Fallout 76: what it is, when it's out - and why it's dividing opinion

Fallout 76, the latest high-profile game in the highly successful Fallout franchise, has been unveiled by Bethesda Softworks.

As some had predicted, the post-apocalyptic adventure will be an online multiplayer title.

It's fair to say the trailer and announced features, revealed at E3 2018, are causing some controversy. Here's what we know about Fallout 76 so far - and why it's dividing opinion.

What is Fallout 76?

Like previous iterations in the gaming series, Fallout 76 is an open world action-RPG set in a post-apocalyptic America, years after nuclear war devastated the surface.

Unlike other Fallouts, however, in 76 "every surviving human is a real person" - and you can "work together, or not, to survive". Players create their own character and can then team up with each other to contend with the challenges of the world, go it alone, or presumably fight one another for resources and territory.

Base-building will be a key aspect of the game (Photo: Bethesda)

While recent entries have taken place in Washington DC, Boston and Las Vegas, 76 is set in rural West Virginia; a place of wild wilderness, mountains, forests and rivers. It is billed as the largest, most dynamic world yet to grace the franchise, with hundreds of locations and six distinct regions.

Announced gameplay features so far include base-building, crafting and trading, as well as the ability to unlock and use nuclear missiles.

There will be an early access 'BETA' version of the game available to those who pre-order it. You can find details here.

Oh, and the game will also feature giant radioactive sloths.

Why hello there (Photo: Bethesda)