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Fallout 76 1.62 patch notes: All changes in Test Your Metal update

Master Fallout 76's Test Your Metal update: New events, Season 9 strategies, and critical gameplay improvements explained

  • 8c77a5 Published on 2026-03-31
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Master Fallout 76’s Test Your Metal update: New events, Season 9 strategies, and critical gameplay improvements explained

Fallout 76 Update 1.62: Test Your Metal Overview

Bethesda’s substantial 1.62 update for Fallout 76, dubbed “Test Your Metal,” launched on June 14 across all platforms, fundamentally reshaping the Appalachian wasteland experience.

This comprehensive patch delivers three entirely new Public Events that challenge even veteran players, while simultaneously introducing Season 9: “Heart of Steel” with its Dread Island narrative. Beyond fresh content, the update addresses longstanding player concerns with quality-of-life enhancements and substantial combat system rebalancing.

Fallout 1st subscribers receive particularly meaningful upgrades, including accelerated Scoreboard progression mechanics and exclusive bonus challenges. The download size varies by platform, with PC players through the Microsoft Store requiring 26.3 GB of space—plan your update timing accordingly to avoid missing the initial event rotation window.

New Public Events: Strategic Breakdown and Rewards

Update 1.62 introduces three mechanically distinct Public Events designed to test different aspects of player capability. Until June 28, Bethesda has implemented a special rotation schedule to ensure maximum participation: one of the three new events triggers every hour on the hour, while the 20 and 40-minute marks feature random selections from the full event pool.

Pro Tip: Mark your in-game clock or set external reminders for the top of each hour to guarantee access to these new events during this limited-time rotation period. After June 28, standard random scheduling resumes every 20 minutes.

  • Test Your Metal – Robotic Arena Combat: Located at the Metal Dome north of Fort Atlas, this event pits you alongside three Brotherhood “Gladiators of Steel” against waves of Rust Eagle combat robots. Strategic positioning is crucial—protect the NPC gladiators to increase rare reward chances, including the new Botsmith Armor plans. Prioritize eliminating the Golden Eyebot when it appears for bonus Caps, and conserve Stimpaks for reviving fallen allies.
  • Eviction Notice – High-Level Super Mutant Defense: This Savage Divide event near Foundation demands coordinated team play. The central mechanic involves defending the Rad Scrubber while simultaneously destroying Super Mutant meat bags to reduce reinforcements. Common Mistake: Focusing solely on defense while meat bags continuously spawn enemies. Split your team with dedicated meat bag destroyers and scrubber defenders. Success rewards Settler reputation and a chance at six unique 3-star legendary weapons.
  • Moonshine Jamboree – Gulper Harvesting Frenzy: At Sunday Brothers Cabin in The Mire, this event combines resource collection with base defense. Collect Acidic Gulper Venom (30 minimum, 60 for bonus rewards) while protecting three vulnerable Stills. Optimization Tip: Designate players with high-damage area-effect weapons for Gulper elimination while others focus on venom collection and Still defense. Completion grants Raider reputation, the Gulper Smacker melee weapon, and Gulpershine consumables that boost damage against Gulpers.

    • Season 9: Heart of Steel Progression System

    Season 9 introduces the “Heart of Steel: A Dread Island Tale” Scoreboard, following survivors Anna and Emilio Franklin stranded with their assaultron protector H-4RT. Beyond the narrative delivered through six new Pirate Radio Station plays, the progression system receives substantial mechanical improvements.

    Rewards follow the established pattern of weapon paints, armor cosmetics, Power Armor skins, C.A.M.P. items, outfits, and consumables, but with enhanced acquisition pathways for Fallout 1st members.

  • Fallout 1st S.C.O.R.E. Acceleration: Members can claim three permanent S.C.O.R.E. Boosts at ranks 15 (+5%), 50 (+10%), and 75 (+10%). These apply additively to base Challenge rewards but don’t multiply with Double S.C.O.R.E. weekends. Strategic Insight: Complete easier daily challenges before unlocking boosts, then tackle weekly challenges after acquiring them for maximum efficiency.
  • Bonus Challenge System: Exclusive Fallout 1st Daily and Weekly Challenges appear alongside standard ones, providing additional S.C.O.R.E. streams without replacing existing challenges.
  • Enhanced Reward Visibility: Scoreboard ranks with gold rings indicate Fallout 1st exclusive rewards. Hovering displays both standard and premium rewards side-by-side, allowing informed progression decisions.

    • Advanced Player Strategy: Combine S.C.O.R.E. Boosts with Double S.C.O.R.E. weekends for explosive progression. For example, a 100 S.C.O.R.E. challenge during a bonus weekend with all three boosts yields 225 S.C.O.R.E. (100 base + 100 weekend bonus + 25 boost). Schedule your most time-intensive challenges for these periods.

    Critical Combat & Quality of Life Improvements

    The most technically significant changes in Update 1.62 involve fundamental combat system reworks and long-requested quality-of-life features.

    Corpse Highlighting – Looting Revolutionized: Enabled by default in Display settings, this feature eliminates the frustrating search for fallen enemies in dense vegetation or complex terrain. Corpses glow visibly until inspected. Customization Tip: Adjust the setting to determine when highlights disappear—either after quick-look crosshair hover or full inventory inspection—based on your looting preferences.

  • Critical Hit Overhaul: All critical damage bonuses now function additively rather than multiplicatively, with compensatory increases across numerous systems:
    • Better Criticals Perk Card: Now provides +50/75/100% per rank (up from +20/30/40%)—essential for critical-focused builds.
    • Receiver Modifications: Standard Receivers grant +100% (was +68%), Auto Receivers +50% (was +36%).
    • Mutation & Consumable Buffs: Eagle Eyes mutation increases to +60% (was +25%), with Stranger In Numbers perk boosting to +75%. Consumables like Blight Soup now provide +50% (was +20%).
    • Weapon-Specific Magazines: All critical damage magazines now provide +100% bonuses (was +30%).

    • Build Impact: Critical-focused builds using VATS benefit enormously from these changes. Combine Better Criticals rank 3 (+100%) with Eagle Eyes mutation (+60%) and Blight Soup (+50%) for +210% additive critical damage before weapon modifiers. This represents a substantial power increase for precision playstyles.

  • VATS Reliability Fixes: Multiple issues addressed including guaranteed critical hits actually landing, random VATS closure during clear line-of-sight, and problems targeting robotic enemies. Missile Launchers now properly fill critical meters in VATS.
  • Stealth Gameplay Correction: Silenced weapons no longer instantly break stealth when fired—a fundamental fix for stealth archer and sniper builds.
  • Perk Card Adjustments: Mr. Sandman’s sneak attack bonus doubled at all ranks and no longer interacts inconsistently with Covert Ops. Quick Hands and Super Duper now function as intended without excessive triggering or false fanfare.

    • Bug Fixes & System Corrections

    Beyond major features, Update 1.62 addresses hundreds of specific issues across gameplay systems, C.A.M.P. building, itemization, and user interface.

  • Combat & Enemy Fixes: Crippled Super Mutants no longer launch absurdly into the air upon death. Blood Eagles near Prickett’s Fort now properly detect player presence. Mr. Handy/Gutsy robots correctly cycle weapons during combat.
  • C.A.M.P. & Building Improvements: Mineral Extractors only appear in build menus when placed near appropriate deposits. Sam Nguyen’s Workbench becomes movable after placement. The APC Survival Tent’s Scrapbox now faces the correct direction for convenient access.
  • Item & Crafting Corrections: Excavator Power Armor arms correctly provide mining bonuses when both are equipped. The Flamer’s condition degrades slower while the Cryolator now properly takes condition damage. Hardened mods for Brotherhood Recon and Secret Service armor provide intended Damage Resistance values.
  • Quest & Event Stability: Lode Baring mineral deposits now consistently mineable. The “Exchange tokens at Terminal” objective no longer persistently reappears. Path to Enlightenment’s Lighthouse Lamp stops prompting for fluid after completion.
  • Exploit Prevention: Addressed magazine size duplication and Power Armor duplication exploits that impacted game economy balance.
  • Visual & Animation Polish: Leather Left Arms with Brawling mods no longer clip through male character shoulders. The “Halt!” Emote functions correctly in Power Armor. Alien Disintegrator impact effects properly color-match equipped Receiver mods.

    • UI/Quality of Life: Player Vending Machines now allow item inspection with proper preview images. Legendary item attributes display completely in trade menus. The Challenge Tracker no longer duplicates entries when rapidly tracking multiple challenges.

    Performance Note: Numerous pathing fixes prevent players becoming stuck in world geometry, particularly in complex terrain areas that previously caused movement issues.

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