Almost one year after its disastrous release, Fallout 76 continues to deliver frustration and disappointment to its players, this time as a recall order has been issued for a Fallout 76-themed collectible due to dangerous mold found within the product.
On September 19th, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) issued a recall notice for a replica of a T-51 power armor’s helmet dressed in Nuka Cola red and white colors, noting that the item was being recalled due to a “risk of mold exposure,” as “mold can be present on the fabric insert inside the helmet, posing a risk of respiratory or other infections in individuals with compromised immune systems, damaged lungs or an allergy to mold.” (Related: Fallout 76: Bethesda Softworks Tech Error Results in Leaking Customers’ Personal Information)
The collectible originally retailed for $149.99 at Gamestop and was manufactured in a quantity of “about 20,000” by Chronicle Collectibles, the same company responsible for the collectibles found within the Power Armor Edition of Fallout 76. Save for the alternate coloring and recall notice, the Gamestop-exclusive helmet is identical to the standard gray version included in the Power Armor Edition.
For those wishing to comply with the recall notice, the USCPSC has instructed collectors who purchased the item to “immediately stop using the recalled collectible helmets and contact GameStop for a full refund and return instructions” and notes that “GameStop is contacting all known purchasers directly.” (Related: Bethesda’s Todd Howard on Fallout 76: Gamers “Love These Games And They Are Super Important To Them”)
This is not the first Fallout 76 collectible which has been disastrously delivered to fans. In the aforementioned Power Armor Edition, Bethesda initially promised fans that their replica helmets would be delivered in canvas bags, only to ship the replicas in low-quality nylon bags before ultimately deciding to provide consumers with the product they had advertised. Bethesda then teamed up with Silver Bottling Co. to create an $80 Nuka Cola Dark rum beverage, only for the final product to be delivered in cheap plastic bottles rather than the promised glass containers.