76 Japanese players banned from Fallout 1st – Microsoft finally responds

7 days ago

2 minutes read

76 Japanese players banned from Fallout 1st - Microsoft finally responds

This is weird, and frankly still ongoing, but at least we have an update for you now.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a number of DMs from Japanese Xbox Fallout 76 players who have noted that, for some reason, the Fallout 1st game premium subscription has been mysteriously removed from their regional version of the game.

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Translated into Japanese using Google, the device reads: “Fallout 1st サブスクリプションサービスは、2026 年後半に日本の Xboxプレイヤー向けに提供される予定です。日本の Falloutコミュニティの皆様のご理解と継続的なご支援に感謝申し上げます。詳細は近日中にお知らせいたします。”

Fallout 76 has enjoyed a revival in recent years, but not if you’re an Xbox player in Japan. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

It’s surprising given how little support Xbox has historically given Japan for its products and services, but doubly so considering Fallout 1st in Japan, a Microsoft-owned product, is still available on Steam and PlayStation.

Microsoft refused to give an explanation as to why this happened, but speculation on the Internet suggests that it may be related to Xbox systems that deviate from full compliance with Japan’s financial laws on payments.

Microsoft may need to be more specific about this, considering how badly the Xbox has already been received in Japan. It’s clearly some sort of mistake on their end, and the low priority the company has given to the public on this matter is another bad sign against the Xbox report card in the region.

Microsoft has done a good job of winning over the support of Japanese developers and consumers over the past few years, led in part by outgoing Xbox President Sarah Bond. Xbox finally got popular franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Yakuza, and Persona – but small problems like this Fallout 76 situation continue. If Microsoft wants the next-generation Xbox Project Helix to be a success in Japan, issues like these need to be addressed.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the status of Fallout 76 in Japan. For those who were asking, I’m sorry it took me so long to get something concrete out of this.