Next batch of Fallout 3 DLC delayed

By Robert Purchese Published 9 February, 2009

The Pitt and Broken Steel now March/April.

Bethesda has delayed Fallout 3 downloadable content The Pitt and Broken Steel.

According to GameSpot, both packs will now arrive one month later than expected: The Pitt in March and Broken Steel in April.

The Pitt adds the industrial ruins of Pittsburgh to investigate, where players will face faction allegiance choices that will have serious repercussions across the region.

Broken Steel, meanwhile, takes place directly after the events of Fallout 3, thus unlocking post-campaign play and increasing the level cap by 10 levels.

These Fallout 3 downloadable extras are exclusive to PC and Xbox 360. The first of the packs, Operation: Anchorage, has already been released. Here, action takes place inside a military simulation program, which transports players back to post-apocalypse Alaska where Chinese invaders need repelling.

Operation: Anchorage costs 800 Microsoft Points for both systems, but sadly struggles to justify the price. Head over to our Operation: Anchorage review to find out why.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (19) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • menage #1 3 years ago

    Broken Steel should hit first, I'm already at level 20, and the desire to explore isn't that big when you're not evolving.

  • Evolution #2 3 years ago

    Delayed as the last one was panned?

  • PlugMonkey #3 3 years ago

    Broken Steel should hit first, I'm already at level 20, and the desire to explore isn't that big when you're not evolving.

    I've been level 20 for ages. I've done most of my exploring at level 20. Frankly, I'm getting a bit sick of being level 20. I certainly wish I hadn't wasted a load of perks on accelerating my progress to level 20 in the time before I realised my characters progression had been arbitrarily capped at level 20.

    I fear this DLC is going to come way too late for me now. By the time it comes out I imagine I'll be ensconsed in something else and Fallout 3 will be a distant (if happy) memory.

  • kinky_mong #4 3 years ago

    This delay is good for me because I'll be busy with Street Fighter 4 during February and March anyway.

  • mkreku #5 3 years ago

    Yeah, I am also holding out for Broken Steel. But I replayed it on Hard recently and there was a LOT of stuff I missed on my first playthrough, so.. The level 20 cap wasn't as bad as I first thought. Replay factor is quite high.

  • UncleLou #6 3 years ago

    Oh come on, get this level cap increase released already. The level 20 cap is almost a flaw, so it's more of a patch rather than "additional content".


    I guess it's a balancing problem. They obviously need to make the monsters level above 20 with you as well, but that alone won't do, as the weapons might then be too weak. Not to mention the new perks.

    Agreed that it's beyond silly though that they released OA first.

  • X #7 3 years ago

    I haven't even started Fallout 3 yet as I'm waiting for the cap raise in the last DLC before I do to make it a complete experience. Must say, I'm getting a little frustrated with this but luckily I have other games to play.

  • robg #8 3 years ago

    I certainly wish I hadn't wasted a load of perks on accelerating my progress to level 20 in the time before I realised my characters progression had been arbitrarily capped at level 20.

    Yeah I never bothered with that one precisely because it seemed like a complete waste of a perk.

  • thedaveeyres #9 3 years ago

    "I haven't even started Fallout 3 yet as I'm waiting for the cap raise in the last DLC before I do to make it a complete experience. Must say, I'm getting a little frustrated with this but luckily I have other games to play."

    O_o

  • kangarootoo #10 3 years ago

    I got the anchorage add-on (I like shiny things, ok). I hear tell that there is an extra perk unlocked by collecting things (spoiler avoidance). Except I can't use it until the unlock comes along, 'cos I was level 19 when I started and there is no way I can complete the DLC without levelling up :(

    I think Bethesda are well aware by this stage though, that capping the levels was a mistake plain and simple. I know people have voiced various justifications for it, but overall the majority are having their fun impacted by it, which is surely the definition of a design mistake.

  • PrinzPils #11 3 years ago

    Still waiting for all the Expansions to be collected on one DVD, just like Bethesda did with the "Shivering Isles".
    Should also be cheaper that way....

  • PlugMonkey #12 3 years ago

    Yeah I never bothered with that one precisely because it seemed like a complete waste of a perk.

    Well, yes, in this game it is. In most games of this type though I run out of gameplay long before I run out of character progression, so early investment in levelling up rates means I get to see levels and perks that I would otherwise never reach.

    Bethesda certainly slammed that door quite firmly in my face though, and I've been advising everyone I know playing the game not to bother with them.

  • skillian #13 3 years ago

    I think Bethesda are well aware by this stage though, that capping the levels was a mistake plain and simple.

    I really hope that's true, but the cynic in me says the only thing they've realised is that you can sell more DLC if you include a level cap extension that people are clamouring for.

    Obviously we can't say that for sure as that hasn't been released yet, but I'm willing to bet the DLC that includes the level extension will by far outsell the others.

  • kangarootoo #14 3 years ago

    @skillian

    I'm sure I read an interview segment recently, where a manager level dev (I forget who) when asked what they have learned this time around, they replied "don't put in a level cap".

    I think they know now that it would be a massive PR hiccup to do it again. I honestly don't believe they did it to push the sales of DLC, I think they just genuinely thought it was a good idea at the time. And now they are using DLC as a way to schedule a "fix" for it (putting a patch through QA is not trivial, so bundling it with already planned DLC is helpful).

  • cyber_nicco #15 3 years ago

    Maybe, but how could it "seem to be a good idea at the time"? I mean, what do you suppose the goal of it was? What was it trying to solve?

  • skillian #16 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    As I said I hope you're right, but I think the promise of extra cash would be worth more to them than another PR hiccup.

    And while they're under no obligation to extend the level cap, it's hardly a "fix" if you have to pay £15 to get it, regardless of whether anything else is included.

    If they truly regretted implementing the level cap this time around and were bothered about the PR, they'd releasethe level extension for everyone alongside the DLC.
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 16:59

  • kangarootoo #17 3 years ago

    @skilian

    "If they truly regretted implementing the level cap this time around and were bothered about the PR, they'd releasethe level extension for everyone alongside the DLC"

    I completely agree, but it strikes me as the sort of decision that is more in the hands of the publisher than Bethesda :(

  • Gecks #18 3 years ago

    @cyber_nicco @kangarootoo
    there is nothing intrinsically wrong with level caps (especially in a game like fallout where each level allows access to more than just arbitrary stat boosts), but everything wrong with players hitting them with minimal effort.

    the original fallouts, and various other RPGs have had level caps and mostly no-one cared, because you really had to go out of your way to get anywhere near them. bethesda dropped the ball with the balancing, that's all.

    also, having a level 30 vault dweller isn't exactly canon but at this point not much else about fallout 3 is either!
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 17:41

  • bestforever7 #19 3 years ago

    Remember that the enemies become stronger the more you level up, so possibly a key reason for including a level up limit would be to reduce the amount of work required in gauging how much stronger the enemies get.

    Also once once all the attributes are maxxed, I guess the enemies would still get stronger, thus when you get to certain very high level, you would be the preverbial skrewed.