Fallout 76: What happens if you nuke Skyline Valley?

Nuking the newly introduced Skyline Valley region in Fallout 76 is not a fleeting trend or an act of retaliation like the backlash faced by Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, following the Xbox studio layoffs controversy. Instead, it is an intended feature that unlocks numerous new facets of gameplay in this region, providing a few major benefits to players.

In addition to the gameplay benefits, many players are curious about the visual impact of a nuke in Skyline Valley. This new region is perpetually surrounded by a red storm cloud that covers the entire sky, giving it an aesthetic similar to Caelid in Elden Ring. So, the effects of a nuke in this region differ from its impact on the rest of Appalachia.

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Nuking Skyline Valley in Fallout 76 explained

Skyline Valley behaves differently, unlike other regions in Fallout 76, where a nuclear blast zone is marked by a red circle on the map. If a nuke is launched in this region, no marker appears on the map.

Currently, players are unsure if this is a bug or an intended feature. The absence of a visible nuke zone makes it harder to determine if Skyline Valley has been nuked, which is inconsistent with how it works in every other region in the game.

There are two ways to confirm if Skyline Valley has been nuked:

• Firstly, the "Death From Above" quest will appear, indicating the launch of a nuke.
• Secondly, the "Neurological Warfare" public event will be activated in the new region.

Additionally, unlike in other zones, the nuclear explosion in Skyline Valley doesn't occur on the ground. Instead, it's intercepted by the red storm clouds and erupts in the sky, followed by a bright, blinding flash of fire.

Consequently, the effects of the nuclear explosion spread throughout the region, causing the red tint of the sky to change slightly to an orange hue, as expected in a nuclear blast zone.

The Storm Goliaths boss fight in Skyline Valley (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

Here are the benefits of nuking the Skyline Valley in Fallout 76:

• Due to the explosion being intercepted by the red storm cloud, there's no radiation exposure on the ground, unlike in other regions.
• Building a CAMP in this area is much safer since the nuclear explosion in the sky doesn't destroy any property.
• Dropping a nuke in Skyline Valley is necessary to initiate the region's bosses, the Storm Goliaths, as part of the public event, Neurological Warfare. Unlike other zones where the nuke must be dropped directly on the boss spawn locations, in Skyline Valley, dropping the nuke anywhere in the region triggers this event, as the effects of the explosion spread throughout the area due to the storm.

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More on Fallout 76:

• How to start Skyline Valley questline in Fallout 76
• Fallout 76 Skyline Valley patch notes