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Atoms, Challenges, and Atomic Shop guide - Fallout 76

Learn how to earn Atoms fast, what Challenges should be completed, and what to spend those Atoms on in the Atomic Shop!

Sam Chandler

November 26, 2018 10:10 AM

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Much like other games out there, Fallout 76 includes its own sort of currency that is used to purchase cosmetic items in-game, this currency is known as Atoms. Though Atoms can be purchased using real-world money, they can also be earned by completing various challenges. Thankfully, the items that are purchased by Atoms are only cosmetic, so there’s no concern about Fallout 76 being a pay-to-win experience.

What are Atoms

In Fallout 76, Atoms is a currency used in the Atomic Store to purchase various cosmetic items. These items include paint jobs for Power Armor, leather jackets and dresses, and decorations for your base. Atoms are awarded upon completing challenges in Fallout 76, such as scrapping junk and crafting weapons, though they can also be purchased in bundles through the Atomic Store.

What to spend Atoms on

Atoms are used entirely outside of the West Virginia wasteland, specifically, in the Atomic Shop accessed via the menu. This shop exists to offer players a way to further customize their characters and bases by purchasing purely cosmetic items.

Because there are no items that make the character more powerful, it is entirely up to personal preference what players should purchase. There are paint jobs for Power Armor, emotes for communicating, decorations for the bases, and even some nice clothes to make you feel a bit more fancy while trekking across the North American wasteland.

How to earn Atoms

Players who do not want to spend money buying bundles of Atoms can earn all the Atoms they’ll ever need by simply playing Fallout 76. In the pause menu, players can select the Challenge tab to find all the challenges in the game.

Challenges award anywhere between 10 and 80 Atoms depending on the difficulty and the time it takes to complete. For instance, acquiring 22 different diseases is going to take a long time, so it’s worth more than picking a single lock. Speaking of picking locks, lockpicking and leveling it up works a bit differently in Fallout 76 compared to the other games in the series.

Challenges are also divided into different sections: Daily, Weekly, Character, Survival, Combat, Social, and World. The Daily and Weekly challenges, as the names suggest, rotate every day and every week, so there are always Atoms to be earned. The rest of the challenges are available to be completed at any time, and simply require a lot of work and dedication.

A good way to earn a lot of Atoms quickly is to simply do as much as possible in Fallout 76. Try not to limit yourself to a single gun, as a few challenges require using various weapons to kill enemies. Attempt to pick as many locks and hack as many terminals as possible, and always uncover locations while traveling. The challenges that take the longest to complete should be a low priority, as the effort it will take to complete them won’t be worth the Atoms.

All Challenges and Atom Rewards

The following lists all available challenges and the Atoms they reward. Use this to plan out a good way to earn more Atoms in Fallout 76, especially if you’re looking to pick up something special in the Atomic Store. The daily and weekly challenges have been omitted, but they can be found by opening the map and pressing the appropriate button to bring up the menu, and then selecting “Challenges”.

Though Atoms will likely be a lot of player's main focus, Perk Card packs can also be earned by completing challenges. After level 10, it appears as if a Perk Card pack is awarded for every five levels. Check out the level up and SPECIAL perk card guide for more information on Fallout 76's leveling system.

Though Atoms aren’t a major mechanic in Fallout 76, earning a lot of them can be a good goal for players who are interested in the Atomic Shop offerings. Even though Atoms can be purchased using real-world money, players shouldn’t be concerned about pay-to-win, as all the items in the Atomic Shop are cosmetic. If you’re looking to earn as many Atoms as possible, plan out your approach and focus on some of the easier challenges first, while also expanding your arsenal of weapons and exploring all locations. Check out the Shacknews Fallout 76 guide and walkthrough for more post-apocalyptic survival tips!

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler