Former Bethesda marketing and publishing head, Pete Hines, who recently retired after Microsoft`s acquisition of ZeniMax, has opened up about what he considers his biggest misstep during his tenure at the company. He pointed to the infamous Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition bag controversy as “the dumbest thing I ever did.”
The $200 premium edition of Fallout 76 promised a high-quality canvas West Tek bag. However, buyers were disappointed upon receiving a much cheaper nylon bag instead. Hines explained that while he initially approved an edition without a canvas bag, someone later tried to “add more value” by including it. A “canvas shortage” then led to the substitution of nylon bags without his direct knowledge.
Hines expressed regret over his initial reaction, stating his biggest failure was not immediately pushing for the correct canvas bags to be sent to all affected players. He was still annoyed that the canvas bag was added in the first place without his approval and by the subsequent shortage. Bethesda`s initial attempt to compensate players with only 500 Atoms (approximately $5) was met with significant backlash. The company eventually rectified the situation by allowing purchasers who received a nylon bag to request a proper canvas replacement.
The article also touches on the ongoing life of Fallout 76, which continues to receive updates and is set to get more content inspired by the Prime Video Fallout TV series. Looking ahead, Bethesda is developing Fallout 5, though fans shouldn`t expect it anytime soon, as its release is slated to follow The Elder Scrolls VI.