Hardware FixRecommendedDevice not working? Your driver may be the problemCheck updates for common hardware issues.Fix DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix Now×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Fallout 3: What Happens If You Blow Up Megaton?

Blowing up Megaton destroys the settlement and costs 1,000 Karma, but rewards a Tenpenny Tower suite. Here are the quest, cap, and ending consequences.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Blowing up Megaton destroys the settlement, costs 1,000 Karma, and cuts off access to it as a functioning hub. In exchange, the quest awards a suite in Tenpenny Tower instead of the Megaton house. Before setting off the bomb in The Power of the Atom, finish any Megaton quests you still want to do.

How do you blow up Megaton?

During The Power of the Atom, Mister Burke offers a way to destroy the settlement. Accept his plan, rig Megaton’s bomb, then use the detonator at Tenpenny Tower to trigger the explosion. The destruction route and its quest outcomes are detailed in the Fallout Wiki quest reference.

What changes when the bomb goes off?

Megaton is destroyed

Megaton no longer functions as a settlement hub. That means you lose access to its services and to local quests that have not already been completed. A GameSpot walkthrough specifically warns that the Wasteland Survival Guide quest is unavailable if left unfinished. The precise quests affected depend on your progress, so complete the Megaton content you care about before detonating the bomb.

You receive the Tenpenny Tower suite

The destruction route awards a Tenpenny Tower suite key and deed. It replaces the Megaton house reward available for disarming the bomb; the available sources do not establish that one home is universally better than the other.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Fallout 3 - PlayStation 3 Game of the Year Edition
  • Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition PS3
  • console-video-games

Your Karma falls and enemies may pursue you

The Fallout Wiki quest reference lists a 1,000-point Karma loss for destroying Megaton. It also says Regulators begin hunting the player, and angry former residents may ambush them.

The ending can include a destruction scene

The quest reference says an additional ending video showing Megaton’s destruction is included when the player has low Karma. It is conditional, not a guaranteed result of detonating the bomb in every ending.

Rank #2
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition - Classic (Xbox 360) [UK IMPORT]
  • Includes Fallout 3 and 5 expansion packs: Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta.
  • Unlimited Freedom: Take the sights and sounds of the vast capital Wasteland See the great landmarks of the United States lying in post-apocalyptic ruin You make the choices that define you and change the world. Keep an eye on your Rad Put
  • Special experience: Vault-Tec engineers bring you the latest human ability simulation – the special character system Using new innovations in point-based capability representation, Special offers unlimited customization of your character. Dozens of unique skills and benefits to choose from, each with a variety of dazzling effects
  • The power of choice: You feel like a sad villain today, or a good samaritan Choose a side or walk on the line, because each situation can be handled in different ways. Talk about your problems in a civilized way, or just flash your plasma rifle.
  • Blast 'Em Away With V.A.T.S. : Even the chances of battle with the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System for your Pip-Boy Model 3000 V.A.T.S. Allows you to pause combat time, target specific body parts at your target, queue attacks and let Vault-Tec pull out your aggression. Death and destruction of rain in a brand new film presentation.

What are the quest rewards?

The figures below are values listed in the Fallout Wiki quest reference, not real-world statistics. Cap rewards depend on the dialogue and Speech outcome.

Choice Quest-reference rewards or penalty
Destroy Megaton 300 XP; Tenpenny Tower suite key and deed; 1,000 Karma lost; 1,000 caps for a successful Speech check or special Black Widow dialogue, otherwise 500 caps if the offer is accepted or Speech fails.
Disarm the bomb Megaton house key and deed; 100 or 500 caps, depending on the Speech outcome. The reference does not list an XP value for this route.

These quest values and dialogue conditions come from the Fallout Wiki reference for The Power of the Atom.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
  • Good Condition: No manual; Includes original cover art and game

Can you still destroy Megaton after the Tenpenny Tower quest?

Yes. If you have helped Roy Phillips and the ghouls take over Tenpenny Tower before finishing the bomb quest, Roy may confront Burke after learning Burke plans to destroy Megaton. The quest reference says the destruction route continues after this sequence-dependent scene; helping Roy is not a prerequisite. See the Tenpenny Tower quest reference.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Should you blow up Megaton?

Choose based on the trade you want: destroy it for the Tenpenny Tower suite and a substantial Karma penalty, or disarm the bomb to keep Megaton available and earn its house reward. If local quests matter to you, complete them before making the irreversible choice. The game’s Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition listing on Steam identifies the edition and says it includes all five add-on packs; it does not change the quest trade-off described here.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Fallout 3 - PlayStation 3 Game of the Year Edition
Fallout 3 - PlayStation 3 Game of the Year Edition
Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition PS3; console-video-games
$20.80
Bestseller No. 3
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
Good Condition: No manual; Includes original cover art and game
$29.88
Bestseller No. 4
Fallout 3
Fallout 3
Latest in human ability simulation affords unlimited customization of characters; Expansive world in modern super-deluxe HD graphics
$30.33
Rank #4
Fallout 3
  • Fight for survival against terrors of the outside world, radiation, and mutants after nuclear fallout
  • Latest in human ability simulation affords unlimited customization of characters
  • Expansive world in modern super-deluxe HD graphics
  • Features ability to pause time in combat, target specific body parts, and queue up attacks
  • 1st- or 3rd-person perspective

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How to Turn On Vibrant Visuals in MinecraftMinecraftBlog3min
  2. Best Multiplayer Games for Low-End PCsBlog4min
  3. Minecraft: How To Use And Install OptiFineBlog5min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.