Rumors of Nuka-World began circulating three months before the official release after a file hinting at a new expansion was found in Fallout 4's source code.

[7] The Pip-Boy – a small computer strapped to the character's wrist which contains maps, statistics, data, and items – plays a role in both Fallout 4 and Nuka-World.

[10] In order to create these items, the player will need to collect raw materials from the game world and find recipe books to unlock new flavors.

The Operators are led by Maggy "Mags" Black, alongside her brother William and their friend Lizzie Wyath; their gang is mostly interested in acquiring as much wealth as possible.

The Pack is headed by Mason, the alpha of the gang; they favor a survival of the fittest mentality, and train wild animals for gambling and sport.

Nuka-World itself is divided into six smaller parts, each of which can be explored by the player: Nuka-Town, U.S.A., the park's central hub, made up of restaurants, souvenir stores, and sideshows; Kiddie Kingdom, a fantasy setting, featuring a central castle, fairground rides, and a candy theme throughout, has been overrun by Feral Ghouls; Dry Rock Gulch, a wild west-themed area, featuring roller coasters and animatronic gunslingers which has been infested with a parasitic larvae known as Bloodworms; Safari Adventure, a wildlife enclosure filled with exotic animals that have since turned feral; the Galactic Zone, a space-themed section populated by customized robots that have malfunctioned and reverted to their military specifications long before; and the Nuka-Cola bottling plant, a model Nuka-Cola factory offering guided tours and samples of Nuka-Cola products that have since leached into the environment and triggered additional mutations in the local fauna.

Porter Gage, a veteran raider, contacts the Sole Survivor after boarding a monorail and tells them that they are walking into a death trap.

Upon arrival, the Sole Survivor must navigate an increasingly-deadly obstacle course called the Gauntlet, which culminates with a fight with Colter, the raider Overboss.

Following the death of Colter, Gage reveals the leaders of the three raider gangs conspired to usurp him, using the broadcast and the Gauntlet to find possible replacements.

As the Sole Survivor gradually expands their influence, tape recordings and journal entries reveal that despite its popularity, Nuka-World was under threat from serious mismanagement in the weeks and months prior to the Great War.

Inside is Bradberton's still-living head attached to a life support machine; a punishment by Braxton for doubting the military.

In an alternate scenario, they are also given the option of ending raider influence by assassinating the leaders of each gang and their lieutenants, thereby returning control of Nuka-World to the traders who originally used it as a hub of commerce.

Bethesda's Mark Teare said the expansion was partly the result of feedback from people who wished for more content surrounding Raiders.

[note 1][16] Rumors surrounding Nuka-World started circulating in May 2016 after Reddit user flashman7870 uncovered a segment of code which referenced a file called "DLCNukaWorld.esm".

[27] Unlike the PS4 launch of Far Harbor, no major stability or frame-rate issues were found while playing, except when inside a location called The Galactic Zone.

[4][30][37] Reviewers, including Paul Tassi (Forbes) and Nicholas Tan (Game Revolution), compared Nuka-World to Far Harbor, with many thinking this expansion had a less developed story-line, and was thus less story-based.

Christopher Livingston (PC Gamer) thought that "attacking settlements, especially your own, is good fun, but there's [sic] hours of chores to complete before you can really become a raider.

Dan Stapleton (IGN) said that when compared to Far Harbor, the role-playing elements are far less developed, though he also said Nuka-World has a nice setting filled with surprises and battles.