The pre-beta stress test for Fallout 76 is coming soon, here's how (maybe)

Bethesda will hold a beta version of Fallout 76 before the end of the game in November. The first stage will begin Oct. 23 for the Xbox One, but some fans will have the chance to try it even sooner. Bethesda announced that before the launch of the beta, some Xbox initiates will be able to participate in a limited resistance test that will begin this weekend to help the studio prepare for the launch of the beta.

Resistance test takers will be selected from a group of players who pre-ordered Fallout 76 for Xbox One and who are also members of the Xbox Insider program. Meeting these two criteria does not guarantee you a place, but puts you in the running. Starting on Saturday, October 13th, you will be able to check if you had access to the resistance test by checking the Xbox Insider Insider Content tab.

All of this comes with a few caveats. This is reserved for North American players and you will also need to be a member of Xbox Live Gold as it is an online game. Participants will be submitted to an NDA and your progress in the resistance test will not be saved. The beta release scheduled for later this month is an entirely separate application. You can not be successful either.

If these seem foolish and you have already pre-ordered the game, it might be better to wait for the full beta. It will begin October 23 on Xbox One and will follow on PC and PS4 a week later, October 30. Even if you have pre-ordered the game, you will not be able to go to the test the moment it starts. Bethesda plans to send invitations in waves, with a relatively small number of guests to start. You can read more about how and when it will unfold in our beta guide.

The Xbox Insider program is a free option for owners of Xbox One, which lets you familiarize yourself with the first software tests for upcoming firmware, so you can share your feedback. You can find more instructions on the official website.