Control Resonant: A New Directive Walkthrough

Quest type: Side Story — unlocks automatically during Act 3 in the Unknown zone.
Requirement: Progress Sever the Hedron Links and Pope’s Research first.
All the action takes place at the FBC Field Office in Central after the initial Unknown call.
No combat — this is entirely dialogue, item placement, and one button press.
The Containment Unit furniture must be placed on the yellow markers: desk fan, green lamp, two traffic cones, armchair, and two white plastic chairs.
Canvas comes from Jesse’s portrait in the Field Office lobby.
Reward: Untapped Whetstone artifact — lets you craft a new artifact at The Gap.
Counts toward the Panopticon Intern trophy/achievement.

A New Directive is one of Control Resonant’s most unusual side quests. A paranatural entity called Fra Mauro — disguised as a mild-mannered cafeteria worker named Fred — wants to become the FBC’s new Director. He doesn’t fight, he doesn’t flee, and nobody around him can act against him because his presence puts them into a trance. The only way to contain him is to trick him. You build a fake Director’s Office inside a containment unit, hang his portrait, and then seal the door behind him. This walkthrough covers every step so nothing stalls you out.

Table of Contents

How to Start A New Directive

This quest cannot be manually triggered — it starts on its own. While exploring the Unknown zone during Act 3, you’ll receive a garbled radio call from a strange voice. The caller is Fra Mauro, though you won’t know that yet. He speaks in a way that is technically English but makes no sense at all. Answer the call and pick any dialogue option. It doesn’t matter what you choose — the exchange adds A New Directive to your quest log automatically.

The call comes in during Pope’s Research, usually when you reach the western or northwestern section of the Unknown. If it hasn’t triggered yet, keep progressing Pope’s Research and exploring the zone — it will come in on its own.

Once it does, everything else in the quest takes place at the FBC Field Office in Central.

Step 1 — Locate the Mystery Caller (Find Fred)

Control Resonant A New Directive Locate the Mystery Caller

Fast travel to the Field Office in Central. Head to the Cafeteria, which is the shipping container structure located near Langston’s position. Inside, you’ll find a man who introduces himself as Fred. He speaks in that same strange, disjointed way as the radio caller.

Exhaust all of his dialogue. Fred will eventually reveal that he is Fra Mauro — a paranatural entity — and that he wants to be the Director of the FBC. He believes he is the most qualified candidate and sees it as his destiny. His passive influence puts everyone nearby into a light trance, which is why nobody in the Field Office can act against him.

After the conversation, the quest updates and sends you to question the FBC Agents in the Field Office about Fred.

Step 2 — Question FBC Agents and Speak to Langston

Control Resonant A New Directive Question FBC Agents and Speak to Langston

Talk to a few of the FBC Rangers and staff in the Field Office. Most of them seem slightly dazed and have nothing but glowing things to say about Fred. Their reactions confirm that Fra’s influence is real — they’re all under it. This step completes quickly.

Next, speak to Langston. He’s aware of the situation and is not under Fra’s influence in the same way. Tell him what Fra wants. Langston comes up with the plan: build a fake Director’s Office inside a containment unit and lure Fra inside. Once the doors close, Fra’s influence gets cut off and the situation resolves. He suggests visiting the real Director’s Office for reference before setting anything up.

Step 3 — Sketch the Real Director’s Office for Reference

Control Resonant A New Directive Sketch the Real Directors Office for Reference

Head to the Oldest House. Take the route to Central Executive, then follow the Thomas Street corridor to reach Jesse Faden’s real Director’s Office. It’s the same office from the original Control game.

Once inside, walk up to the main desk and select the Sketch Reference prompt. Dylan draws up a reference sketch of the office layout — what furniture is where, what the room looks like. Wait for him to finish. You now have the Director’s Office Reference Sketch in your inventory, which tells you exactly how to arrange the Containment Unit.

Step 4 — Furnish the Containment Unit

Control Resonant A New Directive Furnish the Containment Unit

Return to the Field Office in Central. Find the cargo container labelled “FBC FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR’S OFFICE”, located directly south of where Langston stands. The furniture you need is already outside the container on the sidewalk — you just need to carry each piece in and place it on the correct yellow marker inside.

Here is every item and where it goes:

Desk fan: Place it on the yellow marker to the left of the desk.
Green lamp: Place it on the yellow marker to the right of the desk.
Traffic cone (first): Place it on the yellow marker in the back-left corner of the room.
Traffic cone (second): Place it on the yellow marker in the back-right corner of the room.
Upholstered armchair: Place it on the yellow marker behind the desk — this is Fra’s seat.
White plastic chair (first): Place it on the yellow marker in front of the desk on the left side.
White plastic chair (second): Place it on the yellow marker in front of the desk on the right side.

Each item must snap to its yellow marker. If a piece isn’t registering, pick it back up and try again — make sure you’re using the Drop Object prompt rather than just releasing it. Once all seven items are correctly placed, the objective updates.

Step 5 — Get a Canvas for Fra’s Portrait

Go back to Fra in the Cafeteria and continue the conversation. Work through his dialogue options until “Is it a Portrait?” appears — select it. Fra refuses to move into the office until an official Director’s portrait is hanging on the wall. He wants one of himself.

To get the canvas, go to the main Field Office building lobby — specifically near the stairs leading toward the Park exit. On the left wall beside the staircase, you’ll find Director Faden’s Portrait. Take it off the wall. This is your canvas.

Bring the portrait back to Fra in the Cafeteria. He repaints it — replacing Jesse’s face with his own hazmat mask — producing Director Fra’s Portrait.

Step 6 — Hang the Portrait in the Containment Unit

Take Director Fra’s Portrait to the Containment Unit. Hang it on the back wall of the container — there’s a designated hook or mount point on that wall. The portrait must be on the back wall specifically for the quest to register it correctly.

Once it’s hung, return to Fred in the Cafeteria and tell him his office is ready.

Step 7 — Use Zoe’s Radio to Call Fra into the Office

Fred still won’t move — he needs a formal summons. Langston suggests talking Fra up to Zoe first. Go to Zoe’s office near the Central Checkpoint and tell her how wonderful Fred is. This is a short, slightly absurd conversation where Dylan has to genuinely sell Fra as a great person. Once Zoe is on board, use the radio in her office to contact Fred directly.

Zoe’s voice on the radio cuts through Fra’s trance effect on the nearby people — the frozen Field Office staff start moving again. Fra, hearing a proper official invitation, agrees to relocate to his new Director’s Office and makes his way there.

Step 8 — Seal Fra in the Containment Unit

Head back to the Containment Unit near Langston’s position. Fra will walk inside and start settling in. The moment he enters, go to the external control panel beside the door and press the red button. This drops the blast door and seals Fra inside.

The door closing cuts off Fra’s paranatural influence. Everyone nearby snaps out of the trance immediately. The quest completes and you receive the Untapped Whetstone artifact as your reward.

If the quest doesn’t close after pressing the button: Make sure Director Fra’s Portrait is hanging on the back wall of the Containment Unit — not just placed inside it — and that all seven furniture items are on their yellow markers. Both must be correct before the seal will trigger the quest completion.

A New Directive Reward — Untapped Whetstone

The Untapped Whetstone is a special artifact that allows you to craft a brand new artifact at The Gap. It’s one of the more valuable side quest rewards in the game and gives you meaningful options for your build. For more on how artifacts work and what you can make, see our complete artifacts guide.

Completing A New Directive also counts toward the Panopticon Intern trophy and achievement, which requires finishing this quest alongside Panopticon Service Request, The Party Won’t Stop, The Complete Set, Into the Valley of Death, and Freeze Frame.

Tips for A New Directive

Do Pope’s Research first. A New Directive cannot start until you’re deep into Pope’s Research in the Unknown. If the call hasn’t come in, keep working on that quest.
Check every yellow marker. All seven furniture items must be on their specific markers. Placing them “close” doesn’t count. Use the Drop Object prompt, not a casual throw.
Portrait goes on the back wall. Hanging it anywhere else in the Containment Unit won’t complete the objective. The back wall has the dedicated mounting point.
There is no combat. This is a pure dialogue and puzzle quest. If you’re expecting a fight, it never comes — Fra simply cannot be hurt here.
Press the button fast after Fra enters. You don’t have to rush, but don’t wander off. Once Fra walks in, he can walk back out if you take too long to reach the panel.

More Control Resonant Guides

Control Resonant is available on PC and console via the official site, PlayStation Store, Xbox, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start A New Directive in Control Resonant?

The quest starts automatically while exploring the Unknown zone during Act 3. You receive a garbled radio call from Fra Mauro (Fred) while working through Pope’s Research. Answer the call and it appears in your quest log. You cannot trigger it manually.

Where is the mystery caller in A New Directive?

After the initial radio contact in the Unknown, head to the Field Office in Central and find the Cafeteria container near Langston’s position. Fred — who is actually the paranatural entity Fra Mauro — is inside.

What furniture goes in the Containment Unit in A New Directive?

You need to place a desk fan, green lamp, two traffic cones, one upholstered armchair, and two white plastic chairs — all on their yellow markers inside the container. All seven pieces are found outside the Containment Unit before you start furnishing it.

Where is the canvas for Fra’s portrait?

The canvas is Director Faden’s Portrait on the left wall of the main Field Office lobby, beside the staircase leading toward the Park. Take it off the wall and bring it to Fra in the Cafeteria — he repaints it as Director Fra’s Portrait.

What is the reward for A New Directive?

Completing A New Directive rewards you with the Untapped Whetstone artifact, which lets you craft a brand new artifact at The Gap. It also counts toward the Panopticon Intern trophy and achievement.