http://www.newsweek.com/fallout-76-factions-enclave-brotherhood-steel-raiders-responders-1181467

The Fallout 76 beta (B.E.T.A. if you’re fancy) begins tomorrow night, and there are so, so, so many questions. We’ve answered some of them, like PvP and Solo Mode, but one of the biggest mysteries revolves around Fallout 76 factions. We know factions will be part of the game, but we don’t know exactly what they do or how to join them. Here’s a rundown of what Bethesda has told us about factions so far, including the five confirmed factions as well as resources for the community-created factions fans are organizing as we head into launch.

There has been no official guidance from Bethesda on how to join a faction. However, it’s clear factions will play a major role in the game. A lot of fans are confused by a lack of NPCs, how can you join a faction without someone to sign you up? However, there are other ways. During my hands-on demo earlier this month, I received a number of instructions via terminal to register as a “Volunteer” and pick up some quests. It seems likely that other factions will organize around terminals too. You register, get quests and claim rewards in one spot. There is also this megathread on Reddit with player-created factions. They exist in name (and Discord) only for the moment, and it's not clear if creating your own faction would confer the same benefits as the ones that exist for the “official” factions.