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Some Fallout 76 (opens in new tab) players who subscribed to the controversial Fallout 1st paid subscription service have formed ‘The Apocalyptic Aristocracy,’ seemingly in response to perceived hostility from some in the Fallout 76 community.
GamesRadar (opens in new tab) reported recently that some Fallout 76 players were griefing Fallout 1st (opens in new tab) subscribers for their gall in supporting the service. One founder of the aristocracy called VectorZarak told Polygon (opens in new tab) that as verbal attacks on Bethesda began to spread to subscribers, he first tried to ease the tension with in-game memes about the supposed class war, which helped to form a satirical culture around the divide.
And then what started as a joke quickly turned into a small organization on the defensive about their choice to enjoy, and thereby support financially, a system that most of the internet vocally abhorred. VectorZarak says the first couple of days attracted roughly 100 members, and at the time of this writing 359 Facebook (opens in new tab) users have grouped together for the cause. There’s also an invite-only Reddit (opens in new tab) group for the Aristocracy.
“There was a real change in the dynamic as people flooded in. The anti-subscription players had become very toxic, so much so that players could not even discuss the private servers or the bonuses that came with them without being insulted or yelled at. What started as a joke quickly turned into a safe haven, where players who had subscribed could openly discuss Fallout 1st topics without being attacked,” VectorZarak told Polygon.
Naturally, the spirit and behavior projected by the group is a spectrum. VectorZarak says they’re satirizing elitism and standing boldface up to community backlash. Others choose to stir the pot by stubbornly referring to non-subscribers as “peasants” and doubling down for the sake of “getting under someone’s skin.”
If Fallout 76 didn’t host a civil war before, the existence of the Apocalyptic Aristocracy proves it’s inching ever closer to one. If only Bethesda could’ve known what waves the ripples of controversy following Fallout 1st would make.
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