Bethesda has revealed some information about the new reputation system that will be introduced to Fallout 76 when the expansion Wastelanders arrives (though when that will be is still unknown). The reputation system, as outlined, doesn't feel particularly groundbreaking, but the idea of a faction in Fallout 76 that isn't just robots and monsters is, frankly, very welcome at this point.

As you might have guessed, your reputation with the two major human factions, the marauders and the settlers, starts at rock bottom. They don't know you and don't trust you. You are probably wrapped in power armor and have a small weapon in your pants. But if you show them that you are a good neighbor, you will soon change their opinion of you.

"The more you act to help a faction, whether by providing information, defeating enemies, or completing quests, the more you prove that you are someone they can count on, and the more your reputation with that faction grows," Bethesda says. Eventually, you will move up seven different reputational "ranks," including hostile, cautious, neutral, friendly, and ally."

We don't know how voluminous these new quests and tasks will be, but the fact that there are seven levels of reputation suggests that they are not something you can just breeze through in an afternoon, which sounds promising. The size of the task determines the reputation gained, so completing a faction's story quest may give a massive reputation boost, while a faction-based daily challenge may give only a small reputation boost.

As rank increases, faction vendors will sell a "wider range of products". (I ❤️ Raiders' t-shirts, anyone?). And, of course, you may offend these factions, damage their reputations, or even cause one or both to openly antagonize you. Could things get so negative between you and one faction that the relationship cannot be repaired and they become permanently hostile? We don't know yet.

Again, none of this sounds much different from other reputation systems we've seen in the past, but as we learn more about Wastelanders, I'm getting a little more interested. Next week, Bethesda will release a new trailer for Wastelanders, and I expect a release date to be announced along with it.