Latest news with #Bethesda
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
‘A dog cemetery would not be treated like this': the fight to preserve Black burial grounds in the US
A large puddle of water and thickets of weeds cover a vacant lot in Bethesda, Maryland. A towering apartment complex overshadows the cracked asphalt, but Marsha Coleman-Adebayo is most concerned about what – and who – lies beneath. The nearly two-acre site in the Washington DC suburb covers the historic Moses Macedonia African Cemetery and another burial ground for enslaved people, with the oldest portion dating back to at least the mid-1800s. Hundreds of bones found there may be the remains of enslaved people and their descendants, while more bodies may lie under the parking lot of the Westwood Tower apartment complex. But like many resting grounds for Black Americans, its preservation is jeopardized by loss of its original community through gentrification and, now, encroaching development. And despite a recent federal law to protect Black cemeteries, they are vulnerable to neglect and eventual destruction. Coleman-Adebayo is the president of the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (Bacc), which since 2016 has aimed to save the site from further development and return the land to the descendant community. It plans to eventually erect a museum or monument there. She first learned about the cemetery a year earlier, when she attended a joint county park and planning commission meeting where she met a longtime resident who recalled playing in the long-forgotten cemetery as a child. Every week, Bacc members stage a protest at the McDonald's parking lot next door. Separated into several parcels, the portion of the burial ground that was leveled for Westwood Tower's parking lot in the 1960s is now owned by the housing opportunities commission of Montgomery county (HOC), which provides low-income housing. Another part of the cemetery, owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is overgrown with vegetation. A third section, held by the self-storage developer 1784 Capital Holdings, has incited ongoing Bacc protests since construction for a storage facility began in 2017. The burial site has turned into a legal battleground as the coalition has spent several years in court fighting the HOC. The dispute at Moses Macedonia African Cemetery serves to 'open up the conversation about what a major problem that African Americans are having at these sites,' said Michael Blakey, a National Endowment for the Humanities professor of anthropology, Africana studies and American studies at the College of William and Mary. For over a decade beginning in the 1990s, Blakey directed the African Burial Ground Project at Howard University, where he and a team of researchers analyzed more than 400 skeletal remains of enslaved and free Africans interred in New York City in the 17th and 18th centuries. His work was guided by the descendants' questions about their ancestors. 'Even when they assert their rights as a descendent community, it's a wrestling match with bureaucracies, sometimes even anthropologists,' he said. Burial rites reveal a society's values in life and in death, Blakey added. 'The desecration of Black cemeteries is a reflection, whether in slavery or in current development projects … of the lack of empathy with African Americans as complete human beings,' he said. 'And African Americans, from slavery to the present, have defended those cemeteries with sure knowledge of their full humanity and an insistence upon their dignity.' The Moses Macedonia African Cemetery in Bethesda; the Evergreen Cemetery in St Petersburg, Florida; and the Buena Vista plantation's burial ground in St James parish, Louisiana, demonstrate ongoing fights to preserve Black burial sites in the face of development throughout the US. Amid the scant oversight of Black cemeteries, a growing movement of descendant communities and their allies are protecting the grounds by documenting their existence, protesting development and performing genealogical research on the buried. On a rainy May evening, Coleman-Adebayo held a large white sign listing violations of what she considers a sacred space. 'Even a dog cemetery would not be treated like this,' she told the Guardian. As an Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower who sounded the alarm on US vanadium mining in South Africa in the 1990s, Coleman-Adebayo has a long history of activism. She also helped spearhead the No Fear Act, which discourages retaliation and discrimination in the federal government. Bacc contends that, during a 2020 excavation, a dump truck took earth from the cemetery to a landfill. Members followed and say they found 30 funerary objects including pieces of cloth, a hair pick and a tombstone. They have also demanded the return of 200 bones held by a consulting firm in a Gainesville, Virginia, warehouse to no avail. In August, a circuit court will hear a case in which Bacc and several other plaintiffs are requesting $40m in compensation from the HOC for emotional damage and to build a museum. Coleman-Adebayo looked somberly at the scaffolding erected by self-storage developer 1784 Capital Holdings. 'Look what they're building here on the bodies of African people,' Coleman-Adebayo said. 'How did they die? How did they live? What happened to them? And the county could care less because they're Black.' The HOC and 1784 Capital Holdings did not respond to requests for comment by publication date. The River Road community, an African American enclave linked to the cemetery, was a once bustling district with Black land ownership, a school and the Macedonia Baptist church, which opened in 1920. By the 1950s and 1960s, the area was zoned for commercial use. Now, Coleman-Adebayo's husband, the Rev Olusegun Adebayo, chairs Bacc's board and pastors the church, the only surviving institution of the historically Black community. Black cemeteries have long been threatened. In the 18th century, Blakey said, Black cemeteries were also used to dump waste from pottery factories and tanneries. Historian and anthropologist Lynn Rainville, who has researched Black cemeteries for 20 years, noted that Black bodies were dug up to use as cadavers for 19th-century medical research. But robbers rarely disinterred Black bodies to steal objects or jewelry, as they frequently did to Indigenous burial grounds. After the civil war, Black cemeteries were usually placed in areas with cheaper property values, which later became prime real estate for developers. Some Black cemeteries were also neglected following the great migration of the early 20th century, when 6 million Black people moved from the south to other parts of the US for economic opportunity and to escape racism. As a result, many Black people moved away from their ancestors' graves. 'The Black living communities have long since been forced out of there because of high taxes, high property values,' Rainville said. 'The cemetery is the last of what's left, and then it is at greatest risk.' The development at the Moses Macedonia African Cemetery shows that American society values certain bodies over others, said Rainville: 'If 2,000 prominent, wealthy people in Bethesda, Maryland, came forward and said, 'Hey, these are my relatives,' it would have been stopped by now. No one's digging up Thomas Jefferson, for example. There is a hierarchy of what and when in American society is considered OK to move.' During his travels and work throughout the world, Blakey found that development is the paramount threat to Black cemeteries. He recalled discussing with a Howard University colleague in the 1970s about how Black internment sites, he said, 'were the places developers were said to be most fond of because they knew they could dispose of them with greater ease'. A federal law similar to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which requires institutions and federal agencies to return human remains and artifacts to their descendant Indigenous tribes, does not exist for Black Americans, said Rainville. Signed into law in the 1990s, the NAGPRA came after hundreds of years of the desecration of Native American graves. In recent years, a national movement has emerged to protect Black graves by creating a law that parallels the NAGPRA. Enacted into law in 2022, the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act authorized the National Park Service to fund federal and state agencies, as well as non-profits' efforts, to research and preserve Black cemeteries. But the National Park Service told the Guardian that it has not awarded any grants so far, since Congress has not allocated money to the program. Seeing a need to prevent the erasure of African American burial grounds in her local community, University of South Florida anthropology chair and professor Antoinette Jackson created the Black Cemetery Network, a database of internment sites throughout the US. Of the 193 cemeteries listed on the site, Jackson said that up to 70% of them face preservation challenges, including threats from development, legal battles or lack of resources. A lack of Black political power in the early 20th century fueled neglect and subsequent loss of cemeteries through tax sales, she added. 'It was by design, because many of the ones that were lost were in what became a desirable area for that time,' Jackson said. 'Up until the 1965 Civil Rights Act, [Black political] representation wasn't there in many of these governmental agencies, committees and commissions. So, often, there was no one to defend them, and they were easily given away or changed hands without people really being aware.' She cites a 2021 Florida law that protects abandoned African American cemeteries as a potential model for other states. The law created a taskforce that identified and researched cemeteries, and led an advisory council that provides recommendations for their preservation. Research and academic institutions, non-profits and local governmental organizations may also apply for a grant of up to $50,000 to conduct historical and genealogical research, or to restore and maintain abandoned cemeteries. Jackson received that state grant to find the descendants of the Evergreen Cemetery – one of three graveyards buried under Interstate 175 and Tropicana Field, a St Petersburg stadium being considered for redevelopment. Through Jackson's work, St Petersburg city council member Corey Givens Jr learned that his great-great-great-uncle was buried in the historically Black cemetery. Givens wants the city to conduct a ground-penetrating radar survey of the site to see if any burials remain there. That was done for Oaklawn Cemetery, where mostly white people were interred and at least 10 possible graves were recently found. But the Florida department of transportation, which owns the property where Evergreen and another Black cemetery, Moffett, are located, has refused to allow a survey. Givens hopes that the descendants of people interred in Evergreen and Moffett will have a say in the future of the site. 'Do we just want to leave these bodies there? Or do we feel like we want to spend tax dollars and move these bodies elsewhere?' Givens told the Guardian. 'I really want the community to be in charge of this conversation. I want them to lead it because I don't trust the same governing body that said 'out of sight, out of mind'.' At the site of the Buena Vista plantation in St James parish, Louisiana, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Inclusive Louisiana environmental justice groups are using genealogical research of enslaved people buried on the land to fight the construction of a petrochemical facility. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Inclusive Louisiana learned through a public records request of the Louisiana division of archaeology's emails that a graveyard for enslaved Africans existed on the land where the Taiwanese company Formosa Plastics planned to construct a $9.4bn facility. Lenora Gobert, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade's genealogist, spent years researching the mortgage and conveyance records from plantation owner Benjamin Winchester to learn the names of the enslaved people buried there between 1820 and 1861. In 2024, the non-profit released a report detailing the lives of five enslaved people ages nine to 31. Among them was 18-year-old Betsy, who was buried on the plantation's edge and mortgaged by the Winchesters at least seven times in life and death. Anne Rolfes, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade's director, hopes that evidence of the graveyard will help further stall or cancel the development. She would like descendant communities to have a say in how the area is memorialized and programming that honors the area's history. 'How about we just stop all this petrochemical expansion? It destroys these really sacred places, and it's not economic development. It's destruction, massive disruption and illness,' Rolfes told the Guardian. 'So let's instead center this. That would preserve the communities. It would provide so many more jobs. It would be deeply meaningful. It would be a beacon to the rest of the country.' Meanwhile, in Bethesda, about 100 people attended Bacc's 'rebellion' on 19 June, Coleman-Adebayo said, during which the group featured poetry, dancing and speakers who talked about the struggle to protect the cemetery. Bacc also protested at the county's Juneteenth event on 21 June. At Bacc's Juneteenth event, member Joann SM Bagnerise received an award for her outstanding advocacy. Bagnerise, an 87-year-old from Dumfries, Virginia, has traveled over an hour each way to join the coalition's weekly protests for several years. During a recent May protest, she sat in a chair under an umbrella and said: 'The desecration of hallowed grounds is un-American.' The high-rise apartment at the center of the dispute towered behind her. 'There are young teenagers buried here,' she said. 'There are mothers and fathers.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Centrus Achieves Key Production Milestone with Delivery of 900 Kilograms of HALEU to the Department of Energy
BETHESDA, Md., June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Centrus Energy (NYSE American: LEU) today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, the American Centrifuge Operating, LLC, has produced and delivered 900 kilograms of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to the U.S. Department of Energy, reaching a critical milestone as the company pioneers first-of-a-kind HALEU production. With the successful production and delivery of the 900 kilograms, Centrus has achieved the production target for Phase II of its contract with the Department and to date has produced and delivered over 920 kilograms of HALEU to the Department under our contract with the Department. "Achievement of this milestone further demonstrates the ability of our technology to deliver results for our customers and for the nation," said Centrus Energy President and CEO Amir Vexler. "As the only source of HALEU enrichment in the Western world, our product is urgently needed to power the next generation of reactors. As we embark on the next phase of our HALEU production contract for the Department of Energy, we remain focused on the ultimate goal of expanding our capacity in Ohio so that we can meet the full range of America's commercial and national security requirements for HALEU as well as Low-Enriched Uranium for the existing reactor fleet." Centrus now proceeds to HALEU enrichment production under Phase III of our contract with the Department. On June 20, 2025, Centrus announced that it had secured a contract extension from the Department for an additional year of production through June 30, 2026 as part of Phase III of the contract. Phase III includes options for up to eight years of additional production beyond June 30, 2026; these options are at the Department's sole discretion and subject to the availability of appropriations. Centrus initiated its contract with the Department in 2019 and then continued in 2022 with a competitively-awarded, three-phase contract. Centrus finished Phase I in 2023 when it brought its cascade of advanced centrifuges into production in Piketon, Ohio, delivering an initial 20 kilograms of product to the Department. Phase II of the contract called for Centrus to produce 900 kilograms of HALEU by June 30, 2025. The HALEU produced under this contract belongs to the Department and can be used to advance key national priorities like enabling the demonstration and commercialization of HALEU-fueled advanced reactors. About Centrus Centrus Energy is a trusted American supplier of nuclear fuel and services for the nuclear power industry, helping meet the growing need for clean, affordable, carbon-free energy. Since 1998, the Company has provided its utility customers with more than 1,850 reactor years of fuel, which is equivalent to more than 7 billion tons of coal. With world-class technical and engineering capabilities, Centrus is pioneering production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium and is leading the effort to restore America's uranium enrichment capabilities at scale so that we can meet our clean energy, energy security, and national security needs. Find out more at Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "will", "should", "could", "would" or "may" and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management's current views and assumptions with respect to future events and operational, economic and financial performance. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For Centrus Energy Corp., particular risks and uncertainties (hereinafter "risks") that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements and which are, and may be, exacerbated by any worsening of the global business and economic environment include but are not limited to the following: risks related to the DOE not exercising options following the completion of Option 1a performance period of our agreement with the DOE to deploy and operate a cascade of centrifuges to demonstrate production of HALEU for advanced reactors (the "HALEU Operation Contract") or awarding a third party to continue the HALEU Operation Contract; risks related to changes to the U.S. government's appropriated funding levels for HALEU Operation Contract due to changes in U.S. government policy or other reasons; risks related to whether or when government funding or demand for HALEU for government or commercial uses will materialize and at what level; risks regarding funding for continuation and deployment of the American Centrifuge technology; risks related to (i) our ability to perform and absorb costs under our the HALEU Operation Contract, (ii) our ability to obtain new contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) our ability to obtain and/or perform under other agreements; risks that (i) we may not obtain the full benefit of the HALEU Operation Contract and may not be able or allowed to operate the HALEU enrichment facility to produce HALEU after the completion of the HALEU Operation Contract or (ii) the output from the HALEU enrichment facility may not be available to us as a future source of supply; risks related to pricing trends and demand in the uranium and enrichment markets and their impact on our profitability; risks related to DOE not issuing any major task orders to any contract awardee under any of the HALEU Production Contract, LEU Production Contract, or HALEU Deconversion Contract; risks related to the Company not winning a task order under the HALEU Production Contract, LEU Production Contract and HALEU Deconversion Contract to expand the capacity of the American Centrifuge plant; risks related to DOE not providing adequate share of the appropriated funding to the Company under any of the HALEU Production Contract, LEU Production Contract or HALEU Deconversion Contract; risks related to our ability to secure financing to expand our plant for LEU or HALEU or expand it to the level that would make it commercially viable; risks related to our inability to increase capacity for HALEU or LEU in a timely manner to meet market demand or our contractual obligations; risks related to DOE not awarding any contracts to the Company in response to the Company's future proposals; risks related to a government shutdown or lack of funding that could result in program cancellations, disruptions and/or stop work orders and could limit the U.S. government's ability to make timely payments, including under Executive Order 14158, and our ability to perform our U.S. government contracts and successfully compete for work including under the HALEU Operation Contract; risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy competitive enrichment technology; risks related to the potential for demobilization or termination of the HALEU Operation Contract; risks that we will not be able to timely complete the work that we are obligated to perform; risks related to the government's inability to satisfy its obligations, including supplying government furnished equipment necessary for us to produce and deliver HALEU under the HALEU Operation Contract and processing security clearance applications resulting from a government shutdown or other reasons; risks related to our inability to obtain the government's approval to extend the term of, or the scope of permitted activities under, our lease with the DOE in Piketon, Ohio; risks related to cybersecurity incidents that may impact our business operations; risks related to our inability to perform fixed-price and cost-share contracts such as the HALEU Operation Contract, including the risk that costs that we must bear could be higher than expected and the risk related to complying with stringent government contractual requirements; risks related to our inability to attract qualified employees necessary for the potential expansion of our operations in Oak Ridge, Tennessee or Piketon, Ohio; risks related to actions, including investigations, reviews or audits, that may be taken by the U.S. government, the Russian government, or other governments that could affect our ability to perform under our contractual obligations or the ability of our sources of supply to perform under their contractual obligations to us; risks related to our inability to perform and receive timely payment under our agreements with the DOE or other government agencies, including risks related to the ongoing funding by the government and potential audits; risks related to how aligned we may be, or perceived to be, with any political party, administration, or its policies based on our positions or our political action committee's advocacy; risks related to changes or termination of our agreements with the U.S. government or other counterparties, or the exercise of contract remedies by such counterparties; risks related to changes in the nuclear energy industry; risks related to the competitive bidding process associated with obtaining contracts, including government contracts; risks related to potential strategic transactions that could be difficult to implement, that could disrupt our business or that could change our business profile significantly; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings and other contingencies (including lawsuits and government investigations or audits); risks related to the impact of, or changes to, government regulation and policies or interpretation of laws or regulations, including by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the DOE, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; risks related to the recent U.S. federal government administration's reliance on executive orders to implement regulatory or trade policy and objectives, which could exacerbate regulatory or, private or public, financing unpredictability; and other risks discussed in this news release and in our filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this news release and in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, under Part II, Item 1A - "Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, and in our filings with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law. Contacts: Media: Dan Leistikow at LeistikowD@ Investors: Neal Nagarajan at NagarajanNK@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Centrus Energy Corp. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Get Well Appoints Michael Schram as Vice President, Health System Sales to Introduce AI Products and Accelerate Market Expansion
BETHESDA, Md., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Get Well , the leader in digital patient engagement, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Schram as Vice President of Health System Sales, where he will oversee all aspects of revenue expansion in its core market, including strategic partnerships, market development, and solution growth across Get Well's suite of digital engagement platforms including new AI products recently introduced at the 2025 Get Connected conference. Schram brings over 25 years of experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and enterprise sales, with a proven track record of leading go-to-market strategy, scaling revenue, and forging strong partnerships with leading health systems. His leadership will be instrumental in advancing the company's efforts to empower patients and enable care teams with intelligent, connected tools across the care continuum. "Mike's deep understanding of the healthcare ecosystem and his relentless focus on solving real-world problems with scalable technology solutions make him an ideal leader to drive our next phase of growth," said Michael O'Neil, Founder and CEO of Get Well. "Mike is a leader, a collaborator and a relentless growth leader who attracts top talent and earns the trust of health system leaders. We are so excited to welcome him back to Get Well as we introduce our new Precision Care platform and AI products as part of SAI Group, a global leader in enterprise AI." A familiar face to the company, Schram previously served in a senior leadership role at Get Well, where he led strategic growth initiatives across inpatient, ambulatory, and digital health markets, and has remained a trusted industry voice through executive positions at various leading healthcare organizations, and most recently, a healthcare startup focused on informed consent, blending emerging technologies with operational transformation for providers. "I'm thrilled to rejoin Get Well at a time when health systems are urgently seeking to modernize engagement and reduce friction across care journeys," said Schram. "As part of SAI Group, Get Well is uniquely positioned to accelerate the impact of enterprise AI capabilities and deliver the outcomes patients and providers need." Schram holds extensive experience navigating complex health system relationships and delivering enterprise solutions at scale. His appointment underscores Get Well's commitment to attracting top healthcare talent and delivering measurable results in care engagement, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes. About Get Well Now part of SAIGroup , Get Well is redefining digital patient engagement by putting patients in control of their healthcare, inside and outside the hospital. Get Well combines advanced AI navigation with high-touch care experiences to improve patient activation, loyalty, and outcomes and reduce the cost of care. Get Well serves more than 10 million patients annually at over 1,000 hospitals and clinical partner sites, using longitudinal data analytics to better serve patients and clinicians. Get Well's award-winning solutions were recognized again in 2024 by KLAS Research, Fierce Healthcare and AVIA Marketplace . Learn more about Get Well and follow us on LinkedIn . Media Contact– Chris Gale, Chris@ View original content: SOURCE Get Well Erreur lors de la récupération des données Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Diablo 4 Season 8 end date – when the game steps into a new content drop
The Diablo 4 Season 8 end date is fast approaching, meaning fans don't have long left to complete the content on offer before the ninth season begins in earnest Diablo 4 is set to receive more content in an upcoming update that remains shrouded in mystery, but regardless, many fans will be relieved to bid farewell to Season 8. In a broad sense, Diablo 4 Season 8 has been about endings, making its conclusion all the more fitting. Belial's Return introduced a revamped endgame, which was initially welcomed with open arms before launch – however, the season hasn't exactly been a hit with fans. Changes to the game's passes have left players feeling exploited for money, and complaints about dull missions and lacklustre efforts from developers have eroded Blizzard's goodwill among the most devoted Diablo fans. It's a challenging time, especially as other games are making their mark – players seeking co-op titles are trying out FBC: Firebreak's unique gameplay, and with the Nintendo Switch 2 launch library offering so much, it's surprising that many players haven't already abandoned ship. Things are looking a bit grim at the moment, but as Diablo continues to commit to its seasonal releases, there's still a lot of optimism that the game can rally for the upcoming ninth season. After all, the game made quite a splash at launch and demonstrated that Diablo can still hold its own in today's gaming world, despite a few early seasons struggling to validate the model's sustainability before getting back on track. New seasons are a gamble for Diablo fans, and it's clear that not everyone is convinced at this point. Perhaps the game should have taken a leaf out of Bethesda 's book and introduced a new fishing update like Fallout 76. However, more is coming as the end date for Diablo 4 Season 8 nears and a slew of secret, enigmatic changes are set to premiere in the game, hopefully giving it a fresh lease of life. But when exactly will we bid farewell to the current season? Here's what you need to know about the Diablo 4 Season 8 end date. READ MORE: PS Plus Essential July 2025 games reveal time, and when you can download the PS5 and PS4 titles Diablo 4 Season 8 end date The end date for Diablo 4 Season 8 is scheduled for Monday, June 30. This has been confirmed by an in-game day timer, which is counting down to this date. No specific time has been announced yet, but we're expected to find out by the end of the week. While there's still a lot to discover about the forthcoming ninth season, it's clear that the end date for Diablo 4 Season 8 is rapidly nearing. If you're a fan of the content it provided, then dive in while you have the chance – otherwise, prepare for fresh content.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I skipped Fallout 76 at launch — here's why I finally gave it a shot in 2025 (and you should too)
I love Fallout. Exploring a vast, post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with horrible enemies has always brought a smile to my face. I'm also prone to getting addicted to online looter shooter games like Destiny 2 and I even got sucked into The First Descendent. So when Fallout 76 came out, it should have been the game for me. But based on the negativity from Fallout fans when it launched, I passed. Now, it's 2025, and the game has been chugging along since 2018. It's had hours and hours of content added to it, and it's become closer to the Fallout experience I always hoped it could be. It doesn't have as much personality as the numbered Fallout games (and New Vegas), but it has one key factor that keeps me coming back: it's incredibly fun. Is 2025 finally the perfect time to lose yourself in the Appalachian wasteland? I think it just might be, and here's why. For me, one of the biggest reasons to jump back into Fallout 76 is the value. Because the game is a few years old, you can get it for cheap most of the time. Even at full price, the game is $39 on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox. It's on Game Pass and can often be picked up on sale, either from the first-party platform store or from retailers like Amazon. I've been primarily playing through Game Pass, as I have an active subscription. The ridiculous number of quests and vast wilderness available to explore make it feel like a game that should cost a lot more. I've played more than 40 hours of the game in a few weeks, and it feels like there are a million more quests for me to do and powerful items to find. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. And then there's the building mechanics... Fallout 76 offers a lot of content for the price. You can spend hundreds of hours exploring the wastelands if you like the game, so you'll certainly get your money's available on: Xbox and PlayStation I was a little worried that Fallout 76 might not be fun without a group of friends to play with. My normal group of looter shooter friends has dispersed between various games, with a few still hanging onto Destiny 2. Getting them to try Fallout 76 was a no-go, so it was just me rolling solo (and playing with randoms). Fortunately, after grinding my way past level 50, I can say that I'm having a blast without friends. Friends or not, the core loop of shooting enemies, looting their corpses and leveling up your character is fun and addictive, which is what you want to see from a game like Fallout 76. Whether you play a V.A.T.S. character or one who sprays all over the place, there's a lot of fun to be had in Bethesda's semi-MMO version of Fallout. While the Bethesda game may not have the official Steam Deck badge, in my experience, the game works just fine. And best of all, you don't need to do anything crazy with the settings to get it working. All I did was install the game and launch it. No startup tweaks and no crazy settings to change. Just run it and go. It's not perfect — the frame rate is lower than a traditional gaming PC or console, but the fact that I can play my current looter-shooter addiction while my family does other stuff with the TV is amazing. Now, if only there were a way to transfer characters between platforms (there isn't and probably never will be). Bethesda offers a quality of life (QOL) subscription for Fallout 76 that provides things like scrap and ammo storage, preventing you from having to deal with the headache of encumbrance as much. It costs $99.99 per year or $12.99 per month. I signed up for a month, and it's great to have if you're playing a ton of the game. However, I played all the way to level 50 without it, and it was fine. Will I keep my subscription after the first month? Probably, because I'm incredibly addicted to the game and I like the QOL changes. But I could also live without it, and I think you can, too. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm late to the Fallout 76 party. Players around the world have already known how good the game was for some time, and I'm just walking in like a beginner trying to tell people the game is good. Are there bugs? Sure. Does it crash occasionally? Of course, it's a Bethesda game. Do any of those things stop me from loving the game and wanting to finish this article to play more of it? Not even close.
