One of the key conditions under which players can participate in the Fallout 76 Stress Test, which is currently underway, is agreeing to an NDA. The Stress Test is available through the Xbox Insider program, but to sign up to the test, players must agree to a variety of things, including the non-disclosure agreement. At least one fan has now broken that NDA and leaked a brief clip of footage online; as such, we now know how seriously Bethesda is taking this offence.

The Punishments for Violating the Fallout 76 Stress Test NDA

The NDA which covers access to the Fallout 76 Stress Test bans the taking of photos, video, and audio recordings. Players mustn’t even talk about the game. They mustn’t let other people play on their account or even let other people watch as they play. One rule even says that players shouldn’t so much as leave their game running unattended! According to the NDA; “Microsoft reserves the right to terminate your Xbox Live account, user profile, and/or device access to all or part of the Xbox Live service”; Indeed, both Microsoft and Bethesda have now demonstrated just how serious that threat is.

A Redditor recently posted that a friend of theirs had shared a one-and-a-half minute gameplay video on Twitter. Not only was the gamer’s Twitter account suspended, but so were their Xbox Live, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Insider subscriptions. According to Twitter support, the account take-down was caused by Bethesda, but their account has now been reinstated. The same cannot be said for their Xbox account.

Long-Term Account Suspension

An email sent by Bethesda to the offending player informs them that they won’t be able to participate in the Fallout 76 Stress Test anymore. They’re also unable to access the Beta until the 25th of October. However, the punishment for violating the Xbox Insider program’s terms extend far beyond what Bethesda controls. Microsoft has suspended their Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Insider access until the 1st of January, 2019. Although Bethesda has technically given them permission to play the game from late October, Fallout 76 requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play. As a result, they won’t actually be able to play the game for months. The player apparently spoke with Bethesda about this. However, they were told that Bethesda couldn’t overturn such bans.

Anyone tempted to leak footage of the Fallout 76 Stress Test should certainly take note! The punishments for violating the game’s NDA are certainly severe.