Fallout 76: Burning Springs DLC—Release Window, How To Play, and What Walton Goggins Has To Do With It

Bethesda is finally taking another big swing at Fallout 76. The next expansion, Burning Springs, folds in fresh challenges, a new bounty-hunting loop, and a crossover with the Fallout TV show that does not feel tacked on. Yes, that means The Ghoul shows up in-game, and it looks like their most seamless TV-to-game integration yet.

Release window, platforms, and the early peek

In a new Dev Chat video on Bethesda's YouTube channel, the studio confirmed that Fallout 76: Burning Springs is launching in early December 2025 as a free major update. No separate DLC purchase, no platform carve-outs — once it drops, everyone on every platform gets it.

If you want to poke around ahead of time, the Public Test Servers went live on October 2, 2025. The PTS lets you roam a Fallout-ified take on Ohio, try the bounty-hunting mechanics, and see how Walton Goggins' character is woven into the mix. There is no exact day in December yet, but the window conveniently lines up with the Season 2 premiere of the Fallout TV series.

How to jump in

• Play now on the Public Test Servers: Since October 2, 2025, enrolled players can explore the new map and systems. Standard PTS caveat: things you see there can change before launch.
• Wait for the final release: When the update lands in December, make sure your game is fully patched. To kick off the expansion content, start the 'Ohio Distress Signal' quest. Heads up: it only unlocks for players who are level 30 or higher.

Yes, that Ghoul

Walton Goggins returns as Cooper Howard — better known as The Ghoul — but this time as a proper in-game NPC and quest giver. Bethesda says Goggins was already a fan, and building the new bounty system around him just made sense.

To square the TV show's continuity with Fallout 76's earlier in-game timeline, they lean into the lore of ghoulification — The Ghoul has made it through centuries thanks to radiation. It is a bit inside baseball, but it cleanly bridges the show and the game.

In Appalachia, you will find him at Highway Town's Last Resort, where he acts as your bounty master. He doles out two flavors of contracts: 'Grunt Hunts' (lower stakes) and 'Head Hunts' (higher risk, bigger payoff). Rewards include his signature weapon and gear tuned for ghoul builds.

Why this drop matters

Burning Springs is shaping up to be one of Fallout 76's most ambitious updates in a while: new challenges, a proper bounty-hunting loop, and a fresh Ohio zone to chew through — plus a TV crossover that actually feels integrated instead of a marketing cameo. If you are not level 30 yet, consider this your reminder to grind now so you are ready when December hits.