The Ghoul Within update launches Fallout 76's 20th season, introducing ghoulification, new perks, and more exciting features.

For too long, Walton Goggins has been living my dream in the Hollywood Hills—roaming the wasteland as a decaying, irradiated ghoul, beer in one hand and shotgun in the other. But that finally changes today with Fallout 76’s Ghoul Within update, which introduces a host of ghoul-related features and rewards.

Figure 1.Fallout 76.

The standout addition is ghoulification—a new questline that, for the first time in the Fallout series, lets players fully transform into a ghoul. However, you'll need to keep your feral instincts in check with a mix of consumable drugs to avoid snacking on your fellow Vault Dwellers [1]. The upside? You’ll gain immunity to diseases and mutations, and radiation will actually increase your max health while synergizing with new ghoul-exclusive perks (playfully dubbed gherks in the patch notes).

These perks are no joke, offering abilities like instant magazine reloads, a 20% sprint speed boost, and the ability to absorb triple the radiation from food and water—because radiation is your friend now. A new "Feral" meter replaces hunger and thirst, rewarding you for keeping it full. But if it drops to 0%, things get wild: Figure1. Shows Fallout 76.

• +150% Melee Damage
• -5 Endurance
• -99 Charisma
• -30 Max HP
• -20 Max AP
• -300% Hip-fire and V.A.T.S. Accuracy

Boosts, Fixes, and Freebies

Players looking to jump straight into the endgame can purchase a level 50-character boost to dive right into the new ghoul questline. On the free side, the update includes numerous bug fixes and balance changes, such as pistol damage buffs and improved perk card effects. The Barbarian perk, for instance, now grants damage resistance based on Strength—doubling its effect if you go without armor.

Considering Fallout 76 had a notoriously rough launch, it’s great to see the game continuing to evolve with fresh content [2]. Season 20’s trailer also highlights a collection of ghoulish cosmetics and decorations that should delight fans of the wasteland’s many mutants.

If you’re thinking about giving Fallout 76 another shot while waiting for the Fallout TV show’s second season, check out Jeremy Peel’s guide to surviving post-apocalyptic Appalachia. Right now, the game is available for just $9.99 (75% off) on Steam.

References

1. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/after-years-of-playing-as-stupid-boring-humans-in-fallout-you-can-finally-channel-your-inner-walton-goggins-and-become-a-ghoul-in-fallout-76/
2. https://www.vg247.com/fallout-76-playable-ghoul-hands-on-preview

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025),After Years of Being Stuck Playing as Ordinary Humans in Fallout, You Can Finally Embrace Your Inner Walton Goggins and Play as A Ghoul in Fallout 76, AnaTechMaz,pp 133.