Leaked content from Fallout 76 suggests that one of its most underutilized features could be getting a total overhaul. There are many differences between Fallout 76 and the rest of the series, which aren't always for the best. But its chief advantage is its ability to introduce new features. In the years since its disastrous release, Fallout 76 has changed its tune, with constant updates bringing new content and general improvements to turn the game's reputation around. However, there's one promised feature that still hasn't been introduced, even all these years later.

Leaked content by dataminer SugarBombsRADS, as posted to the Fallout 76 Datamining Discord server and reported by Windows Central, seems to hint at an upcoming overhaul for Fallout 76's animal companion system. The leaks consist of a tutorial graphic featuring cartoonish images of Vault Boy interacting with dogs, cats, birds, and Deathclaws. Its placeholder text frequently repeats the phrase "PetsTutorial," suggesting that a new and improved version of the current mechanic for taming and raising animals could be introduced. Compared to some of the other new features introduced to Fallout 76 in recent updates, this may seem like a minor change, but it could have a major impact on gameplay.

Why Fallout 76's Rumored New Pet System Could Be A Major Companion Improvement

Following A Fallout Series Tradition

Animal companions have long since been a major part of the Fallout series, and the current form of Fallout 76 is lacking in that regard. Every Fallout game to date has included some kind of dog companion, whether it's the recurring Dogmeat or New Vegas' cybernetically enhanced King. In each of these games, the dog is a full-fledged companion. Players can take them on missions, fight alongside them, and even bond with them. The result is that these pets feel like actual characters, as much as any human companion. The leaked images suggest something similar could be coming to Fallout 76, showing players teaching commands to their animal companions as if directing them in battle.

Fallout 76 does allow players to tame otherwise hostile creatures, but this feature is limited. Once the player has obtained the Animal Friend perk, they may approach certain creatures at or below their character levels, and press the interact button to tame them. The creatures will follow them back to their CAMP, and remain there until they're dismissed or killed. They can't be controlled or brought out on adventures; they're basically glorified turrets. They'll defend the camp against any incoming threats, but the player can't interact with them in any meaningful way.

Players can't tame just any creature in Fallout 76 : special, tameable versions of them will spawn, alone and non-hostile, on the map once the player has the requisite perk.

What's more, tamed creatures are prone to getting themselves killed. On their way back to camp, they may run into other more hostile creatures, who can easily outlevel them and kill them before they ever get to CAMP. If another player invades the CAMP and attacks the player's animal companions, they'll stay dead. So there's really no incentive to get attached to these animal companions, as they could die at any moment. They're more like fodder than they are friends.

A better animal companion system for Fallout 76 first featured in the game's content roadmap for 2021, but appears to have been quietly delayed at some point since. Ostensibly, the game's multiplayer nature is supposed to serve as a stand-in for dedicated companions, but it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes, other Fallout 76 players are downright hostile. And even when they're not, many just prefer to play the game solo, joining casual teams for the XP boosts alone. Proper animal companions would make both these playstyles more viable, giving solo players an extra boost to their fighting forces.

The reintroduction of this feature would bring the latest Fallout title in line with the rest of the series, and be a welcome addition besides. It's no secret that players love virtual pets, and revamped animal companions could add that much-requested feature. For now, players can only hope the Fallout 76 leaks are true.