Will Fallout 76's Economy Evolve? Don't Expect Auction Houses or Cap Increases Anytime Soon

The economy in Fallout 76 has become an intricate web of trades, bartering, and resource exchanges. For newcomers, the depths of this system might not be immediately apparent, as much of the action takes place outside the game itself on platforms like Reddit or even marketplaces such as eBay.

During a recent interview with Bill LaCoste, Production Director for Fallout 76, we discussed the current state of the in-game economy and what players can, and cannot, expect in the future. If you’re hoping for changes like a cap increase or more structured trading systems, you may need to temper those expectations.

No Cap Increases in Sight

Many players engaged in the in-game economy have been asking whether the cap limit will be increased or if additional currencies like bullion and scrip will become tradeable. According to LaCoste, changes in these areas aren’t in the cards for now.

“Something like that in the short term? No. There’s no increase to the cap limit or being able to trade some of the more hard currency. In terms of the ones we don't allow you to trade, like bullion and scrip, nothing like that right now,” LaCoste explained. “Some will have new mods or mods that this person doesn't have, and they'll trade between them. They'll trade a combination of caps, but also, like you said, flux. There's a bartering system that's kind of happening between players.”

LaCoste also highlighted the increased trading activity since the introduction of the legendary crafting system. “We’ve actually seen an increase in trades. Just looking at the data, like, a lot of players didn’t really engage in the trading system a lot… But now that we’ve got the legendary crafting system in there, we’ve actually seen a lot more trades happen between players.”

For now, LaCoste was adamant that Bethesda’s approach is to monitor the data and observe how player behaviors evolve. While the team acknowledges questions around whether the current cap limit of 40,000 is too restrictive, they haven’t reached a decision on if an increase is warranted yet.

Trading Outside the Game: A Gray Area

With no immediate plans for new trading mechanisms or cap increases, the gray markets for Fallout 76 items are likely to remain active. However, this isn’t exactly what Bethesda envisions for the game’s economy.

“We would prefer all the trading to happen in game,” LaCoste emphasized. “The legendary crafting system that was released in 54 actually did make a dent in at least the pricing of some of those weapons that you would find on Etsy or Ebay. And that’s been good to see. But yeah, we would rather the players be able to do this inside the game.”

Trading outside the game can lead to issues such as scams, unreliable sellers, or overpriced items, and Bethesda hopes to address these challenges in the future. “We shouldn’t have to force people to go outside the game to get this stuff. So all things that we’re looking at going forward, we’ll figure out something, but we have to look at the data first,” he added.

Auction Houses: A No-Go

For those hoping for more streamlined trading options like an auction house or bazaar, LaCoste’s comments were clear: don’t count on it.

“There will probably never be an auction house. Same with a mail system,” he stated. Instead, Bethesda plans smaller improvements to the current system. For instance, they are adding indicators to show when a vendor has a four-star item available. However, more detailed functionality, such as listing specific items, is not on the horizon.

What Lies Ahead

While there are no major overhauls planned for Fallout 76’s economy, Bethesda’s focus remains on observing player behavior and fine-tuning systems where possible. For now, players will need to rely on their ingenuity to navigate the current trading landscape, whether through bartering with flux or utilizing the game’s vendors.

As Fallout 76 continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Bethesda balances player-driven economies with in-game tools. One thing is clear: for now, the future of trading in Fallout 76 is very much in the hands of its players.