The main attraction ofFallout 76’s upcoming Season 20 update will naturally be the new playable Ghoul character, though this isn’t the only thing coming in this update that players can look forward to. Aside from a new Season full of unique Ghoul-themed rewards coming inFallout 76’s Season 20 update, one specific weapon type is set to receive some long overdue buffs that have remained at the top of many players' wishlists.
Fallout 76’s Season 20 and playable Ghoul update still doesn’t have an exact release date, though the update is expected to arrive sometime in early March. Several balancing changes are planned for this update, notably including buffs for pistol weapon types that have the potential to finally make them viable inFallout 76’s endgame content.
Fallout 76’s New Pistol Buffs Could Finally Give Meta Builds Some Healthy Competition
In the upcoming Season 20 update, several ofFallout 76’s SPECIAL Perk Cardsrelated to pistols are being reworked and/or removed. While this may seem like pistols are being nerfed, nearly every pistol in the game will receive several other buffs to account for their respective Perk Cards being removed. More specifically, various pistols inFallout 76will receive one or more of the following buffs in the Season 20 update:
These pistol buffs and other features coming in the Season 20 update are currently available for playtesting onFallout 76’s Public Test Server. Players who ownFallout 76on Steam can access the PTS for free.
Aside from the weight of carrying around ammo, pistols are generally one of the most lightweight weapons inFallout 76without needing to rely on perks or legendary effects that reduce their weight. Considering that inventory management can be a constant struggle inopen-world games likeFallout 76, these upcoming buffs for pistols will be a huge boon, whether players plan on running a dedicated pistol build or packing a sidearm as a backup weapon.
Pistols are Perfect for Stealth and VATS Builds in Fallout 76
Not only are pistols generally lightweight, but a handful of them have the benefit of being silent weapons, either naturally or by equipping a suppressor mod. By default,stealth builds inFallout 76can take advantage of a damage modifier that doubles the weapon’s damage, and this can be further increased with certain Perk Cards and buffs.
Compared to other weapon types, pistols categorically have some of the lowest Action Point costs while using VATS inFallout 76, so the upcoming decrease to their AP cost will sweeten the deal even further. The best part about stealth andVATS builds inFallout 76is that they aren’t mutually exclusive, so combining them can significantly increase players’ damage.
Pistol Builds Are Finally Getting Their Turn in the Spotlight in Fallout 76
With all the buffs coming inFallout 76’s Season 20 update, pistols will be stronger than ever before, and no longer having to rely on specific SPECIAL Perk Cards means that players with pistol builds will have a few spare Perk Cards slots to equip additional buffs. Overall, these buffs have the potential to make pistols finally viable in endgame content, possibly even givingFallout 76’s meta builds some healthy competition.
Despite being highly versatile weapons, pistols inFallout 76have generally always paled in comparison to other weapon types when it comes to damage output. However, after years of fans requesting balancing changes for pistols,Fallout 76’s upcoming update will finally mark this item off players’ wishlists by delivering some powerful, long-overdue buffs to pistol builds.
Fallout 76
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley – a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type – The Lost.
