An explanation of the new Bounty Hunt mechanic in Fallout 76

While playing Fallout 76Players can essentially enjoy two different games wrapped into one experience. There is traditional Fallout RPG content best enjoyed alone that allows players to complete quests, read documents and lore, and discover landmarks across the Appalachia map. And then there's the multiplayer part of the game, where players PvP, trade, or complete public events over and over again. Dozens of public events are held Fallout 76not to mention mutated variants, with new ones constantly coming to the title through updates. Bounty Hunts seem to love both types Fallout 76 players as they will suit both playstyles.

Game Rant recently got hold of the chat Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush and production director Bill LaCoste on everything coming to Burning Springs, from beloved TV character The Ghoul to new villain The Rust King and more. During this discussion, the mechanics of Bounty Hunting were discussed in detail, and fans now had a clear idea of what exactly to expect from the activities delivered by Walton Goggins' irradiated gunslinger. And based on Bethesda's explanation of the feature, it certainly sounds like it will live up to the hype.

How do Bounty Hunts work in Fallout 76's Burning Springs Update?

Fallout 76 players will find rewards at The Last Resort, a location in Highway Town. These repeatable activities are handed out by The Ghoul, so players can expect plenty of fun dialogue as they complete threat-hunting tasks in post-apocalyptic Ohio. There are two types of rewards, with the first form basically being a busy job that the Ghoul can't be asked to deal with because he has bigger fish to fry. After reaching Highway Town and finding the Ghoul, players will be able to engage in a GRUNT hunt. There will be “lots” of these shiny quests, providing different objectives as players collect stable experience, legendaries and caps.

While these basic GRUNT hunts can keep solo players busy, those looking for a more complex experience that relies on Fallout 76Multiplayer game mechanics can engage in HEAD Hunts. As Rush explained, these rewards will take everything players have to accomplish.

“For the braver among us, a tougher contract can either be found on successful Grunt Hunts or purchased directly from The Ghoul. These are called 'HEAD Hunts'.” The 'HEAD Hunt' is a special bounty hunting contract – it's a public event that anyone within earshot can join. The main objective is as tough as they come and players can't go it alone!

It's currently unclear how frequent the drop rates will be for these stronger bounty hunts, or how much it will cost to buy them back from The Ghoul, but having two ways to access HEAD hunts should ensure that they'll appear on the map all the time. Players will want to do this often, as Bethesda has revealed that there are a number of rewards waiting for users if they successfully take down the most dangerous figures in Burning Springs.

In addition to the HEAD hunt, two traditional public events will appear in the new Appalachia region. These are Gearin' Up, which sees the player defend the Deathclaw while the Beastmaster prepares it for battle, and Sinkhole Solutions, which sees players remove bugs like stingers and radscorpions from sinking.

How Bounty Hunts try to be as rewarding as possible in Fallout 76

LaCoste shared this ultimate goal Fallout 76 is to continually “expand the variety of ways players can build their loadouts and engage with the game”, specifically highlighting the addition of legendary mods for Fallout 76's Ghoul characters and kill bonuses. Bounty Hunt aims to add depth to character builds, as in addition to Caps, XP, and weapon/armor drops, players have a “chance” to get several brand new mods for both humans and ghouls. As Jon Rush explained:

“Additionally, completed 'HEAD Hunts' give our bounty hunters a chance to earn one of dozens of unique, new mods that benefit both human and ghoul playstyles.”

So many new mods are coming Fallout 76 in Burning Springs, it seems highly likely that at least a few additions will become meta drops that players grind for. Fortunately, the grind doesn't seem to be that tiring as variety is the name of the game when it comes to bounty hunting. Each hunt will appear randomly in “one of twenty preset custom locations”, with Rush also highlighting that there are “dozens” of unique contract targets, as well as a variety of gang members to accompany them. With so many potential combinations, the bounty hunt is likely to be fresh for a long time, and it will take time for players to take on all possible enemies.

Whether players are grinding basic GRUNT hunts to create a Cap stash, or watching the map like a hawk for someone to trigger a HEAD hunt for a chance at a new mod, it sounds like the reward system will satisfy casual and hardcore players alike. And while that's probably the main draw of this content update thanks to The Ghoul's involvement, players also have new lore to uncover, quests to complete, and characters to meet, ensuring Burning Springs will keep them occupied for hours.