It’s not exactly a secret that Fallout 76’s launch was a mess in 2018. Yet, almost seven years later, the online RPG has become a major success for Bethesda and Microsoft–and the source of pride for a former project lead on the game who witnessed first-hand the low lows.
Speaking with PC Gamer, Jeff Gardiner discussed the rollercoaster ride of making and maintaining Fallout 76. “Working on a live-service game comes with a lot of stress, because it just doesn’t go away,” said Gardiner, who was at Bethesda for 15 years before founding Something Wicked Games. In fact, Gardiner faced negative feedback while out and about in his daily life at one point. “I got yelled at in an Apple Store, I’ll never forget,” he said.
Gardiner left Bethesda in 2021, seeing the release of the Wastelanders expansion before exiting the developer. While Fallout 76 became even more popular thanks to the Amazon TV series, Gardiner still saw quite the turnaround for the online RPG. “When you put a game out that’s that maligned, especially on a team that has had such success, the morale is doubly bad internally,” Gardiner said. “So it was my job to make the people who are making the game like the game.”
Source: Gamespot How Fallout 76 Went From A Disappointment To Delight For A Former Project Lead