Fallout 76 plans to introduce World Pets on December 1, with companions players can name, customize and direct using attack, defend and follow commands. The October announcement also promises companion levels and unique perks to unlock.
Dogs, cats, Radhogs and a Deathclaw are among the companions named in the official announcement on Steam. These are examples of the choices announced, rather than a complete catalogue. The December 1 date is given without a year or launch time.
A Deathclaw you can name and direct
Players will be able to choose a companion, give it a name and customize its appearance. Choosing between a dog, a cat, a Radhog and a Deathclaw is therefore only part of the customization announced: players will also be able to personalize their chosen companion.
The commands give that choice a gameplay dimension. Attack, defend and follow are the announced instructions, allowing players to direct their companion as well as choose how it looks. Naming and appearance establish its identity; orders address what players want it to do.
Those commands suggest a role in combat as well as companionship. Their labels alone, however, do not establish how a creature selects targets or responds to danger. The practical value of issuing an order will depend on how those behaviours work during play.
Levels and perks add progression to the choice
Companions will also gain levels and have unique perks to unlock. This gives World Pets a progression component alongside customization and commands: choosing a creature establishes a starting point, while levels and unlocks provide a way to develop it. The announcement does not specify the pace of that progression or the conditions for unlocking perks.
For players choosing primarily by appearance, the named animals offer several possibilities. For those choosing by usefulness, perk effects will matter more than the creature's name. A Deathclaw's inclusion does not establish that it will outperform a dog, and the announcement provides no basis for ranking the companions.
World Pets combines a personalized companion with commands and progression, giving players choices about both appearance and behaviour. The update is scheduled for December 1; how companions respond to orders and what their unlockable perks do will determine their practical role during play.
See also the Fallout 76 game page, our article on Fallout 76: the October 20 patch increases Scrip for and our article on Fallout 76: on the Steam PTS, only the leader can launch.
