Fallout 76 does not have an offline mode, which means that every time Bethesda wants to do some tinkering with the game it's likely going to be brought offline for server maintenance. If you've stumbled upon this little corner of the internet, we're willing to bet that Fallout 76 servers are currently offline for scheduled maintenance. Normally this happens when the team are rolling out a sizeable new hotfix for the game, or occasionally for the launch of a brand new season entirely.
Naturally, the instant reaction of most fans is to ask 'how long will servers will be down' or 'when the game will be back online'. That's likely why you're reading this very page. Well read on, we've got the answers for you.
How Long Will Fallout 76 Servers Be Down?
Bethesda will always try to avoid temporarily switching off servers to the game because they obviously want as many fans playing it as they can.
When that isn't possible and Fallout 76 does go offline for maintenance, it's normally down for several hours at a time. We imagine that's because it takes the team quite a bit of time to update the game and also because they're looking to do as much as possible in the window they've given themselves.
As we said, they don't want to bring it offline, and we're sure the team are working as fast as possible to get you back into the game ASAP.
That being said, in our experience of playing and writing about the game, it's not been unheard of for Fallout 76 maintenance to last anywhere between 4-5 hours; or more, on some rare occasions.
Tomorrow, July 18th at 10 am ET we will be bringing @Fallout 76 offline to apply an update. Please check here for updates!
— Bethesda Support (@BethesdaSupport) July 17, 2023
When Will Fallout 76 Be Back Online?
That's the golden question, but unfortunately, one which isn't easy to answer.
Sometimes Bethesda Support will notify players of when Fallout 76 servers are going offline, but they won't always provide clarity on how long updates or maintenance will last.
Sometimes, this is communicated on the Fallout 76 Discord channel, but that's not a given. Alternatively, you can also keep an eye on http://bethesda.net/status for more information during any maintenance period.
Do also keep in mind that when servers are switched back on, it's likely that you will be placed in a queue to get back into the game.
