The key story detail about Fallout 76 is that Vault 76, which the player is part of, is the very first Vault to be opened in 2102 on “Reclamation Day.” However, there are other Vaults in the game to be found. One of those mysterious ones is Fallout 76 Vault 63. This one’s a bit of a mystery.
This Vault was sealed before the Great War, along with all the other Vaults, and it’s one of the few in West Virginia. It’s definitely one of the more interesting locations in Fallout 76, but can you actually get inside the Vault? Can you open Vault 63? Is there a special quest for it? And where is Vault 63 anyway? We’ve got the answers.
Where is Fallout 76 Vault 63?
Fallout 76 Vault 63 is located in the far south of the West Virginia Appalachia map, in the Ash Heap part of the world. It’s just to the west of the Garrahan Mining Headquarters where you can find the plans for the Excavator Power Armor. You can see its exact location on the map above. If you’re heading to the Vault from Garrahan HQ, you’ll first notice some metal walls on top of a mountain. Just below that, you’ll find a small metal shack.
This inconspicuous metal outpost hides a big secret. Head inside, and you’ll find a few junk items and two doors. The one in the back leads to the balcony, with a few more junk items. The door on the left, however, leads to a cave. Head in, and you’ll get the message “entering Vault 63.” You’ll find the door to Vault 63, a terminal, an ID card reader, a very dead guard, some more items, and a lot of questions.
Can You Open Vault 63?
There seems to be two ways to open Vault 63: either through the terminal, or the ID card reader. The terminal has a message from Vault-Tec and the fact that you don’t have authorization to open the door. The ID card reader requires either a “Vault 63 access ID card,” “Vault 63 resident ID card,” or a “Vault 63 maintenance ID card.”
At the moment, however, these cards are not in the game. Players have discovered cut quest content that points to Vault 63 opening, in the form of an emergency broadcast about some sort of fire spreading throughout the Vault, but it doesn’t appear to be in the game. Bethesda has promised that we’ll soon be exploring these new Vaults very soon, but what will happen when we get in there?
What Will Fallout 76 Vault 63 Do When It Opens?
Players have managed to clip into the Vault 63 interior, and although it’s just the entrance area it gives us a strong indication about what role Vault 63 will play in the game. Inside are a number of terminals, and these contain a number of hints. The engineering, fireman and military certification terminals require you to track down a fireman, engineer or officer respectively, which suggests the first part of a quest.
The Emergency Management terminal, on the other hand, is more interesting. Its one command is to “begin mission,” and it warns that “the Vault Door will cycle, and no further personnel will be admitted in or out of the Vault until the operation has been completed.” This sounds a lot like a Raid of some sort to us, or an instanced quest. Combined with the other terminals, Vault 63 certainly could be the setting of a proper team mission in Fallout 76. Hopefully it will come soon, and presumably it’ll be more exciting than just a simple fire. Incidentally, what happened to all the Vault dwellers we wonder…?
Is There a Reason to Find Vault 63 Now?
While there aren’t currently any interesting items or special loot at the Vault 63 exterior, there are two good reasons to find Vault 63 now, definitely if you’re exploring down south anyway. The first is to have it on your map to prepare for the upcoming missions, which undoubtedly will be popular. If you find it now you won’t have to track it down later.
The second is more simple, but probably more important. The fast travel system in Fallout 76 may cost caps to go anywhere, but it’ll be very useful having a travel point at Vault 63 for when the actual questline appears. Plus, it’s located right at the direct south point of the map, so it’s a handy one to have for fast travel purposes anyway.