Okay, so the worst thing that Bethesda could add to Fallout 76 - would be paid loot boxes that offer in-game rewards in the form of items and weapons and armour and buffs. Everything we've seen and heard about the game so far, including the overpriced Atom Shop, points to a per-item cosmetic only micro-transaction approach for Fallout 76. Which is perfectly fine.

And if the game were bug and glitch free - we'd even go so far as to say the right thing to do. In order to keep free in-game content coming at a steady clip. A new post over at Reddit though, which lists a number of the the in-game values changed as part of the most recent patch, has an alarming number of references to Lunchboxes. Stuff like,

POST_ATX_Lunchbox_ConfettiChance EDID changed to ATX_Lunchbox_ConfettiChance

POST_ATX_Lunchbox_BuffRadiusGlobal EDID changeds to zzz_RECLAIM_BuffRadiusGlobal

POST_ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_FortifyXPBonus EDID changed to ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_FortifyXPBonus

POST_ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_CarryCapacityBonus EDID changed to ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_CarryCapacityBonus

POST_ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_DMGBonus EDID changed to ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_DMGBonus

POST_ATX_Lunchbox_Effect_RadResistBonus EDID changed to zzz_RECLAIM_Effect_RadResistBonus

And several other references to emotes and other stuff all linked to Lunchboxes. Naturally, the comparison is to be made with loot boxes. And with damage bonuses listed, gameplay affecting buffs and stats linked to potential 'pay-to-win' loot boxes is now a concern when it comes to Fallout 76's immediate future.

Of course this is all unconfirmed and speculation. The Lunchboxes could simply be something wholesome and friendly like a free Christmas gift to all players in the form of loot and buffs for the holidays. A one-time deal not linked to any storefront or new mechanic.