Until recently, one of the biggest issues in Fallout 76 was the problem of item duplication. Made possible through an exploit; unscrupulous gamers were able to amass enormous hordes of duplicated items. As a result, there were huge knock-on problems for the in-game economy and many other areas. Fortunately, that exploit has since been patched out. However, many people still had duplicated items from before the patch went live. That may no longer be the case, however, thanks to the latest Fallout 76 patch.
The Fallout 76 “Spring Cleanup”: Wiping Out Duplicated Items
Bethesda released a Fallout 76 patch earlier today aimed at “maintenance” of the game in a number of areas. The biggest part of this patch is the so-called “Spring cleaning” of the game which has targeted duplicate items. The game went offline for several hours earlier today. During that time, Bethesda went after any duplicate items which had come into existence through the use of duplication exploits, wherever they could find them.
“These item removals are part of our ongoing efforts to address exploit abuse and make positive changes for the overall in-game economy,” explains a Bethesda Community Manager on the company’s official forum; “These removals are highly-targeted at a specific list of items. Players who have used an exploit to dupe items, or acquired duped items from other players, may find those items removed from their accounts once maintenance is complete. It’s also important to note that only a small percentage of accounts currently have duped items, which means the vast majority of players will not be affected by this action.”
Item duplication has been a cause for concern for the Fallout 76 community for some time. In fact, some players grew so frustrated at the exploiters that they attempted to form anti-exploiter vigilante bands. (An episode which ended poorly for all concerned.) Fortunately, it seems that Bethesda may now finally be able to put the problem of item duplication behind them.