The New Class Radiates Confidence

The Fallout universe is home to some pretty iconic post-apocalyptic races from the hulking Super Mutants who were exposed to the Forced Evolutionary Virus to the biomechanical Synths who were created in the Institute’s labs. But arguably the most popular among them are the Ghouls, a race of humans who have been severely mutated by the wasteland’s radiation. For the first time in franchise history, Fallout 76 is getting ready to let players become a Ghoul themselves.

Slated for an early 2025 release, Fallout 76‘s free player Ghoul update will see players embark on a quest to completely change their current character. Game Rant recently got the chance to spend a few hours playing around with this new playable Ghoul class, and even after that relatively short period, it’s clear that Fallout 76‘s player Ghoul is far more than just a new skin for the player.

The Ghoul Will Completely Change Fallout 76’s Gameplay

Fallout 76’s Player Ghoul Introduces a Glow System

When the player turns themselves into a Ghoul in Fallout 76‘s upcoming update, it’ll come with three primary gameplay changes. The first and most obvious gameplay difference is that players will no longer be harmed by radiation. In fact, radiation becomes an extremely beneficial resource.

Consuming irradiated water or food, or simply standing in toxic waste, will increase a new meter called “Glow.” This meter is represented by a bright green bar that extends over the player’s HP. This Glow meter essentially acts as bonus health and is reduced when players take damage. Not only will this Glow meter cause the player’s character to emit a bright green glowing effect, but filling this Glow meter will also give players access to a bevy of Ghoul-specific abilities, most of which are tied to the update’s new Perk Cards.

Fallout 76’s Player Ghoul Adds 30 New Perk Cards

While Ghoul players will still be able to use the majority of the game’s human Perk Cards, they’ll also gradually gain access to 30 new Perk Cards that are exclusive to the Ghoul class. We saw quite a few of Fallout 76‘s new Ghoul Perk cards in action, and there’s quite a bit of variety among them. To name a few, there’s “Brick Wall” which simply makes the player immune to stagger attacks. “Wild West Hands” is a similarly straightforward Perk, giving player Ghouls a 36% chance to instantly reload their entire magazine.

But most of these new Ghoul Perks revolve around the Glow meter. “Action Ghoul” sees players regenerate AP 45% faster when they have a full Glow meter, “Glowing One” allows players to share their Glow meter with nearby Ghoul allies, and “Breathe It In” lowers radiation resistance by 150, meaning players can fill their Glow gauge much faster.

Fallout 76’s Player Ghoul Adds a Feral Meter

For years, fans have debated whether Ghouls need to eat and drink to survive. It seems Fallout 76 is finally answering that question. When players become a Ghoul in Fallout 76, their regular hunger and thirst meter will be replaced by a Feral meter. To keep this Feral meter down, player Ghouls will need to consume Chems. If this Feral meter is allowed to build, the player’s weapon accuracy will be reduced dramatically. But at the same time, the player’s melee damage will be increased, meaning that some builds might actually benefit from playing around with their Feral meter.

Becoming a Ghoul Will Have Narrative Implications

A common theme related to Fallout‘s Ghouls is prejudice. Many in the Wasteland view Ghouls as monsters, regardless of their retained sentience. Players will experience that prejudice for themselves if they decide to become a Ghoul in Fallout 76, with certain NPCs and factions (like the Brotherhood of Steel) changing their dialogue and behavior based on the player’s new appearance.

Game Rant played a very early build of
Fallout 76
‘s playable Ghoul, meaning that some features mentioned here could easily change before the update’s release in early 2025. This also meant that some features were a bit more vague than others, such as the Ghoul’s impact on the narrative.

How Players Will Unlock Fallout 76’s Ghoul Class

Players will be able to begin the quest to become a Ghoul after reaching level 50. Once activated, players will head to Whitespring Refuge, where they’ll meet a man named Leamon. He is suffering from an extreme case of radiation sickness, and in an attempt to cure him, players head to a mysterious underground research facility they’ve heard rumors of. Without spoiling too much, Leamon is eventually given the choice to become a Ghoul, and the player can undergo the experiment alongside him.

Game Rant got to play through this entire quest during its hands-on preview, and it’s a fairly strong one. In just an hour or so, this quest briefly explores what it means to live as a Ghoul in this world and the life-threatening discrimination they face on a constant basis, which is an important factor for players to consider before they make that ultimate decision. This quest also strikes a nice balance between tackling weighty themes of mortality and humanity, and injecting plenty of trademark Fallout dark humor.

Players can revert to being a human, but they’ll only have the ability to do that once for free.

Once players decide to take the plunge and become a Ghoul, they’ll enter a customization screen where they can alter their new appearance. This customization menu features many of the same elements as Fallout 76‘s human character creator, but it also has a few unique features of its own, such as the ability to change skin texture.

On the whole, the upcoming player Ghoul might just be Fallout 76′s most impactful update thus far. Players are going to get a bevy of new Perk abilities, a handful of new survival systems to manage, and some new narrative possibilities, all completely free of charge. Fallout 76 seems to finally be delivering something fans have wanted for years, and it isn’t taking the easy route to get there.

Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purposes of this preview.