Bloody Hell, Fallout: London's Not Budging on Next-Gen (Unless Consoles Get a Miracle)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Team FOLON, the masterminds behind the colossal Fallout: London mod, are firmly sticking to their guns, refusing to port their creation to Fallout 4's 'next-gen' update due to instability, unless, by some miracle, Bethesda enables truly massive console mods.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're tinkering with something genuinely brilliant, maybe a spell that reshapes reality or a mod that brings an entire new continent to life, and then suddenly the ground shifts beneath your feet? Yeah, well, that's pretty much been the saga for Team FOLON, the digital wizards behind the absolutely colossal *Fallout: London* mod. Fresh off dropping their first DLC, `Rabbit and Pork`, the team has made it crystal clear: don't hold your breath for a next-gen port of their masterpiece to the latest version of *Fallout 4*. And honestly, mate, I reckon they're dead right.
Now, for those who've been living under a rock (or perhaps just haven't tried to play *Fallout: London* yet), here's the lowdown. When this ambitious take on a post-apocalyptic English capital first graced our PCs last summer, players had to do a bit of digital gymnastics. Specifically, you needed to downgrade your copy of *Fallout 4* to an older iteration, pre-dating Bethesda's rather sudden 'next-gen' update that arrived in April 2024. This update, which landed like a super mutant out of nowhere just before *Fallout: London*'s initial planned release, threw a massive spanner in the works for the modding team. After a brief delay to figure out their options, they made the pragmatic call to stick with the older, more stable version of the game.
And why, you ask? Well, it's not because they lack the arcane knowledge to wave their wands and make it happen. Project lead Dean ‘Prilladog’ Carter, in a rather frank Discord message that Mark Warren over at Rock Paper Shotgun first brought to light (cheers for the scoop, Mark!), summed it up perfectly: "We have the skill to put it on the next-gen [version], we just do not want to." Sounds like a firm, no-nonsense stance, doesn't it?
Prilladog then laid bare the rather messy truth, explaining that the current 'next-gen' iteration of *Fallout 4* is still riddled with issues that Bethesda Game Studios – bless their cotton socks – haven’t quite got around to fixing. And what's more, any future updates they might decide to push out "on a whim" could very well break the mod all over again. Blimey, you can almost hear the collective sigh of every dedicated modder trying to build stable content on what sounds like shifting digital quicksand. It's a classic tale, isn't it? The grand architect releases an update, and suddenly all the custom-built extensions start wobbling like a jelly baby in an earthquake. So, with that in mind, Team FOLON has wisely decided they have "no plan to move it to the next-gen."
Fair dinkum, you'd think 'next-gen' would mean smoother sailing, wouldn't you? More stability, better tools, a pathway for these incredibly talented community creators to flourish without constantly worrying about their foundations being kicked out from under them. But no, sometimes 'newer' just means 'more complicated' – especially when you're dealing with a living, breathing game that gets patched by the mothership without much warning. It's a stark reminder that while game updates are often pitched as universally beneficial, they can sometimes create significant headaches for the unsung heroes of the modding community, whose passion often keeps games alive and vibrant long after official development winds down.
Now, there is one small, shimmering beacon of hope in this whole saga, a bit of a 'what if' scenario that tickles my curious brain. Prilladog did mention one thing that could change their minds: "If however, BGS allows console access for mods of this scale, then that is a potential different conversation." Hold on a sec – console mods of *this* scale? We're talking about a mod that essentially builds a whole new game inside *Fallout 4*. The restrictions and limitations for console mods have historically been tighter than a gnat's chuff compared to the Wild West of PC modding. To make *Fallout: London* possible on consoles, in all its sprawling, complex glory, would require a frankly monumental shift in how Bethesda handles console modding. It's more of a pipedream at this point, a magical possibility rather than a concrete plan. But still, the door's not entirely bolted shut, which for an optimistically chaotic chap like me, is pretty exciting to ponder. Imagine the chaos, the sheer joy, of firing up a mod of this magnitude on your Xbox or PlayStation! A wizard can dream, eh?
So, what does this actually mean for you, the intrepid wasteland explorer yearning for a trip across the pond? Well, for now, if you fancy checking out *Fallout: London* and its freshly dropped `Rabbit and Pork` DLC, downgrading your PC copy is still your only option. If you're one of the clever clogs who bought *Fallout 4* via GOG, you're in luck; that storefront has a built-in downgrader, making things relatively smooth. For the rest of us with Steam copies, you'll need to employ the downgrader mod that Team FOLON themselves released – a testament to their dedication to getting their creation into players' hands, even if it means doing Bethesda's legwork. And yes, a fresh save is also a requirement when you first dive into the new DLC content. A small price to pay, perhaps, for such an expansive adventure.
Ultimately, this whole situation isn't just about one mod, is it? It’s a microcosm of the dynamic, often unpredictable relationship between massive game studios and the passionate, ingenious modding communities that expand and extend their creations. Team FOLON's steadfast refusal to jump onto Bethesda's 'next-gen' bandwagon, despite having the skills, speaks volumes about the value of stability and the frustrations of building upon an ever-shifting foundation. It highlights the immense effort and dedication these modders pour into their work, often navigating challenges that official developers, with all their resources, sometimes create unintentionally. It's a cautionary tale wrapped in a celebration of player-driven innovation. Here's hoping Bethesda decides to play ball, or at least stops moving the goalposts so often, because these community projects are often where the real magic happens.
**Source:** This compelling insight into Team FOLON's stance was originally reported by Mark Warren for Rock Paper Shotgun.
Tags: Fallout 4, Modding, Gaming Industry, Community, Bethesda
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun