For nine years, the Fallout community has been divided over the correct way to orient toilet paper. Now developer Bethesda has decided to take a side.
You know the feeling. You’re visiting friends, you need to use the bathroom and then this: The toilet paper in the bathroom is hanging the wrong way. At least, if it goes according to your subjective assessment. And while you are now desperately trying not to give in to the urge to turn other people’s toilet paper around, we can tell you: you are not alone in this feeling.
Because the correct alignment of toilet paper is a controversy that has been going on for years, and is sometimes conducted emotionally. Meanwhile, the topic has even made it to its own Wikipedia entry.
The arguments:
- A forward-facing orientation makes it easier to grasp the toilet paper and avoids accidentally touching an unhygienic wall. In hotels, this orientation is also used to fold the front end to indicate that the bathroom has been cleaned.
- The backward orientation, in turn, hides the unaesthetic loose end and reduces accidental excessive unrolling.
A controversial topic in the Fallout universe as well
Even in the Fallout universe, the correct direction for unrolling toilet paper is a recurring source of controversy. When Fallout 4 was released in 2015, the default direction of unrolling toilet paper was the backward hanging variant – anything but immersive.
A resourceful modder by the name of jet4571 promptly released a modification called Immersive Toilet Paper, which replaced the in-game toilet rolls with a forward-hanging variant. Thus was born the dispute in the community.
In the online version Fallout 76, the development team was apparently about to repeat their mistake. As dataminers discovered a few weeks ago, the files for the upcoming Season 20 again contain a toilet paper holder with a roll facing backwards.
Promptly, outraged fans demanded that the developers fix the obviously incorrect alignment of the paper.
Fallout76 PTS: Datamined Toiletpaper Holder (Season 20)
Turn it around, please! pic.twitter.com/PJijDJvi8l— Nuka Knights (skywalka) (@nukaknights) January 17, 2025
The Bethesda team has apparently now fulfilled this wish. Because as can be seen from an official content overview for the new update The Inner Ghoul, Bethesda has now added another toilet paper roll that is facing forward.
The description is simple: Correct Toilet Paper Holder
Apparently, the developers are also aware of the objectively correct alignment.
Shots fired by Bethesda in the new Fallout76′ update!
byu/SmurfsAreTasty inFallout
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The community is excited about the new toilet paper. On Reddit, many are thrilled to report that reason is finally returning to the Fallout 76 wasteland. Users
Do you know who would hang toilet paper upside down? A SYNTH!
The official Xbox account also commented on the post: The only reason to hang the roll backwards is if you have a cat that would otherwise unroll it.
Incidentally, a highly official answer to the toilet paper question has existed for over 140 years:The American patent for hanging toilet paper shows how it is to be used. The illustration shows the roll with the unrolling direction clearly facing forward, i.e. overhanging. It’s as simple as that.
