Fallout 76 is getting its biggest update in years with Burning Springs, introducing the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Ohio into the mix. This past year has seen Fallout 76 get several large updates, like The Ghoul Within and Gone Fission, but Burning Springs is an even greater change for the game, as it expands its Appalachian setting further.
The Burning Springs update brings plenty of new features to Fallout 76, but one familiar face for some fans is a particularly exciting addition: The Ghoul from Amazon’s live-action series. The Ghoul proved to be a fan favorite, so it makes sense for the character to be added to Fallout 76 as an official NPC, but it also opens a door for other series cameos, and that may not be as beneficial as it sounds.
Spoilers ahead for Fallout Season 1.
After Burning Springs' Ghoul Cameo, Fallout 76 Could Introduce Even More Fallout Series Characters, But Should It?
How Does The Ghoul Play Into Fallout 76's World?
Burning Springs will be introducing an official Bounty Hunting system to Fallout 76, and that’s where The Ghoul comes into play. He serves as the host for such missions, which is fitting. It’s a clever way to tie the show and the game’s universe together in a small way, but it could also set the stage for more intertwined points of lore. This could be exciting in its own right, but for Fallout fans who are unfamiliar with the Amazon series, The Ghoul’s appearance may fall flat for some. Forced cameos for the sake of fan service can quickly feel awkward, but beyond that, The Ghoul is one of the few character cameos that would actually work.
Walton Goggins will be reprising his role as The Ghoul in Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 Adding More Series Cameos Might Be a Timeline Nightmare
- Fallout 76 takes place in the year 2102, 25 years after the Great War.
- The Fallout TV series is set in 2296.
There are nearly 200 years between Fallout 76 and the Fallout series, so this immediately takes main characters like Lucy and Maximus out of the running for future cameos. Since Fallout 76 takes place 25 years after the bombs drop, it’s the earliest game in the timeline. There are a few characters in the Fallout series who survive the Great War, but for the most part, many of the show’s roster consists of people who were born post-war.
Apart from The Ghoul, Moldaver may be the best Fallout series character to use for a cameo. The series has yet to reveal how she’s managed to live so long. Considering that she’s a brilliant scientist, it’s possible that she invented a life-extending formula, or she could have found her own Vault-Tec-free way to achieve cryosleep, which would make a Fallout 76 cameo null and void. If she were to be included in Fallout 76, though, it would have major implications for the show’s lore, which could prove controversial.
On the one hand, there are Fallout 76 players who may not be interested in learning the show’s lore, and on the other hand, there are Fallout series fans who may feel cheated if important details are hidden within a game and not in Season 2 itself.
Burning Springs introduces an intelligent Super Mutant known as the Rust King.
Fallout is Ending the Year With a One-Two Punch
- Fallout Season 2 premieres on December 17, 2025.
- Fallout 76‘s Burning Springs is also set for this December.
Burning Springs may not have a release date set in stone, but it’s clearly timed to be alongside Fallout Season 2’s launch. Fallout‘s second season is an exciting promise, and while The Ghoul coming to Fallout 76 is a fun reveal, it may be best to avoid going overboard with such crossovers.