Fallout 76 Invaders from Beyond 2026: How the Event Works and What to Grab First
Fallout 76 Invaders from Beyond ran from August 18 to September 1, 2026, the second return of the alien event that year. It started every hour on the hour at one of six possible locations, and the most valuable loot was the chance at a 4-star Bigfoot after a successful run. According to Nuka Knights, no new dates have been announced yet.
Nuka Knights now lists General Zeta himself as a 3-star legendary. On top of that comes the full alien plan set, from the Alien Blaster to the Electro Enforcer. Two weeks sounds like plenty of time. It is not if you work a day job and manage three or four runs a night. That is why this guide covers not only what drops, but in which order to go after it.
📅 Dates: August 18 to September 1
Bethesda's summer roadmap only briefly announced “the return of the Zetans” for August, without a date. The community event calendars were more precise and matched each other:
- Start: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
- End: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- Duration: 14 days
- Rhythm: the event started every hour on the hour
Nuka Knights lists the last known run as Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 18:00 to Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 18:00 German time (CEST). No new date has been announced there.
👽 Fallout 76 Invaders from Beyond: how the event plays out
A mothership appears over one of six locations and drops three Brainwave Siphons. Each siphon is protected by a shield that only falls once its commander is dead. The flow is always the same:
- Phase 1, Siphon Kappa: Kill 30 aliens, then Lieutenant Kappa shows up, a bigger cryo variant. Then destroy the siphon.
- Phase 2, Siphon Omega: Another 30 enemies, then Captain Alpha and Captain Omega arrive together. Two targets at once is where groups most often fall apart.
- Phase 3, Siphon Zeta: A final wave, then General Zeta. He regenerates below 50 percent health, so you need sustained damage rather than single bursts.
The six possible locations are the Charleston Capitol Building (The Forest), Wavy Willard's Water Park (Toxic Valley), Monongah (Savage Divide), Garrahan Mining Headquarters (Ash Heap), Dyer Chemical (The Mire) and Sparse Sundew Grove (Cranberry Bog). More on the spots and the timer is in our Invaders from Beyond locations guide. Besides regular Zetans and drones, cryo and poison variants show up, plus Flatwoods Monsters in the final phase.
Practical tip: the poison and cryo attacks hit unprotected characters hard. A set with energy and poison resistance, or simply power armor, takes most of the frustration out of the event.
🎁 The rewards and their priority
Every completed run guarantees XP, caps, a 1-star legendary, Treasury Notes and legendary currency, plus the Alien Souvenir Beer Stein plan and a player title the first time. The interesting part is the random loot, and it varies a lot in value:
| Reward | Source | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 4-star item from Bigfoot | Bigfoot after completion, in about 33% of runs according to Nuka Knights | 1, highest value |
| Rare Fasnacht masks | General Zeta | 2, most valuable trade goods |
| Plan: Alien Blaster and magazines | Completion loot | 3, only available here |
| Plan: Alien Disintegrator and receivers | Completion loot | 3, only available here |
| Plan: Electro Enforcer variants | Completion loot | 4, melee niche |
| Zenith Alien Blaster paint | Completion loot | 4, cosmetic but in demand |
| C.A.M.P. plans (table, couch, stash box, tubes) | Completion loot | 5, decor, can be caught up on later |
| Hazmat suit in pink and teal | Completion loot | 5, collector's item |
| Plan: Alien Souvenir Beer Stein | Guaranteed on first completion | comes along anyway |
According to wiki data, the rare plans all have roughly the same chance in the pool. In plain terms: you cannot control which plan you get. You can only control how often you kill the final boss. What the masks really drop at is broken down in our article on Fasnacht masks from Invaders from Beyond.
✅ What to grab first when time is short
This is exactly where most players waste time. They get hung up on the plan list, even though the plans are pure luck. The priority list for two weeks:
- First: finish every run. Bigfoot can only appear as a 4-star enemy after a successful completion, in about 33 percent of cases according to Nuka Knights. If you only have time for one run a night, it has to go through phase 3. Bailing after Siphon Omega is wasted time. Why staying put pays off is covered in our General Zeta and Bigfoot guide, and other ways to get 4-star mods are in the legendary farming guide.
- Second: hope for masks, but do not farm for them. They are a bonus, not a plan.
- Third: weapon plans before decor plans. The Alien Blaster and Alien Disintegrator with their receivers are tied to this event. C.A.M.P. items can be caught up on if the event returns; there is no date for that yet.
- Fourth: do not toss duplicate plans. They are sought-after trade goods while the event runs. If you would rather make caps directly, our caps farm guide has alternatives.
- Fifth: the rest comes along anyway. Title, beer stein and hazmat colors happen on their own.
One detail many players miss: after a successful run there is a chance Bigfoot shows up as a bonus enemy. So stay at the location for a moment instead of fast traveling away right away.
⏳ Invaders from Beyond and Season 26
Fallout 76 Invaders from Beyond landed in a tightly packed window:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| August 18, 2026 | Invaders from Beyond started |
| September 1, 2026 | The event ended |
| September 15, 2026 | “The Slasher” update with Season 26 “Beware the Blood Moon” |
Exactly two weeks passed between the end of the event and the start of the season. Season 26 has been running since September 15. If you still had points open in Season 25, you could spend them until the season switch.
And if you hoarded legendary loot: the higher scrip and caps values from Patch 70 apply since September 15. Legendary weapons now sell for 15/25/50/150 caps instead of 5/15/40/50 and scrap for 3/5/10/30 scrip instead of 1/2/4/6. The current season is covered in our Season 26 overview.
💡 Fallout 76 Invaders from Beyond FAQ
When did Fallout 76 Invaders from Beyond run?
From August 18 to September 1, 2026, with a new run every hour on the hour. According to Nuka Knights, no new dates have been announced yet.
Where does the event take place?
At six rotating locations: Charleston Capitol Building, Wavy Willard's Water Park, Monongah, Garrahan Mining Headquarters, Dyer Chemical and Sparse Sundew Grove.
Which reward is the most valuable?
The chance at a 4-star item from Bigfoot, who can appear after a successful run. Nuka Knights now lists General Zeta himself as a 3-star legendary. The rare plans are random loot with roughly equal odds per plan.
What level do I need?
There is no hard level gate, but the cryo and poison enemies hit hard. A solid setup from our weapon tier list and a matching build help more than raw level.
Is the event worth it for solo players?
Yes, but only on busy servers. Three phases of 30 enemies each plus bosses are tight on time alone. Switch servers if nobody joins in. Good mutations partly make up for missing teammates.
Checked against Fallout 76 as of October 2026. Officially confirmed: the roadmap entry for the Zetans' return in August, and Season 26 “Beware the Blood Moon” starting with “The Slasher” update on September 15, 2026, per Bethesda's Steam news. The exact event dates come from two independent community calendars, rewards and event flow from the Fallout wikis. General Zeta's 3-star rating and the 33 percent Bigfoot chance come from Nuka Knights' event page.
