In this tips guide for The Outer Worlds 2, we show you where to find all six companions, what their abilities are, which mistakes to avoid when recruiting them, and how to leverage their strengths in combat.
In The Outer Worlds 2, you can recruit six companions in total, each with distinct combat styles and personalities. Every crew member reacts differently to your choices — in the worst case, they’ll even leave you. We’ll walk you through how to get the most out of your crew step by step.
The Outer Worlds 2: All Companions and Where to Find Them
There are six companions in total; two become available automatically at the start. The other four must be found during main and side quests and recruited by making the right choices.
You can bring two companions at a time, while the rest remain on your ship. When you leave the Incognito, you can reassemble your team. While you can send companions back home while out and about, you can’t swap them on the fly.
Each companion has their own questline. Over time, they’ll speak to you aboard the Incognito or between main quests to ask for help. Accept to start the questline. Do these missions early to unlock important Mod Kits that significantly improve your companions.
Niles: The Starter Partner
- Location: Automatically available after the prologue on Paradise Island
- Strengths: Stealth, ranged combat, on-the-go crafting
Niles is your first companion and joins you right after the start. He’s great at drawing enemy attention so you can strike with precision. His skill tree also lets you unlock key abilities that support stealthy play.
V.A.L.E.R.I.E.: The Support Drone
- Location: Also becomes available automatically after the prologue
- Strengths: Healing, damage mitigation, hacking
VAL is the ideal choice if you specialize in melee or want to conserve healing items. She automatically heals you at low health and reduces incoming damage. Her Mod Kits boost her healing rate or make her resistant to specific damage effects. VAL is especially useful in longer fights or against bosses. Pair her with an aggressive companion like Tristan or Aza for a balanced squad.
Inez: The All-Rounder
- Location: Fairfield on Paradise Island, after the quest “Refreshing News”
- Strengths: Healing or damage, Inhaler enhancement
Warning: Inez can be permanently missed! If you botch the main quest involving Milverstreet and Kaur. During “Refreshing News,” defend her in the dialogue with Milverstreet and help repair her implant. In her quest, you’ll choose between two implants that either provide support (Raptidon) or add more firepower (Crabble).
Tristan: The Tank with a Hammer
- Location: Free Market Station, in the “Second Choice” bar
- Strengths: Melee, crowd control, high resistance
Warning: Tristan is missable! The Arbiter is a heavily armored frontline bruiser who draws aggro and pounds enemies up close. His quest begins after you talk to him in the bar on Free Market Station. Finish it to recruit him permanently. You can travel to Free Market Station once you’ve completed the main quest on Paradise Island. Tristan is perfect as a tank. Pair him with VAL for high survivability or with Marisol for surgical crits on stunned targets.
Marisol: The Tactical Gadgeteer
- Location: Golden Ridge, in the Zyranium Manufacturing Complex
- Strengths: Control, critical hits, gadget optimization
Warning: Marisol is missable! Speak with Abbot Josef Newell on Golden Ridge to unlock the side quest “Beginning at the Endpoint.” There, you’ll meet Marisol as “Alva,” who’s suspected of sabotage. Help clear her name to recruit her later. Marisol is ideal for crit-focused builds or heavy gadget use. Use her to eliminate dangerous enemies early.
Aza: The Companion with a Bang
- Location: Golden Ridge, in the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium
- Strengths: Stealth, area damage, two ability charges
Warning: Aza can be missed too! She’s locked on the top floor of the “Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium” in western Golden Ridge. To recruit her, clear out every enemy in the base — one of them is holed up in the restroom behind a locked door on the ground floor. The matching “Zyranium Extractorium Outer Key” is on the desk right next to it. Aza is the perfect pick for aggressive playstyles.
Companion Tips
To get the most out of your companions, rotate your party regularly. Different quests and scenarios reward different skill sets, so it’s worth tweaking your lineup often.
Watch for synergies: Pairing VAL with Tristan gives you a tough tank-plus-healing combo. Inez and Marisol are a great match when you want control and support, while Niles and Aza make a potent duo for stealth and high burst damage.
Also, don’t forget to finish each companion’s questline. These missions not only unlock new and stronger abilities but also flesh out your crew’s backstories. Over the course of the game, you can find Mod Kits through quests or loot that further upgrade your companions’ gear and special abilities.
Avoid a few common pitfalls. Choose your dialogue options carefully, since certain responses can permanently lock you out of companions like Marisol or Inez. And resist the urge to free-roam too early. Some companions only appear after specific story milestones, so it’s smart to focus on the main story first to make sure you don’t miss anyone.
