Fallout 3 DLC Raising Level Cap to 30, 'Removing the Game's Ending'

When it's released in March, the PC and Xbox 360-exclusive "Broken Steel" downloadable content for Fallout 3 will raise the action-RPG's level cap from 20 to 30.

"We plan on raising it to level 30 - but it will be a long, hard climb to get there," Bethesda lead DLC producer Jeff Gardiner informed Eurogamer. Previously, the developer had promised the level cap would be raised, but offered no specifics.

"We felt there's no harm in letting the player enjoy the game as long as they'd like, and so along with removing the game's 'ending' with Broken Steel, we figure raising the level cap would allow them to do that," he explained.

The first DLC pack, dubbed Operation: Anchorage, arrives later this month, allowing buyers to re-live the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska through an in-game virtual reality simulator. The second, due in February, offers a look at post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh.

Broken Steel, meanwhile, continues where the main adventure left off, allowing players to join the Brotherhood of Steel in an attempt to rid the Wasteland of the Enclave.

All three packs are exclusive to the PC and Xbox 360, with Gardiner reiterating they will not be released on PlayStation 3 per an agreement with Microsoft. Operation: Anchorage will run $10, with Bethesda yet to confirm pricing for the other two packs.

Thanks to IwannaAcura for the tip.