After Phil Spencer’s Fallout 76 base was nuked, it looks like the Xbox CEO is planning his revenge with one key step

If you’ve been dipping into Fallout 76 recently, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the savage destruction laid upon Phil Spencer’s base. The attack against the Xbox head’s virtual Fallout home comes as a result of the recent wave of studio layoffs, with players making their grievances heard within the wasteland. However, it looks like Spencer is cooking up a warpath behind the scenes.

Spotted by Xbox reporter ‘Rebs Gaming’ on social media, Spencer has returned to Bethesda’s massive online RPG game, despite seeing his base reduced to nothing but ash. Digging deeper into Spencer’s Xbox profile reveals that he recently completed the Fallout 76 quest Officer On Deck, a quest that enables players to well…launch their own nuclear weapons.

The quest isn’t particularly hard to complete in the apocalyptic multiplayer game, though. With the quest done and dusted for Spencer, all eyes are on his next move within the wasteland. The feud between Spencer and one player in particular, ‘real1090snake’, began on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, and it could be about to receive an enthralling next chapter. In an interview with Kotaku, the player expresses that battling Spencer is part of a larger goal.

“Trying to take him down was just a personal goal for me after I finished the main quest line,” they say on the topic of obliterating Spencer’s base. Not only was this a milestone for the passionate Fallout 76 player, but he saw Spencer as “the final boss” to take down.

Apparently, Spencer is somewhat of a wasteland globetrotter, often moving around the map because he is “immediately crowded by players.” Real1090snake adds that “I honestly just wanted my 1v1, but he wouldn’t attack me back, he waved and did a couple of hearts when I caught him alone.”

While the player has no beef with Spencer personally, the calculated plan arrives in the middle of Microsoft’s ongoing studio turmoil. Despite seeing critical acclaim (and a new PS5 port) from releases like Hi-Fi Rush, developer Tango Gameworks is no more, alongside cuts at Arkane Austin, and Alpha Dog Games.

Meanwhile, Roundhouse Games will be absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios. With the June Xbox Showcase on the horizon, it begs the question as to how Microsoft will address the situation beyond mild reassurances that FPS game giant Call of Duty will end up on Xbox Game Pass from Sarah Bond.

In other gaming news, this new Xbox sale makes Payday 3 rival Crime Boss Rockay City worth picking up, and Hi-Fi Rush is getting review-bombed – in a good way.