During the build up to Fallout 76's launch, there has been some confusion surrounding the Fallout lore and the presence of The Brotherhood of Steel. One quest in the game spotted during previews seemed to retcon the Brotherhood's origins. Fortunately, Bethesda has now explained the situation, providing an explanation that should keep most fans happy.
An in-game quest note in Fallout 76 mentions The Brotherhood of Steel's presence in Appalachia, the portion of West Virginia in which the game is set. This raised eyebrows as Fallout 76 is set in the year 2102 and past games have stated that the brotherhood only emerged from California in 2150. Having them present across the country 50-years earlier complicates matters and could be an issue for fans of the original Fallout lore.
Bethesda has since provided an explanation for all of this. According to a post from the publisher, the soldiers that would go on to form The Brotherhood of Steel did hunker down in the Californian Lost hills bunker in 2077 just after the end of the Great War. However, the story has now been adjusted to state that the group was able to establish a satellite connection and reached another group of surviving soldiers in West Virginia, thus establishing a Brotherhood of Steel connection in Appalachia well before the others emerged from California.
KitGuru Says: This story adjustment might not appease everyone but it seems to make sense and fits in well without tearing apart the established lore or retconning anything entirely. Hopefully there will be more stories to be told in Fallout 76, as that may be the only way to keep players invested.