PC players can beta test Fallout 4's new survival mode next week

If you play Fallout 4 on PC then you'll be able to beta test the new survival mode overhaul as soon as next week.

Fallout 4's grueling new survival mode is almost here, and Bethesda has once again conscripted Steam gamers to work out all the bugs and issues. The studio hasn't delivered an exact date for the survival mode beta, so go ahead and check daily. To see if the beta is up, go to your Steam library, right click on Fallout 4 and go to Properties then select BETAS at the very top.

The survival mode overhaul is going to be pretty brutal, adding in new punishing features like weighted ammo, diseases that dramatically reduce SPECIAL stats, and the need to drink, eat, and sleep. Fast travel is also disabled and so is manual saving--to save you'll need to find a bed and sleep for at least an hour. The new update looks to be the challenge that hardened wastelanders were crying for, and I have a feeling most of us will be crying pretty hard once the mode goes live.

Remember that the first Fallout 4 Automatron DLC is now live, and Bethesda plans to roll out the official mod creation kit sometime in April. PS4 and Xbox One consoles will be getting mod support as early as May, plus we still have two more DLC packs to tide us over in the coming months--Wasteland Workshop in April, and the illustrious Far Harbor in May.