Atomfall: Release date, gameplay, & everything we know While we wait for survival-action game Atomfall to launch into Xbox Game Pass, here's everything we know about the story, gameplay, release date, and more!Heidi Nicholas Published 23 Oct 2024 FollowtopicsPC Game PassXbox Game PassXbox Series X|SHeidi Nicholas Atomfall caught everybody's attention when it was announced earlier this year. Fallout comparisons were quick to follow, but the survival-action game's setting in a quarantine zone in Northern England gives it its own bizarre, distinctive twist. Now we've got an official release date, it seems a great time to go through everything we know about Atomfall so far!Atomfall comes from Sniper Elite developer Rebellion, and is one of the major upcoming Game Pass games arriving next year. Read on to find out more...Everything we know about AtomfallWhen is Atomfall coming out?What platforms is Atomfall coming to?Is Atomfall coming to Xbox Game Pass?How much does Atomfall cost?What is the story and setting for Atomfall?What type of game is Atomfall?Will there be any Atomfall DLC?Atomfall achievement listAtomfall trailersWhen is Atomfall coming out?Atomfall was announced only this year, and Rebellion has now narrowed down its March release window to March 27, 2025.What platforms is Atomfall coming to?Atomfall will launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Windows PC, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.Is Atomfall coming to Xbox Game Pass?Yes! Atomfall is one of the big Game Pass titles set to arrive early next year, and will join the service as a day-one addition.How much does Atomfall cost?Atomfall is available for Xbox in a Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition is available to preorder on the Xbox Store, where it is priced at $59.99/£54.99 and contains just the base game. If you preorder the Standard Edition, you also get the Basic Supply Bundle, which includes a melee weapon variant as well as an item recipe and extra loot caches. The Deluxe Edition is priced at $79.99/£74.99 and also includes the Enhanced Supply Bundle (with a pistol variant, metal detector skin, and a "skill manual") and a post-launch Story Expansion Pack, as well as three days of Early Access if you preorder. There is also a Quarantine Edition available for PC which is priced at £79.99 and includes everything from the Deluxe Edition, as well as an Atomfall T-shirt, a digital graphic novel, a digital poster and postcard, and the game soundtrack.What is the story and setting for Atomfall? According to Rebellion, Atomfall is “inspired by the real-life events” of the 1957 Windscale nuclear disaster, and takes place five years later, exploring an alternate history in the game’s fictional version of a post-apocalyptic-style quarantine zone. The game is set in the North of England, around the Lake District — one trailer takes place in the village of Wyndham, but we’ll be roaming about the countryside too. Rebellion describes its disparate influences, with Atomfall blending "post-war Britain with Cold War paranoia, folk horror, and elements of classic British sci-fi like Day of the Triffids, Doctor Who, and The Prisoner."A lot of the game’s mystery revolves around the disaster and what happened afterwards, with the devs explaining that “to get to the bottom of what happened at Windscale, you will need to navigate military encampments, delve through abandoned bunkers below ground, and risk your life in Pagan ruins.” On top of this, you’ll be dealing with “the host of eccentric characters and cryptic organisations that inhabit the quarantine zone. These individuals have been cut off from the outside world for years and left to their own devices, so are anything but normal.” The trailer shows us a fair few wacky characters ready to barter or hanging around at the pub, but less-friendly elements of the quarantine zone include bandits, cultists, and, of course, whatever that mutant thing is that pops up at the end of the Gamescom trailer.There’s also a military presence to contend with. “In response to the disaster, the army has been sent in to create and maintain a quarantine zone, Rebellion says. “This response force is known as ‘Protocol’. They are the ones tasked with keeping people safe — but after five years, their outlook has soured. You will learn more about Protocol as you interact with them — and the people they seek to control — over the course of the game. Are they a force for good, keeping people safe? Are they a force of oppression, making life harder for those in the quarantine zone? Or is there more going on than meets the eye?” Protocol are backed up by some serious robot power, with the robots themselves, who are “programmed to do everything necessary to maintain the quarantine,” set up as some of the strongest enemies you can engage with.When it comes to our own character, we know from an IGN interview with associate head of design Ben Fisher that Rebellion is keeping their backstory a secret for now. We don’t belong to any of the in-game factions — yet — which leaves us free to help who we want, but even more than this, our character doesn’t actually remember who they are, and simply wakes up in a quarantine bunker before setting out into this bizarre new world.What type of game is Atomfall?Atomfall is a single-player survival-action game. Its setting in an isolated, half-abandoned, almost post-apocalyptic quarantine zone mean scavenging, bartering, crafting and, of course, combat, will be key.Investigation will also play a part, as Atomfall’s Ben Fisher explained that the game focuses on leads instead of quests. You find leads by talking to people, or discover them hidden around the world, and pick where to go from there, but Fisher adds that these leads all tend to interconnect towards a larger story.There is a blend of melee and ranged combat, but Fisher points out that Atomfall's setting means ammo isn’t in plentiful supply and the guns themselves might not always be in the best condition. In fact, the devs apparently want to focus on more of a “pub-brawl” feel with melee combat (you can also use a cricket bat). On top of that, you’ve got throwables like fire axes, as well as weapons like bows and arrows. If you prefer, you can try to avoid contact, and Fisher says you can make it through Atomfall without killing anyone, or even by killing everyone. A threat system is in place, and you might be able to wiggle out of fights by threatening unarmed enemies, for instance. Fisher does add that there are some “elements of Sniper Elite” in the game, so fans of the series can look out for those too.Rebellion is aiming for a feeling of “desperately attempting to survive” in Atomfall, so crafting focuses on everything from healing to weapons. Your backpack space, meanwhile, apparently isn’t infinite, and you’ll be dealing with limited resources.Will there be any Atomfall DLC?It looks like we will get some Atomfall DLC, as the preorder info for that Quarantine PC edition includes details on a story expansion pack which is "not available on day one" and which continues the Atomfall story "with a thrilling game expansion, introducing a new location to explore, gameplay features, enemies, quests, characters, items, weapons, and more."Atomfall achievement listThe Atomfall achievements aren’t out yet, but we’ll update here when we have them.Atomfall trailersAtomfall is still a fairly recent announcement, and its first reveal trailer came at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024:After that, we had a Gamescom trailer with more info on the story and setting.The Official Xbox Podcast then brought a more in-depth deep dive on Atomfall, going over the gameplay and more.Then we got the official release date trailer, confirming Atomfall will arrive next March.Atomfall arrives early next year, the month after Avowed, another major Game Pass game of early 2025. If you're looking for more info on that title, check out everything we know about Avowed!More Atomfall stories: Atomfall gets a March Xbox Game Pass release date Xbox to have 50+ titles at Gamescom 2024, presentations of major exclusives, and more New survival-action game Atomfall announced for Xbox Game Pass Xbox Game PassPC Game PassXbox Series X|SUpcoming ReleaseWindowsXbox One Written by Heidi NicholasHeidi tends to lean towards indie games, RPGs, and open-world games on Xbox, and when not playing Disney Dreamlight Valley, happily installs every new wholesome game that appears on Xbox Game Pass, before diving back into favorites like The Witcher 3. She's looking forward to Age of Mythology Retold, Everwild, Fable, and Avowed on the Xbox horizon. Heidi graduated with an MA in English Literature before joining the TrueAchievements team.