Yes—save the hostages if you want them to survive. The choice in “On the Trail of the Traitor” earns Order reputation, but it takes extra puzzle-solving and leads to more automech combat in the next main quest. Leaving them is a faster role-play or speed choice if you accept their deaths.
What happens if you save the hostages?
During the main quest “On the Trail of the Traitor,” you can solve an orb-moving puzzle to rescue the captives. Game8’s choice guide reports that saving them grants +3 Order reputation and brings more automechs into combat during the next main quest.
PC Gamer’s independent account of the decision also describes the rescue as the slower option: after the puzzle, you retrieve an Auto-Pneumatic Keypunch Activation Card and use it at the main console to stop the hostages from being crushed. The published walkthrough details do not establish every puzzle move, so there is no reliable move-by-move solution to give here.
What happens if you leave them?
Leaving the hostages skips the rescue puzzle and lets you get to Seer Wiley sooner. The cost is their deaths; the cited guides describe the broader consequences as limited beyond the immediate outcome and the rescue-related Order reputation and combat effects.
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#1 Best Overall
- 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.
- Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds, and goals, making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
Which choice should you make?
| Choice | Immediate result | Quest and gameplay trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Save the hostages | They survive; Game8 reports +3 Order reputation. | Spend time on the orb puzzle and keycard-console steps; face more automechs in the next main quest, according to Game8. |
| Leave the hostages | They die. | Skip the rescue puzzle and reach Seer Wiley sooner, according to PC Gamer. |
Recommendation: Save them if keeping the captives alive matters to your character and you accept the extra task and later fights. Leave them if you are role-playing a character who would abandon them or prioritizing faster progress. The consequences above are guide-reported; no official quest database or direct gameplay test establishes additional effects.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
![The Outer Worlds 2 - Premium Upgrade Edition - Xbox Series X|S & Windows [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nIqU0pnYL._SL160_.jpg)
- Requires base game, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass membership. (Sold separately)
- This Premium Upgrade Edition add-on for your Standard Edition* game includes: DLC Pass for 2 future story expansions**, Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Premium Prize Pack, access to the Digital Art Book & Original Soundtrack.
- 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.
Rank #3
![The Outer Worlds 2 – Premium Edition – PlayStation® 5 [Disc + Code in Box]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51m0DA7hhuL._SL160_.jpg)
- The Premium Edition includes: The Outer Worlds 2 base game, DLC Pass for 2 future story expansions*, Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Premium Prize Pack, and access to the Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack. Content Download Required.
- 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.
Rank #2
![The Outer Worlds 2 - Standard Edition - Xbox Series X|S & Windows [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515qrZGU51L._SL160_.jpg)
- 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.
- Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds, and goals, making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
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