Key Takeaways
- Pope’s Research unlocks after completing The Hedron Link main story quest and speaking with Pope.
- The quest takes place entirely in The Unknown Zone — the game’s most disorienting region. Unlock the zone map first before chasing balloons.
- There are 8 research balloons total, each carrying probe relays you must plant in the marked red circles nearby.
- Completing all 8 balloons activates Gravity Wells across every island — these are required to reach The Unknown Resonant (Co-Director boss).
- After all relays are planted, investigate Point 0 at the center of the zone to finish the quest.
- Rewards: 1 Resonant Token + Budding Analyst trophy/achievement.
Pope’s Research is one of the most important side quests in Control Resonant — not just for the trophy, but because finishing it is the only way to activate the Gravity Wells that let you move through The Unknown Zone at all. Without it, you cannot reach the Co-Director boss or progress the late-game story. This guide covers all 8 balloon locations and walks you through every relay placement step by step.
How to Start Pope’s Research
The quest becomes available after completing the The Hedron Link main mission. Speak with Emily Pope — she explains that she needs more data on the Patterning and asks Dylan to head into The Unknown to help set up her research network.
To enter The Unknown Zone, take the central elevator in the Oldest House and select Roof Access. Step out onto the rooftop and the first research balloon will be visible almost immediately.
Important: Before you start hunting balloons, unlock the zone map. Head to the central antenna tower in The Unknown, activate the three nearby sensor dishes, then interact with the control panel at the base of the tower. Once the zone map is revealed, all remaining balloon markers appear on it — this saves a huge amount of time.
How Pope’s Research Works
Every balloon follows the same mechanic:
- Locate the balloon — it looks like a blue cargo balloon carrying a payload crate.
- Jump or climb onto the platform hanging beneath the balloon.
- Press L1 (PlayStation) / LB (Xbox) to cut the payload loose, dropping the probe relay crate.
- Smash open the crate and pick up the probe relays inside.
- Carry each relay to the red blood circle nearby and place it in the correct position.
- Once all relays for that balloon are planted, a Gravity Well activates — this is how you travel to the next island.
Each relay must be placed in order. The red circles on the ground each have a numbered signal icon on the minimap — follow those markers if you lose track. Most balloons have 2–3 relays; the final two in the central area have more. There are 24 relays total across all 8 balloons.
All 8 Pope’s Research Balloon Locations
Balloon 1 – Starting Island (Oldest House Rooftop)
This is right where you begin. Exit the Oldest House elevator onto the rooftop and look to your left — the first blue balloon is immediately visible. Climb up to the platform under it, cut the payload, and break open the crate.
- Probe Relay 1: Place it in the red circle directly next to the balloon drop point.
- Probe Relay 2: From the balloon, climb up one floor. The second circle is there.
Once both relays are placed, a Gravity Well opens. Use it to drop into The Unknown zone below. From here, activate the central map tower before continuing to the next balloon.
Balloon 2 – North-West Island (Tower Island)
After landing in The Unknown via the first Gravity Well, head north-west to Tower Island. Look for the blue mold formations and head down to street level to find the balloon. Clear any enemies before setting up the relays. Place both relays in the nearby red circles to activate the next Gravity Well.
Tip: Near where you placed the second relay, look up to spot the Gravity Well that sends you further into the zone. If you time your landing near the Hotel sign during the drop from Balloon 1, you can unlock the Twisted Rooftops fast travel point while you’re in the area.
Balloon 3 – North-East Island
Head north-east from the central area to find the third balloon. This one sits on a raised platform on the north-eastern island. The third relay can be awkward to reach — look for a climbable surface nearby rather than trying to throw it across a gap. Place all relays in the red circles and move on.
Balloon 4 – Central Island
Return toward the central island to find the fourth balloon. This is a good time to double-check your zone map if it is active — the central island is the hub of The Unknown and you will be passing through it multiple times. Place the relays and use the new Gravity Well to continue outward.
Balloon 5 – South-West Island (Factory Island)
Head south-west and use the Gravity Well to cross to Factory Island. The balloon here is on the brick rooftops — look for the door that leads up to it. This island has more enemy activity than earlier ones, so clear the area before trying to handle the relays. Place all relays in order to activate the next well.
Balloon 6 – South-East Island
From the Factory Island Gravity Well, launch across to the south-east island. The balloon is on a crane payload platform — you will need to land carefully after launching from the well. Place the relays in the red circles and continue south.
Balloon 7 – South Island
The south island holds the seventh balloon and has three probe relays instead of two. The placement circles are spread across a larger area than in earlier balloons, so follow your minimap signal icons carefully. Complete all three and the Gravity Well to the final area unlocks.
Balloon 8 – Central Island (Second Set)
The eighth and final balloon is back on the central island — a second set from the one you visited earlier. This balloon has four probe relays, the most of any in the quest. Take your time with the placement order and use the minimap signal icons to keep track. Once all four are planted, your objective updates to Investigate Point 0.
How to Reach Point 0
After all 8 balloons are complete, a yellow objective marker appears at the center of the central island. Point 0 is located inside the swirling vortex of floating taxis above the zone — it is hard to miss once you know what you are looking for.
Use the Gravity Wells to get into position, then launch up into the vortex. Hold L1 / LB while falling or gliding inside the sphere to trigger the final interaction. Pope will contact Dylan and reveal that she has detected a fresh resonance signature in the Patterning — something she believes may be Jesse’s mind.
The quest completes as soon as the interaction triggers inside Point 0.
Pope’s Research Rewards
- 1 x Resonant Token — spend this at The Gap to unlock a new Combat Ability
- Budding Analyst trophy/achievement (silver)
The Resonant Token is worth spending immediately if you have an ability you want but have not yet been able to afford. Check the ability guide if you are unsure which to prioritize.
Why Pope’s Research Is Effectively Mandatory
This quest is listed as a side quest, but do not let that fool you. Every Gravity Well in The Unknown Zone is powered by the probe relays you plant here. Without them:
- You cannot travel between The Unknown’s floating islands.
- You cannot reach the Unknown Resonant (Co-Director boss).
- You cannot progress the Sever the Hedron Links main mission fully.
In practice, the game sends you to The Unknown as part of the main story and expects you to do Pope’s Research before anything else. Do the balloon chain first, unlock the map, then tackle The Unknown Resonant. For the full boss guide, see the Co-Director boss guide.
Tips for Getting Through The Unknown Zone
- Unlock the map before anything else. The Unknown is designed to disorient. Activating the central antenna tower and its three sensor dishes reveals the full island layout and marks every balloon — this alone cuts the quest time in half.
- Use the Gravity Wells as checkpoints. Each one acts like a progression gate. If you cannot find the next balloon, you have not activated the well on your current island yet.
- Hold L1 to glide. The Unknown has massive vertical drops between islands. Holding L1 during a fall lets you glide and control your landing. Falling to street level from the elevator exit is how you reach the first island below.
- Bring Shift and Reach. These two traversal abilities — earned from the Incursion Fault and Subway Fault — make crossing the rotated and gravity-bent surfaces in The Unknown much smoother. If you have not done those yet, see the Subway Fault guide.
- Relay order matters. The red circles are numbered via the minimap signal icons. If a relay will not snap into place, check that you are placing it in the correct order rather than jumping to a later circle.
- Grab the fast travel points. The Unknown has several fast travel doors and the Twisted Rooftops point. Unlocking them early saves a lot of repositioning later when you come back for the Co-Director fight.
More Control Resonant Guides
Working through The Unknown and the late-game content? These guides will help:
- How to Reach the Unknown Resonant — everything you need after Pope’s Research is done
- The Co-Director Boss Guide — the Unknown Resonant fight
- How to Reach the Unknown Zone
- Subway Fault – How to Get the Reach Ability
- How to Get the Shift Ability – Incursion Fault
- Recursions and Iterations Walkthrough
- Carbon Copy Complete Questline Walkthrough
- All Bosses and Where to Find Them
- Beginner Tips
