There’s a new controversy in the world of Fallout 76 , and it has to do with some paid add-ons. Normally, most of the paid add-ons in the game are cosmetic. They don’t help you play and “win” at all. But now, two real cash items have appeared that offer distinct gameplay advantages: the Collectron Station and Refrigerator.
Both of these items are only available in the Atomic Shop. That’s where you can spend the Atoms you earn gradually while playing or buy in bundles to purchase special items. Both the Collectron and Refrigerator are in there. The former is 500 Atoms, while the latter costs 700. 500 Atoms cost $4.99, while a 1,000 bundle with 100 bonus Atoms is $9.99. So, both would cost you $15.
The Collectron is designed to speed up gathering. If you have one, it sends out robots to get junk and scrap. That way, you don’t have to. The Refrigerator can make a big difference for food preservation and storage. It not only holds items, but will keep them from spoiling as fast as usual. As such, both offer gameplay benefits. Which upsets people, as previously almost all Atomic Shop items were cosmetic and Bethesda promised it would stay that way.
These two items aren’t the first non-cosmetic additions to the Fallout 76 Atomic Shop. Back in April 2019, Repair Kits were added to the game. These were a requested addition. While the Improved Repair Kits, which repair things to 150% condition, are only available as rewards, people can earn or pay Atoms for Basic Kits that immediately repair one item to 100% condition. People argued this was the start of pay-to-win mechanics in the game, as otherwise you have to gather materials for repairs.
Source: Reddit