While Android users may have been overjoyed by the much-awaited release of Fallout Shelter for the platform, it seems that their happiness is short-lived. Fallout Shelter is not stable and is riddled with bugs that erase your entire progress.
Android users who have downloaded Fallout Shelter are expressing their disenchantment as a "save data" corruption bug not only deletes any progress a user has made but also eats away any in-app purchases they may have made.
The saved file keeps details of a gamer's in-app purchases, as well as other micro transactions, so, therefore, Android users who have shelled out money for the same are naturally concerned.
The bug reportedly pops up when the phone's battery dies in the midst of gameplay or when the memory runs out. Consequently, when the user restarts Fallout Shelter to resume the game, the entire progress is reset and one is asked to start a new vault. Also, the game keeps crashing a few frames on the loading screen. The saved files become 0KB, which means they are blank, thanks to the bug.
Gamers have expressed their ire on different communities, hoping for a tangible solution to the issue.
"So I was enjoying Fallout Shelter on Android but today when I went to start it, it just would quit before the main menu. Upon further investigation my save file is now 0KB, meaning it somehow got corrupted. But I did purchase lunchboxes so I guess I just wasted my money," noted a gamer on Reddit.
It is not clear whether the bug affects iOS users. Several Fallout Shelter users have also flooded Bethesda's forum to express their annoyance and find a solution.
"After my phone ran out of memory mid game, the game now no longer loads my saved game ... it passed the first few opening overlay slides, then when it appears to try and ... load screen, it crashes. I have restarted my phone, closed all apps, flushed memory ... Nothing. It will no longer load. I cannot even get to the Main menu to attempt to create a new game. But what concerns me is that I have in-app purchases; I've bought lunchboxes and Mr Handy packages with this save and do not want to lose this money," ranted a user on Bethesda's forum.
The progress loss seems irreversible; even reinstalling the game may be of no help.
"I don't know why mine is happening, but I haven't been able to play for weeks now. It first did this when I had 50 dwellers, then when I had 79, and now when I had 12 dwellers. It crashes and then just loads to the main picture and closes the app. Such a piss-off ... I love this game. I have now deleted it and started over several times and it's just a waste," complained another Fallout Shelter user.
It is not known when Bethesda will address the issue and push out a patch to counter the bug. Until then, it would be wise not to spend money on in-app purchases such as lunchboxes.
