Fallout 76 may get pets in future according to project lead Jeff Gardiner

An image of Dogmeat from Fallout 4
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Now that NPCs have arrived in Fallout 76 thanks to the free Wastelanders update, pets might be coming to Appalachia in future too. 

The question of whether pets will be coming to Fallout 76 came up during a Reddit AMA with project lead Jeff Gardiner and lead designer Ferret Baudoin. Reddit user AzarianCouncil asked the developers "are pets coming soon?" 

Gardiner replied, "Edible ones? I Kid. Now that we have our companions system in the game, we are looking to add pets as well." 

While there's no suggestion of when the pets may arrive in Bethesda's post-apocalyptic online RPG, it looks like the studio has been paying some thought to the addition already. When Fallout 76 first launched, it was completely devoid of NPCs, and players had to find quests from holotapes and terminals. This left the game feeling a little hollow and really changed the atmosphere of the world in comparison to other Fallout games in the series. 

The free Wastelanders update that recently went live significantly changed up the game by quite literally breathing new life into the world with the addition of NPCs, companions, and the reintroduction of the dialogue system the Fallout series is so well known for. 

Not only that, but the big free update also adds factions, and new main story quests, as well as introducing new enemies, items, and updated locations. Pets really would be just the right touch to bring the experience together. I mean, who doesn't want an adorable little buddy following them around as you explore the wastelands? It'll be exciting to see what pets get added if and when they do. 

Here's why Fallout 76 Wastelanders is a huge overhaul and shows Bethesda is ready to do whatever it takes

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at 12DOVE. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good. 

Latest in Fallout
Fallout overseer
Original Fallout creator says he "pushed" for a happy ending with "cake and balloons" instead of the RPG's downbeat finale
Fallout
Disco Elysium lead says original Fallout is an RPG "that's almost Biblical in its annihilation," making "other post-apocalyptic worldbuilding seem like an amusement park"
Fallout 4 mod Fallout London screenshot showing a ruinous post-apocalyptic Camden
As if Fallout: London wasn't already big enough, its devs now say the mod's "first DLC is getting closer" with "more surprises" to come
mister burke sat in a beige suit, black tie, white shirt, and black hat and shades
Bethesda fans raise $140k for prolific VA's medical bills as Bethesda describes him as "an incredibly talented and instrument part of our games"
Fallout: New Vegas mod Fallout: Nuevo Mexico
After 4 years, Fallout: New Vegas' massive New Mexico mod is canceled: "Continuing forward simply isn't sustainable"
MTG
30 years later, Fallout creator Tim Cain is searching for a legendary D&D player who cheesed an entire competitive dungeon with a lightning-fast Monk build
Latest in News
Daredevil recap: The Defenders
Marvel fans are discussing which of the Netflix series characters would have survived the Blip
A misty, forested mountainside in Prologue: Go Wayback!
PUBG creator's wilderness survival game actually draws inspiration from an unexpected place - a whole raft of zombie games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, and Left 4 Dead
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil fans are wondering if Born Again season 2 will set up a darker comic book arc for Matt Murdock
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025
Balatro screenshot showing an assortment of card packs
Balatro creator initially considered a Steam release in part to help "get a game developer job somewhere," and after 5 million sales I'd say he found one