Fallout 76 Can Be Pre-Ordered in the Microsoft Store, Despite Exclusivity to Bethesda.net
Bethesda recently announced that Fallout 76 on PC would not be launching on Steam. Instead, the game will be exclusive to Bethesda.net; Bethesda’s proprietary online platform. In a somewhat confusing turn of events, however, Fallout 76 pre-orders are now available on the Microsoft Store.
Fallout 76 Pre-Orders in the Microsoft Store
Bethesda has stated that the reason why Fallout 76 will launch on Bethesda.net and not Steam is so that Bethesda can communicate more directly with its audience. However, it is widely suspected that the move has a financial motivation; Valve takes around a 30% cut of all sales made on Steam. In a similar manner to Epic Games decision not to release Fortnite on the Google Play Store, Bethesda likely believes that the revenue cost of launching on Steam is too high. However, it was recently noticed that Fallout 76 pre-orders had become available on another platform; namely, the Microsoft Store.
Bethesda had previously stated that Fallout 76 would be exclusive to Bethesda.net. It’s unclear whether that is no longer the case; it’s possible that there is a new deal between Bethesda and Microsoft to sell the game on PC. Alternatively, it’s also possible that the Microsoft Store is merely selling access to the game, and that once bought, the game will still direct players to Bethesda.net. Both the standard and Tricentennial Editions of the game are currently available for pre-order on the Microsoft Store. Bethesda has yet to explain the nature of this availability.
Some fans have speculated that selling the game on the Microsoft Store is part of a deal to enable Play Anywhere support for the game. Bethesda’s Fallout Shelter already uses the Play Anywhere system, and Bethesda has voiced support for cross-play already. In fact, Todd Howard has stated that Fallout 76 would have had cross-play were it not for Sony refusing to allow it.