Fallout 76 Patch Notes | Wild Appalachia Update 8.5

Fallout 76 has been out for a few months now, and after a rather inauspicious start, Bethesda continues to plug away at making the game into the online Fallout RPG fans want to see. The latest patch is out now as of April 23, and its official name is the Fallout 76 Wild Appalachia Update 8.5 patch. We’ve got the full Fallout 76 patch notes below for this April 23 update, as well as all the details on the significant contents. There’s a new in-game camera, Repair Kits, balance adjustments, and a lot of bug fixes. Let’s take a look.

Fallout 76 Wild Appalachia Update 8.5 Patch Size

The April 23 update for Fallout 76 to bring the Wild Appalachia season up to date will be approximately 2 GB in size on consoles, and 1 GB on PCs via the Bethesda.net launcher. The alternative names for the Wild Appalachia 8.5 update are version 1.1.3.11 on PC, 1.1.3.9 on PS4, and 1.1.3.7 on Xbox One. Of course, it’d be easier if there was just one simple name for all platforms we could remember, without having to spell “Appalachia,” but that’s the way things are…

Fallout 76 Wild Appalachia Update 8.5 Details

ProSnap Deluxe Camera

It sounds stupid, but the biggest part of the update is actually a cute little camera called the ProSnap Deluxe. While there is a Photo Mode in Fallout 76, it doesn’t pause the game and it can be a little fiddly to use in the heat of battle, or when an angry wasp or DeathClaw is chasing you. The ProSnap Deluxe, on the other hand, can be equipped and used in the field, quickly and cleanly. All photos taken will go into the player’s Photo Gallery, the same place where Photo Mode pictures go, and so ProSnap pictures can be used on loading screens too. Once you’ve got hold of it, as you aim, the camera will identify local landmarks and creatures.

It’s actually catagorized as a weapon, and is used the same way: you use the “Aim” button to focus the lens and view what the camera’s seeing, and the “Fire” button to take a picture. We don’t believe you can take selfies however, so you’ll have to use the regular Photo Mode to do that. To get a camera, you’ll first have to find the remains of one on a dead tourist in the wasteland. This will start a new questline called “Bucket List,” which tasks players with finishing the tourist’s photo collection, which will probably take a while. The update adds other camera-related challenges to Fallout 76 too.

You don’t have to worry about the quest, however, if you don’t want to do it and just want the camera. Once you’ve picked up the broken camera you can take it to any Tinker’s Workbench and craft a new ProSnap Deluxe, as well as Film to use with it as “ammo” (remember cameras having film?). All in all, a neat addition.

Repair Kits and Controversy

The update also adds a new consumable utility item called Repair Kits, and these have not been without controversy. There are two types being added to Fallout 76, in the form of Basic Repair Kits and Improved Repair Kits. Basic Repair Kits can restore one single item in your Stash or inventory to 100% condition, and do not consume any crafting items to do so. You simply use it on a piece of equipment, and it gets repaired. To do so, just go to the item you want repaired on your Pip-Boy, select the Inspect/Repair option that’s now available, and choose Repair Kit. Provided you have some (the amount you have on you will be listed alongside this option) the item will be repaired.

Improved Repair Kits work in much the same way, except that they also buff the equipment at the same time. The controversy comes from Basic Repair Kits being available in the Atomic Shop for real money. Players feel it gives anyone who buys repair kits an unfair advantage, since they can buy as many as they want and keep their best weapons and armor in perfect condition at all times. Bethesda calls the kits merely a “convenient option,” but the team admits that if it is found that Repair Kits give players an unfair advantage, that advantage will be removed.

Fallout 76 Patch Notes for Wild Appalachia Update 8.5

Wild Appalachia

New Feature – ProSnap Deluxe Camera

• The ProSnap Deluxe is a functional in-game camera you can use to fill your Photomode Gallery with snapshots of your adventures.
• The ProSnap Deluxe can be equipped and favorited like a weapon.
  • Use the “Aim” button to look through the Camera’s lens, and then press the “Attack” button to snap a photo.
  • You can use a Tinker’s Workbench to build a ProSnap Deluxe and apply mods, like lenses.
  • The Camera uses Film to take photos, and you can use the Tinker’s Workbench to craft additional Film.
  • When you take aim with the ProSnap Deluxe, it will also display the names of nearby locations and creatures it recognizes in the viewfinder.
• Learn to craft a ProSnap Deluxe Camera by finding a broken one on the corpse of a tourist who met their end in the Wasteland.
  • Once you’ve acquired a Camera, you’ll begin the new “Bucket List” quest, which allows you to finish the tourist’s photography collection, if you so desire.
• Many new Camera-related Challenges have been added to Fallout 76 that you can complete using your ProSnap Deluxe.

General

New Consumable Utility Item – Repair Kits

Repair Kits are new, single-use consumable items that immediately restore the Condition of an item in your inventory. They come in two forms: Basic Repair Kits and Improved Repair Kits.

Basic Repair Kits

• Each Basic Repair Kit you own can be used to restore one item in your inventory or Stash to 100% Condition.
  • Basic Repair Kits do not consume any of your crafting materials when repairing an item.
  • Additionally, they cannot be crafted, dropped, sold to vendors, or traded with other players.
• After acquiring a Repair Kit, use it by opening your Pip-Boy, finding an item that you’d like to repair, selecting the “Inspect/Repair” option, and then choosing “Repair Kit”
  • The number of Repair Kits you own will be displayed to you on the “Repair Kit” button in the “Inspect/Repair” menu.
• Basic Repair Kits are unlockable in the Atomic Shop using Atoms you’ve purchased or those you’ve earned by completing in-game challenges.
  • Please note: If you purchase Basic Repair Kits by entering the Atomic Shop from the game’s Main Menu, they will be added to your most recently played Character’s inventory. Prior to purchasing Repair Kits, please ensure you’ve logged into a world with the character that you’d like to receive them.

Improved Repair Kits

• Each Improved Repair Kit you own can be used to buff one of the items in your inventory or Stash to 150% Condition.
  • Like Basic Repair Kits, Improved Kits cannot be dropped, crafted, traded, or sold, and do not use any of your crafting materials when consumed.
• Improved Repair Kits are not available in the Atomic Shop. They are rare items you can earn by completing in-game content.
  • They are currently dropped as loot by the Scorchbeast Queen and may be added as rewards for other types of in-game content in the future.
• If you own both Basic and Improved Kits, you will be prompted to select which type you’d like to use when repairing an item.