Fallout 4 developer Bethesda has issued a warning to players ahead of the game's August 18 update. The update is focused on improving the Creation system, meaning it could potentially affect the Creations and mods that Fallout 4 players currently have installed. To avoid potential issues with their saves, Bethesda is recommending that players manually save their load order before installing the update.

The Fallout franchise has received renewed attention following a period of relative silence, largely thanks to the success of the Fallout Amazon Prime series. Bethesda has recently confirmed that remasters of Fallout 3 and New Vegas are in development, while original New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment is also working on a brand-new Fallout game. In the meantime, fans have continued relying on Fallout 4 Creations and mods for new content.

In a post from the official Bethesda account on Twitter, the developer recommended that players back up the load order for their Fallout 4 Creations before installing the new update. Once the load order has been saved, players should be able to install the update and redownload their entire Creations list without running into issues. Bethesda also revealed that a similar update for Skyrim is currently in development, with more information expected to be shared soon.

The Fallout 4 update is designed to expand and streamline the Creations system for players with extensive mod libraries. One of the biggest changes is an increase to the BA2 archive limit from 256 to 1,024, allowing the game to better accommodate larger collections of mods.

The update also adds archive support on PlayStation and allows Xbox users to upload mods of up to 2GB in size. Several other Creation-related bugs are also being addressed.

Fallout 4 remains the flagship single-player entry in the franchise more than a decade after its original release. While Fallout 76 continues to receive regular updates and new content, Creations have remained one of the biggest sources of new experiences for Fallout 4 players.

Some mods have gone far beyond simple additions, including the Fallout: London total conversion, which transports players to a post-apocalyptic version of London, and Fallout: Cascadia, which takes the series to the ruins of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Last November, Fallout 4 also received its Anniversary Edition, replacing the previous Creation Club with the Verified Creator Program for developers creating paid mods. While the move was controversial due to its increased emphasis on paid content, the system has gradually become a more accessible way for console players to explore the game's modding scene.

Bethesda's latest update is another step toward expanding those options, although players should make sure their Creation load orders are backed up before installing it.