'Fallout 76' Gets Premium Tier That Costs More Per Month Than Most Streaming Services

"Fallout 76" fans just got a new way to experience the latest entry in the long-running post-apocalyptic series. Unfortunately, it's going to cost them – even more so than they're paying for most of their favorite TV and movie streaming services.

Developer Bethesda announced a premium membership for "Fallout 76" called "Fallout 1st," which will run $12 a month or $100 a year depending on players' preferred pricing structures. According to the developer, it's a "premium membership that offers something players have been asking for since before launch: private worlds for you and select friends."

"Fallout 1st" is available now, and it offers a swath of additional in-game benefits aimed at hardcore players. Members get access to their own private servers, where up to seven friends can join in, a scrapbook with unlimited storage, a survival tent for "placeable fast travel," 1,650 Atoms to spend on cosmetic items, a Ranger Armor outfit, and a set of unique icons and emotes that only "Fallout 1st" members will have access to.

With Bethesda offering a bundle of 1,100 Atoms for $10 already, the "Fallout 1st" program is a steal for $12 monthly if that's something players are already purchasing. Many of these augments are features that players had been clamoring for ever since the game's somewhat lackluster initial launch as well. It's unclear why the option for private worlds wasn't simply something Bethesda could have added without the need for players to pay an additional fee per month.

All those new paid perks aside (which many players will undoubtedly want to use), it's important to consider exactly what you're getting here in relation to other paid gaming services right now for a game you must already purchase before you're able to jump in and play.

Though "Fallout 76" software prices have dropped considerably since launch and now run around $19 or less, it's still part of the entry fee. Add on $12 each month, and you've already paid more than the price of two different streaming services you could enjoy your favorite TV shows and movies with. Netflix's basic streaming plan is just $8.99, while the newly-announced Disney+ is just $6.99 a month or $69.99 for an entire year, and it's poised to include Disney's entire catalog.

Considering that Microsoft offers an extremely lucrative deal with its Xbox Game Pass service, which offers around 100 different titles to choose from for just $9.99 a month, paying $12 for "Fallout 1st" may be a hard sell for players who already feel as though the game has been steadily declining in quality. Bethesda has yet to comment on fans’ reactions to the news across social media.