There are six Outer Worlds 2 companions to find, each with a unique ability. Which you recruit will be entirely up to you, likely based on your build and what you feel like you need. You can have two companions in your party at any one time, but no more than that. You’ll have access to Niles and Valerie from the start of the game, but the other four you’ll have to find and unlock yourself.
Down below, I’ll explain how to unlock all Outer Worlds 2 companions, what their companion abilities are, and when is best to include them in your team. And, before we get started, it’s good to note that you unfortunately cannot romance companions, so don’t even think about it.
All Outer World 2 companions
Outer worlds 2 Niles
- How to unlock: Complete the intro
- Skill: Niles puts himself in the enemy’s line of fire to protect his comrades. Enemies are more likely to target him, and he will occasionally fire at enemies not targeting him, taunting them.
- Faction: Earth Directorate
Niles is an Earth Directorate soldier that you encounter at the very beginning of the game. At the end of the introductory mission entitled “The Earth Directorate Mission,” he will become automatically available as a companion.
One of his major tools as a companion is his ability to taunt enemies to draw aggro away from you. If you feel like you’re dying too quickly or being overwhelmed with too many enemies, then he can be a great distraction tool.
Outer Worlds 2 VALERIE
- How to unlock: Complete the intro
- Skill: Whenever Valerie uses her Life Injection module tray, all other party members, including herself, are also healed for a moderate amount. Heals 20% health instantly.
- Faction: Earth Directorate
Valerie is an Earth Directorate Robot who is a part of your crew from the very beginning of the game. At the end of the introductory mission entitled “The Earth Directorate Mission” She automatically becomes available as a companion.
Having Valerie as part of your team can prove super useful due to her ability to consistently heal you. Her syringes not only recover health but also provide a damage reduction bonus. For those who are finding their health is just depleting a bit too quickly, then be sure to recruit Valerie.
Outer Worlds 2 Inez
- How to unlock: Met at Ministry of Accuracy during Milverstreet or Kaur’s quest. Recruited at the Fairfield town hall.
- Skill: Inez occasionally tosses medicine packs near you. Walking over them automatically uses them, reducing your toxicity build-up or crash duration. Medicine packs break apart on their own after a moderate duration OR fire armour piercing scalding shell shards.
- Faction: Auntie’s Choice
Inez is a part of the Auntie’s Choice faction and is part of the Enhanced Soldier Division. You first meet her at the Ministry of Accuracy where she decides to return to Fairfield to speak with Milverstreet. When you return to Milverstreet, you will find him and Inez arguing before she eventually walks away and is waiting for you by the entrance.
She’ll offer to join your crew in exchange for helping fix her graft. If you agree to this mission, you can then choose between two different grafts for her to have, either a more defensive healing graft or a more offensive armour-piercing graft.
Having Inez as part of your team is a great option as you can adjust her graft based on what you need. If you find you’re falling short defensively and you need that extra bit of healing, then go for the healing graft. Whereas, if you find you’re not doing enough damage to finish off your enemies, then, of course, her offensive graft is a great pick too.
Outer Worlds 2 Aza
- How to unlock: Free her from her cell in the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium in west Golden Ridge. Agree to hunt down her fellow cultists.
- Skill: Aza chooses discretion over aggression and attempts to flank weak targets in combat.
- Faction: The Glorious Dawn
Aza is one of the easiest companions to unlock. All you need to do is sneak into or fight your way into the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium in west Golden Ridge and then free her from her cell.
She’s a perfect addition to any team looking for a strong offence thanks to her skill that has multiple charges and allows you to blast enemies with an explosive cluster. The enemies that are hit take extensive physical damage and are crowd-controlled.
Outer Worlds 2 Marisol
- How to unlock: Complete the Beginning at the Endpoint quest at Zyranium Refinery in Golden Ridge. Side with Initiate Alva.
- Skill: Marisol occasionally tosses more portable capacitors near you. Walking over them automatically activates them, restoring gadget energy. Attacking them causes them to explode, dealing shock damage in an area around them. There is a cooldown between uses.
- Faction: The Order
Marisol will be in disguise when you meet her, making her one of the harder companions to recruit. If you don’t side with her during the quest where you meet her, you can actually accidentally kill her and then you are unable to make her a companion at all. If you would like to recruit her, then be sure to side with Initiate Alva during the Beginning and at the Endpoint quest.
If you’re finding it hard to defeat bosses, then definitely go and recruit Marisol. Alongside that, if your build relies on critical hits, then having Mara’s Soul is also a large bonus based on all of her attacks being critical damage. This will allow you to do mass amounts of damage super quickly as well as activate your effects.
Outer Worlds 2 Tristan
- How to unlock: Met at The 2nd Choice on Free Market Station. Complete his quest at Golden Ridge.
- Skill: Enemies are more likely to target Tristan, and hostile effects on him last half as long. Harmful status effect duration: -50%.
- Faction: The Protectorate
Tristan is part of the Protectorate, and you meet him at the Second Choice Bar on Free Market Station. Completing Tristan’s quest at Golden Ridge gives you access to recruiting him.
Not only does recruiting him give you access to his companion ability that allows him to deal massive amounts of AoE damage, but you can also taunt enemies, too. If you’re finding that you’re taking too much damage or just getting overwhelmed with enemies in certain situations, then having Tristan as part of your team can really help this.
Another bonus to having Tristan in your team is the fact that he will point out things of interest as you explore the world.
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