Fallout 4 PC players release mod to roll back “next-gen” script-breaking update

Fallout 4 players on PC have been quick to release a mod, rolling back the game’s “next-gen” update which breaks compatibility with common mods, such as Fallout 4’s script-extender.

Fallout 4 is all the rage in 2024, with players returning to the nine-year-old game in the wake of the TV show‘s release. A “next-gen” update has been released across all platforms, including PS5, Xbox and PC. But, some PC players and modders aren’t happy with the update.

One prolific modder, Dean Carter, recently released a video discussing a modding team’s upcoming Fallout London mod, which was dubbed a “DLC-sized” mod, and was initially due for release on April 23. Following news of the next-gen patch, the release date for the mod has been pushed to an “indefinite” release date, as compatibility for tools such as the Fallout 4 Script Extender, a common backbone to many dedicated Fallout 4 mods, is no longer compatible with the latest version of the game.

An excerpt from the Fallout 4 Script Extender page reads: “The 2024-04-25 Fallout 4 update (1.10.980 and later) has broken F4SE and the rest of the native code modding scene similarly to Skyrim’s “Anniversary Edition” patch. I am working on an update and cannot currently offer a timeline for its availability, nor whether there will be any critical technical issues that would block an update. “

This has left many dedicated Fallout 4 PC players disgruntled, as many common issues, such as crashing with RTX-equipped graphics cards when weapon debris is enabled, and crashing when the game runs above 60 FPS remain in place, even after the patch. In response, a Fallout 4 PC player has taken it upon themselves to roll back the update to maintain mod compatibility.

Bethesda

Posted to NexusMods, a mod titled “Steam- Revert Next-gen Update” was published hours after the next-gen update dropped. But, it’s not actually a modification you make to any game files, but a way to revert a Steam installation of Fallout 4 to the previous build.

The instructions, presented in a text file, instruct Steam to download the older version of the title, and replace various folder paths modified in the new update.

While this remains a temporary fix for diehard Fallout fans who are running dozens of mods at once, it’s clearly going to take time for modders to update their fan creations with the new update, especially as Fallout 4 Script Extender remains out of action.