How Fallout 76’s Milepost Zero update takes base building to new heights

Dexerto spoke to the Fallout 76 developers to discuss how base building will be better and more expansive than ever before thanks to the game’s newest update, Milepost Zero.

When Fallout 76 first launched in October 2018, it was met with criticism from fans; however, the developers have refused to shy away from discussing the game’s initial launch struggles while working tirelessly to rebuild community support and elevate the game to greater heights.

In 2023, the devs released a wide range of content via the Atlantic City update, which included a new area for players to explore. 

Fast-forward to September 3, 2024, and Fallout 76 released its twelfth major update, Milepost Zero. This new content adds the most versatile and advanced base and outpost-building gameplay the franchise has ever seen, which greatly expands on the initial formula from Fallout 4. 

Now, players can even manage their own caravan company and must not only deck it out but be prepared to defend it should the need arise.

In an exclusive interview with Dexerto, Fallout 76 Creative Director Jonathan Rush and Lead Producer Bill LaCoste, broke down the development process for Milepost Zero and the importance they place on listening to their community and how this shaped the game’s new update

Fallout 76 Milepost Zero update is a love letter to builders

As the franchise’s first multiplayer title, Fallout 76 has slowly but surely found its footing as a fantastic addition to the award-winning RPG series. It maintains the essence of the Fallout experience while revitalizing it in a whole new format.

The Fallout 76 dev team revealed they had been working on the Milepost Zero update “for the past seven months” before its September release. When asked why they picked Milepost Zero as the game’s next update, community wishes were the leading cause.

Its updated building mechanic is the best example of how the developers have taken the controversial Fallout 4 building gameplay and made it fresh, new, and beloved.

“There’s a road that goes around the entire Skyline Valley region. We thought this would make a great spot for players to run caravan routes along due to the uncertainty and dangers of the new map addition.”

The devs further noted, “Since the Blueridge Caravan is such a popular faction within Fallout 76, the thought of giving them the chance to manage their own functioning caravan company was very appealing.”

While the building has always been present in Fallout 76, Milepost Zero greatly expands on this feature. The devs add that “Builders make up a huge portion of our player base” and that they “wanted to add a feature that empowered them even more.”

New Best Builds feature is a game-changer for the community

In addition, players will also be able to share their hard work via the game’s new social feature, Best Builds.

Best Builds allows players to submit, visit, and rate different C.A.M.P.s. (the in-game name for these bases) for all to see across Adventure Mode servers. The new social feature also has a “like” button so players can vote on the best builds each week.

Furthermore, the devs confirmed that Best Builds will not include a comments section now or in the future to ensure feedback is “straightforward ” and to limit “opportunities for comments that may be offensive.”

While LaCoste and Rush were tight-lipped about future competitions focused on celebrating the best builds in the game, they confirmed that the team had “definitely had discussions about that” and implored players to “stay tuned.”

Finally, the devs revealed that they view Milepost Zero as “the first major step towards connecting our builders within Fallout 76” before adding that they’re “anxious to see how players interact with it, which will help shape future development.”