Wastelanders

Wastelanders is the third major update for Fallout 76. The expansion fundamentally changes the wasteland with living humans returning to Appalachia.

Development
Initially, content containing living human characters was "not even on [the] radar" for Bethesda, and community feedback was the driving force behind the development of the update, according to Marc Tardif.

Wastelanders had a private test server session for community members invited or opting into the event to test an early version of the update. This feature was announced by Bethesda on January 10, 2020, with an initial test date of January 17 before being delayed on that day. The invites were eventually sent on January 20 and access was given the same day.

An official trailer, released on February 4, announced Wastelanders' release date of April 7. Amid the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Bethesda's offices began working at home, and the update was delayed until April 14.

Plot
Set in 2103, one year after the opening of Vault 76, new survivors begin flocking to Appalachia in search of a rumored treasure. As settlers and raiders alike scramble to find it, the residents of Vault 76 must choose sides in the brewing conflict.

Players can embark on a new main quest of choice and consequence, interact with characters and their unique stories, discover the faction settlements of the Crater and Foundation, and collect powerful new weapons and armor.

Robots and computers

 * Assaultron
 * Blood Eagle assaultron
 * Campus Security assaultron
 * Eyebot
 * Blood Eagle eyebot
 * Campus Security eyebot
 * Liberator
 * Recalibrated Liberator
 * Mister Gutsy
 * Blood Eagle Gutsy
 * Campus Security Gutsy
 * Mister Handy
 * Blood Eagle Mister Handy
 * Campus Security Handy
 * Protectron
 * Blood Eagle protectron
 * Campus Security protectron

Ammunition

 * Arrow

Consumables

 * Duchess's Dram
 * Nuka-Cola Cranberry
 * Nuka-Cola Vaccine/Scorched/My Blood's In It
 * Owlet meat
 * Owlet nuggets
 * Pepperoni roll

Junk

 * Multiscope
 * Wendigo colossus vocal sac

Recipes

 * Recipe: Pepperoni roll
 * Recipe: Sunny's settler stew

World objects

 * Gold press machines

Settlement objects

 * ArmCo ammunition construction appliance
 * Beckett's bar
 * Crane treasure hunting sign
 * Farmable tiles
 * Forager's chair
 * Punk's radio
 * USSA console
 * Turbo-Fert fertilizer collector
 * Wanderer's guitar
 * Water well

Features

 * Full dialogue system, including additions of player character dialogue to preexisting NPC conversations, such as those with Rose and MODUS.
 * Instancing on various locations, new and old.
 * Faction reputation systems.
 * New random encounters.
 * Allies
 * Reworked quest system.
 * Backpack vanity updates.
 * Gold bullion as a new currency.