Zenimax think they can step up to Valve this late in the game, it's hilarious.
What is it with game publishers thinking they can take the PC market away from Valve all of a sudden after it's already been comfortably in their possession for years now?
I imagine that's exactly why they're doing it with a Fallout spin-off and not a main installment. Fallout is wildly popular now, so they can afford to try out independent sales and distribution with a game that looks like a Rust mod - if it still sells well that will validate it, and if it doesn't sell well, I'm sure they'll still recuperate what minimal amount of funding they put into developing the game.
I'm pretty sure Fallout 76 is a huge game for them. It's not just a low budget spin-off. ---