Companions play a big role in The Outer Worlds 2, not just in combat but also in how you experience the story. Each of the six companions you can recruit has their own personality, skills, and special abilities that can make your journey through the Halcyon system a lot more interesting. Here’s a complete guide on how to find and recruit all six companions in The Outer Worlds 2, along with what makes each one special.
How To Recruit All 6 Companions
There are six companions you can recruit in The Outer Worlds 2, and you can bring along two of them at a time. Whenever you’re about to leave your ship, the Incognito, you’ll get a chance to swap out your team members if you want to try a different combo. To upgrade your companions’ gear, you’ll need Upgrade Kits, which you usually earn as rewards for completing their personal side quests.
Niles
Niles is your first companion in The Outer Worlds 2, and he’s part of the Earth Directorate faction. You don’t need to do anything special to recruit him; he automatically joins you once the main campaign starts aboard the Incognito.
In combat, Niles is great at drawing enemy attention. His ability, “Spread Out, I’ll Hold ’Em,” lets him taunt nearby enemies while firing three powerful shots that deal extra damage. He’s also naturally agile thanks to his Reflex Amplifier trait, which helps him dodge a portion of incoming attacks.
One of his most useful perks, Field Tinkering, lets you talk to him while he’s in your party to access a workbench, no matter where you are a real lifesaver when you’re far from your ship. To get his Upgrade Kits, you’ll need to complete his side quests: Pressing Cares and Do More Harm.
Valerie
Valerie is another early companion from the Earth Directorate, and she joins your crew right after you finish the prologue aboard the Incognito no extra steps needed.
She’s a combat medic. Her special ability, “Emergency Protocols,” fires a burst of syringes that heal your team over time and reduce the damage they take for a short while. She’s also got a handy Life Injection Module trait that automatically kicks in when someone’s health drops too low she’ll shoot them with a healing syringe to keep them in the fight.
On top of that, her Integrated Bypass Repair trait makes hacking a bit easier. When Valerie’s with you, there’s a chance your Bypass Shunts won’t get used up while hacking terminals or devices. To unlock her Upgrade Kit, you’ll need to complete her personal quest, A Healthy Improvement.
Inez
Inez is a companion who works for Auntie’s Choice, and you can find her on Paradise Island but recruiting her takes a bit of care. She’s located inside the Ministry of Accuracy, just west of Fairfield. Once you talk to her there, she’ll head back to Fairfield to speak with Milverstreet. After that conversation, you’ll get the chance to add her to your crew.
Be careful, though make sure you recruit Inez before finishing “The Saboteur of Paradise” main quest. Depending on your choices, things can go badly for her near the end of that mission, and she could end up permanently gone from your story.
Inez’s combat ability changes depending on the creature augments you graft onto her during her companion quests, making her one of the more customizable allies. She also benefits from Combat Drugs, which boost her fire rate and accuracy at the start of fights, and her Unlicensed Chemist trait, which increases the number of Inhaler charges you get from consumable drugs. To earn her Upgrade Kits, complete her companion quests: A Most Extraordinary Specimen, Half-Truths in Advertising, or Full Measures.
Tristan
Tristan represents the Protectorate faction, and you can find him at Free Market Station. Head inside the 2nd Choice Saloon and strike up a conversation with him to start his quest, “Arbitrary Measures.” This mission takes you to the southwestern part of Dorado, also known as Golden Ridge.
Once you reach the camp, you’ll need to investigate a few things: a settler’s corpse near the entrance, a wrecked automechanical, a terminal inside the left-side tent, a radio tower at the back, and a communications array on the main building’s roof. After looking into everything, your group will be ambushed by mechs and drones take them down to complete the job. When you return to the saloon in Free Market Station, Tristan officially joins your crew.
In combat, Tristan is all about brute strength. His Judgment ability lets him charge an enemy and slam them with a devastating blow that deals heavy damage and knocks back nearby foes. He’ll also taunt enemies afterwards, drawing their attention to him. His Supreme Arbiter Hammer is a unique weapon that doubles as both a melee weapon and a grenade launcher, while his Observant Adjudicator trait gives you a handy 25% chance to automatically spot hidden objects, even if your Observation skill isn’t high enough.
To get Tristan’s Upgrade Kits, you’ll need to finish his companion quests, Listening For a Clue and Casting Off the Veil.
Aza
Aza is part of The Glorious Dawn faction, and you can find her in Golden Ridge at the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium. The place is located northwest of the Landing Pad or just south of the N-Ray Range. To get inside, you’ll need either the Zyranium Extractorium Key or a Lockpick skill of 12.
Once you’re close enough, you’ll hear Aza shouting for help. Follow the sound and open the chamber to free her after that, she’ll be happy to join your crew.
In battle, Aza uses her Spread the Message ability to launch an explosive charge from her wrist gadget, dealing heavy physical damage and staggering nearby enemies. Her A Chaotic Purpose trait lets her ability recharge faster than most companions, and she can even hold two charges at once. She also has Hidden in Plain Sight, which makes it harder for neutral or friendly factions to turn against you.
To get Aza’s Upgrade Kits, complete her companion quests: The Dawn of a Glorious Betrayal and Stabbing at Shadows.
Marisol
Marisol is a member of the Order of the Ascendant, and you’ll meet her while exploring Golden Ridge during the main questline. At some point, you’ll get a side quest called “Beginning at the Endpoint.” During this quest, you’ll come across Initiate Alva inside Zyranium Manufactory VII she’s locked up and accused of wrongdoing, and you’ll be asked to investigate what really happened.
When you talk to her, make sure to side with Alva or at least avoid directly blaming her. Once the quest wraps up, you’ll discover that she’s actually Marisol, an undercover agent for the Order. After confronting her rival and watching her take them down, you’ll get the chance to officially recruit her as a companion.
Marisol’s ability, Torpifying Blast, lets her shoot a target with a stunning round that freezes them in place while they’re stunned, every attack against them counts as a critical hit. Her Gadget Optimization trait gives your whole party a small energy restore every time you score a kill, and her Threat Analyzer lets you see an enemy’s health, armor, and weapon details when you use the N-Ray Scanner or Tactical Time Dilation. To get Marisol’s Upgrade Kits, complete her companion quests: Midpoint to the Endpoint and Endpoint’s End.
