Tonight the Fallout 76 beta was supposed to unlock for a few hours so players on Xbox One, PS4 and PC could test it out. Unfortunately for players on PC, for some reason many people saw the 50GB beta installation suddenly begin to redownload instead of unlocking -- a serious problem since it was only scheduled for access between 7 PM and 11 PM ET. Bethesda's support accounts haven't mentioned anything about extending the test period, so hopefully none of you were impacted -- otherwise you'll have to wait until November 1st between 2 and 7 PM ET for another shot.
Still, it could be worse -- this could have made it into a wide release, or just broken the game's AI for years until someone noticed.
Update: Bethesda just announced that as a result of this bug, it's extending the November 1st test session to run until 11 PM ET.
The investigation to the issue with PC B.E.T.A. downloads is still ongoing. We appreciate your patience while we continue to look into it. https://t.co/RFpbtuVs5Q
— Fallout (@Fallout) October 31, 2018
It was great seeing you in the #Fallout76 B.E.T.A. this weekend!
— Fallout (@Fallout) October 28, 2018
Join us again on October 30 when the B.E.T.A. is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. pic.twitter.com/0YylSQc8Xl
We know some users have been forced to redownload the #Fallout76 B.E.T.A. and not everyone will be able to enjoy the game tonight. To make good, we'll be extending the B.E.T.A. for everyone on Thursday, November 1, 2pm to 11pm ET.
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) October 31, 2018
Thanks for your patience. #ExtendtheBeta