The Outer Worlds 2 has six companions in PC Gamer’s guide, updated October 29, 2025: Niles, Valerie, Inez, Tristan, Marisol, and Aza. Niles and Valerie join during the introduction; the other four require recruitment steps. Watch out for Marisol: siding with Initiate Alva during Beginning at the Endpoint is the reported way to keep her available.
The routes below follow PC Gamer’s October 29, 2025 companion guide. Xbox’s official product page describes companions as having unique traits, backgrounds, and goals, but does not give the individual recruitment walkthroughs.
Companion roster at a glance
| Companion | Faction listed by PC Gamer | Recruitment route | Reported combat ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles | Earth Directorate | Complete the introductory section on the space station; he joins with Valerie. | Taunts enemies in an area, then fires three shots at a target. |
| Valerie | Earth Directorate | Complete the introductory section on the space station; she joins with Niles. | Fires a volley of syringes that heals over time and temporarily reduces damage taken. |
| Inez | Auntie’s Choice | Meet her at the Ministry of Accuracy during Milverstreet or Kaur’s quest, then return to Fairfield town hall to recruit her. | Her quest offers a choice of two abilities, detailed below. |
| Tristan | The Protectorate | Meet him in The 2nd Choice on Free Market Station and complete his quest at Golden Ridge. The guide also says he can be recruited on Free Market Station after the Paradise Island story. | Charges a target and nearby enemies, knocks them back, and taunts nearby enemies. |
| Marisol | The Order | At the Zyranium Refinery in Golden Ridge, complete Beginning at the Endpoint and side with Initiate Alva. | Stuns a target and makes attacks against it critical while the effect lasts. |
| Aza | The Glorious Dawn | Free her from the upstairs cell in the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium in west Golden Ridge, then agree to hunt down her fellow cultists. | Attacks enemies in a cone with an explosive strike that staggers them. |
The factions, locations, quest names, routes, and abilities in this table are those reported by PC Gamer’s dated guide; Xbox’s official companion copy establishes the broader role of companions, not these specific details.
How to recruit each companion
Niles and Valerie: finish the introduction
Both companions join after you complete the introductory section aboard the space station. The guide does not list a separate recruitment decision for either character. Niles provides an area taunt followed by three shots at a target, while Valerie’s syringe volley provides healing over time and temporary damage reduction.
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Inez: meet her at the Ministry, then return to Fairfield
- Go to the Ministry of Accuracy and meet Inez during Milverstreet or Kaur’s quest.
- Return to Fairfield town hall to recruit her.
- Complete her quest and choose one of its two reported limb rewards.
The Skeleton Crabble limb gives her an armor-piercing shell attack. The Raptidon Matriarch limb gives her an ability that combines invisibility with an emergency heal. The guide presents these as a choice, so select the effect that better suits the support or damage role you want from her.
Tristan: Free Market Station and a Golden Ridge quest
Find Tristan in The 2nd Choice on Free Market Station, then complete his quest at Golden Ridge. PC Gamer also describes him as recruitable on Free Market Station after the Paradise Island story. Because the guide gives both descriptions without resolving their exact sequence, treat the station encounter, Golden Ridge quest, and Paradise Island timing as its reported route rather than assuming a more precise order.
His charge can hit a target and nearby enemies, knock them back, and taunt nearby foes, making him a control-oriented frontline option according to the guide’s ability description.
Marisol: side with Initiate Alva or risk losing her
- At the Zyranium Refinery in Golden Ridge, start Beginning at the Endpoint.
- Side with Initiate Alva during the quest.
PC Gamer warns that failing to side with Alva can result in Marisol’s death and permanently close off recruitment. Her reported combat skill stuns a target and causes attacks against that target to be critical while the effect lasts. If recruiting the full roster matters to you, make the Alva choice when the quest presents it.
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Aza: free her at the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium
- Go to the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium in west Golden Ridge.
- Find Aza in the upstairs cell and free her.
- Agree to hunt down her fellow cultists to complete the reported recruitment condition.
Aza’s explosive cone attack staggers enemies, according to the guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What companion choices mean
Xbox’s official product page says, “Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals.” It also says players can help companions pursue their ambitions or steer them toward other objectives, shaping their growth or death. That broad framing is consistent with the specific missable-recruit warning for Marisol, but the page does not independently confirm the individual walkthrough steps above.
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- The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment.
- Get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
- As a daring Earth Directorate, the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions—your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
- Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own.
The roster and recruitment instructions here reflect PC Gamer’s guide as updated October 29, 2025. The available information does not establish whether later game updates or downloadable content changed any of these conditions. For the game’s release and platform availability, see Xbox Wire’s October 29, 2025 launch announcement; availability and subscription terms can vary by region and change over time.
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