‘Fallout 76’ backlash could lead to class-action lawsuit against studio

“Fallout 76″/Bethesda Studios

• The release of “Fallout 76” has largely been a
  disaster and many players who bought the game after the launch
  two weeks ago are now demanding refunds.
• Bethesda Studios is
  currently refusing refunds based on their digital store policy,
  but some players previously reported that their refund was
  granted by the company’s support team.
• Players who paid $200 for “Fallout 76 Power Armor
  Edition” also noted that a canvas bag advertised in the package
  had been substituted with a cheaper nylon bag without
  notice.
• Bethesda’s inconsistency has led at least one law firm
  to consider a class-action suit against the company on behalf
  of the players.

Bethesda Studios has frequently been the target of critics and
punchlines for releasing their games with a bevy of unintentional
glitches and bugs over the years, but the studio’s newest game,
“Fallout 76” may not be able to recover from its controversial
launch. Disgruntled fans are demanding refunds and Bethesda’s
handling of the backlash has led at least one lawfirm to consider
a class-action lawsuit.

While Bethesda’s “Fallout” is widely respected as one of the best
first-person shooter series, the shift to a massively-multiplayer
format for “Fallout 76” brought a wave of skepticism from fans.
The game’s early reception was warm at best, competing against
major releases like “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4” and “Red Dead
Redemption 2.”

But even those who decided to give “Fallout 76” a try have
struggled with limited gameplay and game-breaking glitches, leading waves
of players to demand a full refund from Bethesda. Bethesda’s
refund policy states that players cannot receive a refund after
downloading the game, but some players reported that their refund
was granted after contacting the support team.

Read more: A dedicated group of ‘Fallout 76’
players crashed the game’s server with a trio of nuclear
explosions

Players who successfully
lobbied for a refund posted on Reddit, sparking a series of
requests for refunds from r/Fallout users. Bethesda ultimately
reverted to its no-refund policy, but the inconsistency has left
players even more irate with the company’s business practices.

Now a Washington, D.C. based law-firm, Migliaccio & Rathod
LLP, has announced that they plan to investigate Bethesda’s
refund policy and the “Power Armor Edition” advertisements to
determine if it’s worth filing a class-action lawsuit claiming
deceptive trade practices. In preparation for a potential
class-action lawsuit, the firm is asking dissatisfied players to
submit a confidential
questionnaire if they attempted to get a refund or received
the nylon bag with the “Power Armor Edition.”

The outlook for “Fallout 76” is already looking grim two weeks
after release, but Bethesda will have to work to make sure that
future games aren’t impacted by the negative feedback. The
company has already detailed improvements coming
to “Fallout 76” next month, and has promised greater transparency
moving forward.