As someone who recently returned to Fallout 76 after six years away, I can confidently say that I’ve been having a great time with the multiplayer title. Sure, there are annoying issues like consistent crashing on the PlayStation version, and the usual Bethesda RPG jankiness, but they haven’t been enough to take away from the fun of the game. I’ve had a blast exploring the world while rocking out to Appalachia radio, I’ve had some awesome interactions with the community, and I’ve been thinking about how I can create the CAMP of my dreams with every piece of junk I collect. With such a positive Fallout 76 experience, I wanted to spend a bit of money in the Atomic Shop to show some support for the game, but unfortunately, one of my purchases — the Space Suit attire — feels like a big mistake. Sadly, I’m not alone in this feeling, as other players have fallen victim to this incomplete package.
What’s Wrong With Fallout 76’s Atomic Shop Space Suit?
The big issue with Fallout 76’s Space Suit is simple: it’s missing the helmet, the coolest part of the ensemble. When I purchased this pack, I assumed that I wouldn’t just be getting the orange, patch-covered bodysuit. However, when I moseyed on over to an Armor workbench, I was confused to find that I only had the plan for the suit itself. No matter how hard I looked through my headwear and helmet schematics, the other part of the outfit I expected to have access to was nowhere to be found. This left me confused until I searched online and found several Reddit threads where people talked about having the exact same issue. For whatever reason, be it another Fallout 76 Atomic Shop bug (the Old Glory Fireplace is also having issues) or a slip-up by whoever added the item, it turns out that there’s no helmet included in the 400-Atomic pack.
Considering how I’d also bought the 700-Atomic Space Explorer backpack to go for a complete astronaut vibe, I’m out 1100 Atoms total for an outfit that isn’t what I was sold on. I don’t feel like using it until a helmet appears in the shop, or I find one in the game world.
If this were a case of myself and other Vault Dwellers not reading the contents of the Atomic Shop package, I wouldn’t be so upset. However, with this specific bundle, there is no mention that the helmet isn’t included. The description simply says "shoot for the stars and survive," while every single picture — including the thumbnail for the Space Suit — features a character with the Space Suit and helmet equipped. With two large images and a smaller thumbnail all suggesting that I’d get the helmet when I buy the Space Suit, I couldn’t help but feel scammed after making this purchase. Despite all the crashes, trading glitches, and times my character has gotten stuck in the environment, this misleading cosmetic pack is the first time I’ve truly been disappointed since coming back to Fallout 76.
Already Bought Fallout 76’s Space Suit? You’ve Got Two Options
While this article will hopefully reach players before they purchase the Space Suit, for those who already made the mistake of buying this item, there are a few options available. The first is to contact Bethesda support for a refund, which is fairly simple and usually sees players getting their Atoms back very quickly. For players who don’t want to give up on this costume, though, there is another option available: finding a Space Suit helmet in the open-world. Sure, it looks slightly different and isn’t an exact match for what the Atomic Shop had promised (the premium version has a larger visor), but it’s a way to salvage the outfit if players don’t feel like pursuing a refund.
Space Suit helmets can be found in the following Fallout 76 locations:
- Sons of Dane Compound
- The top floor of the Valley Galeria, resting on a Quantum bear that’s riding a rocket
- Lockers in the Crater’s communications area
- On the weapon workbench roof north of the Morgantown Responders Outpost
- Two Space Suit helmets have a chance of spawning at the Whitespring Resort, near the firepit.
- On a shelf in the store next to Charleston beauty salon.
- Next to a terminal at the Berkley Springs pharmacy.
What’s particularly frustrating about this whole Atomic Shop fiasco is that, when the Space Suit first appeared in the Atomic Shop over half a decade ago, it seemingly came with the helmet. This may add weight to the theory that the item is bugged, so perhaps a fix will happen soon. At the same time, the old bundle price was 800, suggesting that the Space Suit is indeed meant to be on its own and the confusion comes purely from the images used. If this is the case, then maybe the Space Suit helmet will come to the shop as a separate purchase soon.
Regardless, it’s very frustrating that I can’t match my fiancée and her Nuka Cola Girl Space Suit (yes, this one really does have the helmet) for the time being. Next time I play, I’ll have to take a break from clearing out the Ash Heap to go find one of the helmets in the above locations, though I don’t think I’ll be able to unsee that it isn’t a perfect match for my outfit. Going forward, I’ll definitely be a bit more wary about buying from the Atomic Shop, only purchasing the bundles where all the contents are detailed, and I’m fully confident that I’ll get exactly what’s been advertised.
Fallout 76
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 54 /100 Critics Rec: 9%
