, you’ll have to deal with the consequences. It’s unclear right now if Ghouls will have equipment and weapons all of their own, but it would be cool, while also providing incentives for players to remain human if they don’t fancy ghouling it up.
My only concern about Ghouls being locked behind Level 50 and onward is that we will eventually be playing a game where everyone is a ghoul because it seems like a natural part of progression instead of a serious choice each player has to make.
Factions will treat you differently too, eventually opening new quest lines or locking you off from ones you might have already embarked upon. You’re basically a minority in a world that has already been wiped out by nuclear devastation, adding yet another tribulation to a large pile of hardships. I’m the type of player who will lean into this type of thing, steering clear of human adventurers I stumble across in the open world and only shacking up with Ghouls. It will be fascinating if future stories explore the possibility of mending those rifts though, like we’ve seen in previous games where humans and Ghouls can live in harmony.
I’m not sure if this is going to be enough to make Fallout 76 a mainstream hit on the same level as Fortnite or Destiny 2, but it’s a vital update its current community will adore, made with an attention to detail this universe deserves. I’m curious to see how it will develop over the coming months more than anything, and whether Bethesda will stay true to playing as a ghoul and the role-playing potential it possesses or allow it to become a facet of normality.
Taking the Fallout series into the MMO space, Fallout 76 is a prequel to the mainline games. You’ll have to traverse the massive open world of Appalachia in order to build bases, survive, and grow stronger.