Fallout 76's design director is still defending its original absence of NPCs: 'At the beginning, we wanted it all to be player-driven'

I guess they briefly forgot about all the other player-driven Fallouts full of NPCs.
GameSpot

Fallout 76 Veterans Chose Friendship Over Fights, Much To The Devs' Surprise

The Fallout community has been very welcoming to newbies who have joined Fallout 76. As you might expect, the Fallout TV series on Prime Video has sent a lot of new and returning players to Fallout 76 ...