With another QuakeCon in the books, Fallout fans are still processing all of the new information about Fallout 76 given this past weekend. One of the biggest new features detailed this past weekend has been the Fallout 76 perk cards system. The new system has intrigued fans with its promise of upgrading the character qualities seen in past Fallout titles, with more customization and flexibility between abilities. However, others have expressed fears about the perks system sharing a similarity to loot boxes seen in other games, which is usually tied to some sort of microtransaction system. In response to these concerns, Bethesda has now confirmed that these perk cards will not be locked behind a purchasing gate, be it with real or in-game currency.

VG 24/7 had a chance to talk to Pete Hines, Bethesda’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, after all of the big panels at QuakeCon which delivered new Fallout 76 information. It seems that whether or not perk cards would lead to a pay-to-win microtransaction situation was a big concern with their readers, along with those that watched the livestream. When asked to clarify if the cards could be purchased with real money, Hines said:

“No. You get them when you level up, every two levels – two, four, six, eight, ten – then after that, every five levels. You only get them as a reward for leveling up.”

Given that this Fallout iteration is the closest the series has gotten to a games as a service model, this quite succinct response will likely come as a relief to many who hoped to see the perks system not tied to micro-transactions. With perk cards not being available for purchase with real-world funds or in-game currency, this system will seemingly be balanced and fair for all players. We will hopefully learn more about perk cards before the game launches this November 14th for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Are you guys glad to hear that Fallout 76 perk cards cannot be purchased? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Fallout news, such as the comments by the Fallout: New California creator calling perk cards lame, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!