The Outer Worlds 2: Complete Achievement & Trophy Guide

Table of Contents

Complete Guide to Every Achievement & Trophy in The Outer Worlds 2

So you want to 100% The Outer Worlds 2? You’re in for quite a journey. With 48 total achievements spanning collectibles, combat challenges, companion quests, faction reputation, and multiple difficulty playthroughs, getting that platinum trophy or full Gamerscore requires serious dedication.

The good news? Most achievements can be unlocked in a single careful playthrough if you plan ahead and make regular save files. The bad news? Some achievements are mutually exclusive, requiring multiple runs to obtain them all. Achievements like “Corporation Cooperation” (unite both factions) directly conflict with “Destroyer of Worlds” (ruin reputation with both factions), meaning you’ll need at least two playthroughs for 100% completion.

I’ve organized this guide into clear categories so you can track your progress efficiently. Whether you’re hunting collectibles, mastering combat challenges, or navigating difficult faction choices, I’ll walk you through every achievement and the best strategies for unlocking them.

Collectibles & Unique Items Achievements

These achievements reward exploration and thorough scavenging across all regions:

A Journey Of A Thousand Miles

Requirement: Collect 1 Pitch/Tossball card

Your easiest achievement—literally just pick up your first trading card. These rectangular collectibles are scattered throughout every location in the game. You’ll probably unlock this within your first hour of playing.

Whew, That’s Enough!

Requirement: Collect 100 Pitch/Tossball cards

Now this one requires commitment. You need to find 100 total cards (any combination of Pitchball and Tossball). These small collectibles hide in corners, on shelves, inside lockers, and throughout every explorable area.

Strategy tips:

Check every nook and cranny during exploration
Search vendor inventories—some sell cards
Loot every container you find
Use companions with high Perception to spot hidden items
Keep a checklist by region to track your progress

This achievement naturally progresses as you explore, but hitting 100 requires thorough searching. If you’re close to finishing the game and still need cards, revisit previous zones for missed collectibles.

Left To Your Own Device

Requirement: Acquire the Rift Anomaly Modulator

Story-related achievement—impossible to miss. You’ll obtain the Rift Anomaly Modulator during the main questline on Praetor. This gadget lets you interact with Rift Anomalies safely instead of instantly dying when you touch them.

Rift Drifter

Requirement: Explore all localized rifts around Arcadia

This achievement requires finding and recalibrating every Rift Anomaly across all explorable locations:

Paradise Island
Golden Ridge
Cloister
Praetor
Free Market Station
ACS Undisputed Claim

You’ll need the Rift Modulator first (obtained on Praetor), then backtrack to earlier zones. Rifts often hide valuable loot and unique weapons, so exploring them benefits you beyond just achievement hunting.

Important note: Some rifts contain powerful enemies or environmental hazards. Bring strong companions and plenty of healing supplies.

SA Quarterlies Quantified

Requirement: Find all 10 Science Adventures Quarterly magazines on Paradise Island

Collect all 10 issues of Science Adventures Quarterly scattered across Paradise. Each magazine grants permanent stat bonuses, making this achievement both rewarding and worthwhile.

Check out our complete Science Magazine locations guide for detailed maps and directions to every issue.

Golden Ridge Murals in Plural

Requirement: Find all 5 mural pieces on Golden Ridge

Recover all five Tramicular Station murals across Golden Ridge. Completing this collection quest grants the Art Enthusiast perk (10% bonus XP for companion kills) and a decorative trophy aboard your ship.

See our Golden Ridge mural locations guide for exact locations and access tips.

Worth: 15 Gamerscore (Xbox) / Bronze Trophy (PlayStation)

Cloister Excogitation Logs CEL-ebration

Requirement: Find all 4 Excogitation audio logs on Cloister

Discover all four Excogitation Chapels and collect the Sojourner’s Logs inside. Completing this quest rewards you with XP and a High Security Lockbox containing valuable loot.

Our Cloister Excogitation Logs guide covers every chapel location and how to access them.

Praetor Towers Powered

Requirement: Recalibrate all grounding stations on Praetor

Find and repower all five Lightning Towers by accessing their connected Grounding Stations. Completing this quest unlocks Storm Grenades and their permanent crafting recipe.

Check our Praetor Lightning Towers guide for detailed strategies on tackling each station’s unique challenges.

Worth: 15 Gamerscore (Xbox) / Bronze Trophy (PlayStation)

Flawed Hero

Requirement: Accept 3 Flaws

Flaws are permanent negative traits that appear after performing certain repeated actions. For example, dying to fall damage might trigger Acrophobia, while getting hit by corrosion frequently could trigger Corrosionphobia.

How to trigger Flaws:

Die repeatedly to specific damage types or situations
Consume excessive amounts of certain substances
Purchase the Premium Edition for the Consumerist flaw (counts as 1/3)

Important warning: Flaws are permanent and irreversible once accepted. Choose carefully or create a backup save before accepting them if you want flexibility later.

For achievement hunting purposes, accept three flaws you can work around with your character build.

Hatchling Catcher

Requirement: Collect 5 pets for your ship

Unlock five different pets for the Incognito. These companions don’t fight but add personality to your ship.

Pet locations:

1x Premium Edition bonus pet
3x found or purchased on Paradise Island
Additional pets on Golden Ridge, Cloister, Praetor, and space stations

See our pets guide for specific acquisition methods and locations.

Winning Hearts and Heads

Requirement: Collect 20 human hearts

This is arguably the darkest achievement. You must:

Unlock the Psychopath perk (prerequisite)
Unlock the Serial Killer perk (requires Psychopath)
Kill 20 human NPCs and harvest their hearts

The Serial Killer perk makes human corpses drop a “Human Heart” item when looted. You need to personally kill humans—companion or environmental kills don’t count.

Ethical considerations: This achievement requires morally questionable actions. Create a separate save file if you want to pursue this without permanently affecting your main playthrough. Many players complete this on a separate “evil” run.

Companions & Factions Achievements

These achievements revolve around your crew and relationships with major organizations:

One for All

Requirement: Recruit all companions

Recruit all six available companions:

Niles & VAL: Start the game with them
Inez: Recruited on Paradise Island
Aza & Marisol: Recruited on Golden Ridge
Tristan: Recruited on Free Market Station

Our complete companions guide details each recruitment mission and companion abilities.

All for One

Requirement: Complete all companion quests

Finish every companion’s personal questline. Companion missions appear with their character icon in your journal. Each companion has multiple quest stages, so check in regularly after major story milestones.

Pro tip: Bring companions along during exploration and keep them alive. Their quests often trigger through conversations or reaching specific locations together.

All for None

Requirement: Have every living companion die or abandon you

The opposite of being a good captain—either let every companion permanently die in combat, or deliberately drive them away through terrible decisions.

Methods:

Make choices they strongly disagree with (track relationship status in conversations)
Send them away manually through dialogue
Allow them to die in combat on higher difficulties without reviving them

Warning: This conflicts with “All for One” and “One for All” achievements. Handle this on a separate playthrough or reload a save afterward.

AC: All Complete

Requirement: Complete all faction quests for Auntie’s Choice

Finish the entire Auntie’s Choice faction questline, including:

All reputation-building missions
Earning their trust and support
Successfully soliciting their aid for The Archive assault

Auntie’s Choice missions center around Paradise and involve corporate intrigue and resource management.

OA: Objectives Accomplished

Requirement: Complete all faction quests for the Order of the Ascendant

Complete the Order of the Ascendant’s full questline:

Building reputation through philosophical discussions and missions
Earning their cooperation
Soliciting their support for The Archive

The Order’s quests focus on Golden Ridge and Cloister, emphasizing spirituality and knowledge preservation.

Corporation Cooperation

Requirement: Convince both factions to work together

This is one of the trickiest achievements. You must:

Complete both faction questlines (AC and OA)
Maintain positive reputation with both organizations simultaneously
Navigate dialogue carefully to avoid alienating either faction
Successfully convince both to unite for The Archive assault

Strategic tips:

Make regular manual saves to prevent accidentally tanking one faction’s reputation
Choose neutral dialogue options when factions conflict
Complete missions for both factions evenly
Avoid critical story choices that force you to pick sides too early

This achievement requires careful planning and is mutually exclusive with several others.

Destroyer of Worlds

Requirement: Reach the lowest reputation with both factions

The “murder hobo” achievement—completely ruin your standing with Auntie’s Choice AND the Order of the Ascendant simultaneously.

Fastest method:

Massacre major settlements associated with both factions
Kill key NPCs at Matriarch’s Mercy (Golden Ridge) and Fairfield (Paradise)
Ignore or sabotage their questlines
Make deliberately antagonistic dialogue choices

Important: This conflicts with “Corporation Cooperation,” “AC: All Complete,” and “OA: Objectives Accomplished.” Handle this on a dedicated “chaos” playthrough.

Combat Challenges Achievements

These achievements test your mastery of specific weapons, tactics, and combat mechanics:

Ad Hominem Homicide

Requirement: Kill 10 enemies taunted by Popup Gun’s Ad Drones

Purchase the Popup Gun from the ACS Undisputed Claim. This unique weapon deploys advertising drones that taunt enemies. Kill 10 enemies affected by these drones—the drones themselves explode when you reload.

Dance Dance Disfiguration

Requirement: Kill 10 enemies with Spectrum Dance Saber in Rainbow mode

Buy the Spectrum Dance Saber from Free Market Station. This melee weapon cycles through different elemental modes. Defeat 10 enemies specifically while it’s in Rainbow mode (the cycle pattern is predictable once you learn it).

Elemental Maelstrom

Requirement: Kill an enemy affected by all damage types

Hit a single enemy with every damage type before killing it:

Corrosion
Frost
N-Ray
Physical
Plasma
Shock

Strategy: Target a high-HP enemy (Strong or higher). Carry weapons for each damage type and cycle through them methodically. The enemy must survive long enough to be tagged by all six types before you deliver the killing blow.

Use expanded weapon slots to make weapon swapping easier.

Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee

Requirement: Kill 5 enemies while hovering in Zyranium Automech Suit

Acquire the Zyranium Automech Suit from the Automech facility on Praetor. Activate its hover function and score five kills while airborne. The hover duration is limited, so practice timing and target priority.

Go Out With A Bang

Requirement: Kill 3 enemies with one Big Bang shot

Find the Big Bang weapon inside the EARL building on Cloister. This powerful gun can hit multiple enemies.

Strategy: Weaken three enemies to near-death, group them close together, then fire the Big Bang to finish all three simultaneously. Narrow corridors or doorways work perfectly for this.

Never Seen

Requirement: Kill 50 enemies with Sneak Attacks

Land the killing blow on 50 total enemies using Sneak Attacks (not just sneak damage—the final hit must be from stealth).

Build optimization:

Invest in Stealth skills
Take the Lucky trait for extra crit chance
Use silenced weapons
Equip stealth-boosting armor
Target isolated enemies

This achievement accumulates naturally if you play a stealth-focused character build.

Scary GARY Adversary

Requirement: Kill 5 enemies with Gary’s tendrils

Acquire the GARY armor piece by using the Rift Modulator on a rift near the Bridge of the Revenant on Paradise. This armor spawns attacking tendrils. Land five killing blows specifically with the tendril attacks, not your weapons.

Stompy

Requirement: Kill 5 enemies by stomping after shrinking them

Get the Shrink Ray from the Crabble Spawning Grounds on Paradise (requires Rift Modulator). Shrink enemies to miniature size, then physically step on them to crush them. Do this five times total.

Pro tip: This is hilarious and satisfying. Save it for weaker enemies since you’re vulnerable while positioning yourself to stomp.

Stop Hitting Yourself

Requirement: Kill 15 enemies using only Armageddon

Obtain the Armageddon weapon by using the Rift Modulator near where you first acquired the device. Kill 15 enemies using exclusively this weapon—no other damage sources allowed (including companion kills).

Create a manual save before starting, equip only Armageddon, and hunt enemy groups to reach 15 kills efficiently.

Waylaid Grenades

Requirement: Shoot 3 grenades mid-air

Use the Time-Dilation gadget to slow time, then shoot three incoming grenades before they land. Shooting grenades mid-flight detonates them prematurely.

Where to practice: Fight grenade-throwing enemies like Scrappers or certain Protectorate soldiers. Slow time, watch for the grenade arc, and shoot it carefully.

Well Dressed

Requirement: Defeat the Consul wearing clothing (not armor)

Fight the Protectorate Consul boss without traditional armor equipped. You can wear “clothing” items (non-armor apparel) or go completely unequipped.

Strategy: Overlevel significantly before attempting this, use defensive consumables, rely heavily on companion support, and focus on dodging. Alternatively, attempt this on an easier difficulty.

Miscellaneous Challenges Achievements

These achievements cover everything that doesn’t fit other categories:

Anti-Consumerist

Requirement: Complete the game without spending any bits

Finish a full playthrough without spending money at vendors, on bribes, or anywhere else. You can collect and hoard bits—just never spend them.

Survival strategies:

Loot everything for gear and consumables
Craft your own items at workbenches
Rely on quest rewards for equipment
Use Mag-Picks and Bypass Shunts instead of bribes
Choose non-monetary dialogue options

This achievement requires planning but is entirely doable on Normal difficulty.

A Stiff In The Rift

Requirement: Jump into a rift and die

The “achievement for dying stupidly” trophy. Walk directly into a Rift Anomaly without using the Rift Modulator first. It instantly kills you.

Important: Quicksave before attempting! You don’t want to lose significant progress for a throwaway achievement.

Auntie’s Old Acquaintance

Requirement: Meet Amos

Progress deep enough into the ACS Undisputed Claim (Auntie’s Choice flagship) until an NPC offers you a mission to find Amos. Complete this objective to unlock the achievement.

Story-related—difficult to miss if you’re exploring the flagship thoroughly.

Capture The Archive The Hard Way

Requirement: Take The Archive without faction backup

Assault The Archive completely alone—don’t solicit help from either Auntie’s Choice or the Order of the Ascendant.

Difficulty warning: This makes the final missions significantly harder. Consider:

Reaching max level first (Level 30)
Optimizing your build and perks
Stockpiling consumables and ammunition
Bringing your strongest companions

This achievement conflicts with faction completion achievements, so plan accordingly.

Chemically Dependent

Requirement: Crash 20 times with the Medical Inhaler

“Crash” occurs when you exceed your Toxicity limit while using the Medical Inhaler. You need to trigger this negative status effect 20 times total.

How to crash efficiently:

Spam inhaler charges rapidly
Ignore Toxicity warnings
Use the inhaler even at full health
This accumulates naturally during combat-heavy playthroughs

See our inhaler guide for more details on the Toxicity system.

Corpse Warper

Requirement: Melt 20 bodies with Auntie’s Acidic Dematerializer

Acquire Auntie’s Acidic Dematerializer gadget from High-Security Lockboxes aboard the Incognito. Use it to dissolve 20 corpses.

Note: You’ll need Advanced Decryption Keys to open these lockboxes. Check our farming guide for efficient key acquisition methods.

Everything Must Go

Requirement: Earn 50,000 bits selling to vendors

Sell 50,000 bits worth of items to any vendors.

Best items to sell:

Junk items (instead of breaking them down)
Duplicate weapons and armor
Consumables you don’t use
Excess ammunition

Trade-off: Selling junk means fewer crafting materials. If you’re not focusing on crafting, this achievement accumulates quickly.

Hatchling Hunter

Requirement: Kill 50 juvenile creatures or critters

Defeat any combination of 50 small enemies:

Raptidon Juveniles
Crabble Hatchlings
Spiderlings
Mantiwasps
Non-aggressive Critters

Easy method: Shoot every small creature you encounter during normal exploration. Most areas have juvenile versions of the local fauna that count toward this total.

Level 30

Requirement: Reach maximum level

Hit the level cap of 30. This happens naturally through:

Completing main and side quests
Killing enemies
Discovering locations
Collecting items like Science Magazines

If you’re thorough with exploration and complete most content, you’ll reach Level 30 before finishing the game.

Maximum Gun

Requirement: Fully level up Rookie’s Reward

Acquire the Rookie’s Reward weapon from the pet room aboard the Incognito:

Pick the lock on the hatch, OR
Find and use the hidden power switch to disable the lock

Once obtained, use this weapon to kill enemies. It levels up through use. Max it out completely to unlock the achievement.

Skilled

Requirement: Raise any skill to level 20

Maximize one skill to level 20 (the cap). You earn two skill points per level, so focusing on a single skill can get you this achievement by around Level 10.

Recommended skills for early maxing:

Lockpicking (opens access everywhere)
Dialog-based skills (expands quest options)
Your primary weapon type (maximizes damage output)

Check our backgrounds guide for skill planning strategies.

Upgrades Available

Requirement: Apply 10 weapon or armor modifications

Use workbenches to attach 10 total modifications to weapons or armor pieces. Simply equipping pre-modded equipment doesn’t count—you must personally apply the mods.

This achievement comes naturally if you engage with the crafting system. Mods significantly improve equipment effectiveness, so it’s worth doing anyway.

Progression & Game Completion Achievements

These track your progress through the main story:

Welcome to Paradise Island

Requirement: Land on Paradise

Complete the tutorial/introduction at Horizon Point Station, then travel to Paradise Island. Story-related—impossible to miss.

Vexed the Vox

Requirement: Infiltrate and escape the Vox Relay

Complete Paradise Island’s main mission by reaching and escaping the Vox Relay facility. Your choice about where to send the relay doesn’t affect the achievement—you get it regardless.

Desperate Times Call for Monastic Measures

Requirement: Stop de Vries’ conspirators in Alexandra Monastery

Complete Golden Ridge’s main mission by defeating the Order traitors at Alexandra Monastery’s summit. This involves navigating the monastery’s challenges, including the Order Initiate Scavenger Hunt puzzle.

Revive The Archive

Requirement: Restore The Archive to full functionality

Successfully complete The Archive assault on Cloister (with or without faction support). This is a major story milestone near the endgame.

The Outer Worlds 2

Requirement: Complete the game on any difficulty

Beat the main story on any difficulty setting. If you complete the game on Hard or Very Hard, you’ll unlock this achievement simultaneously with the difficulty-specific ones.

Hard

Requirement: Complete the game on Hard difficulty

Finish an entire playthrough on Hard difficulty. You can’t change difficulty mid-game, so commit from the start or begin a new run.

Tips for Hard mode:

Optimize your character build carefully
Bring strong companions consistently
Use consumables liberally
Invest in defensive perks
Save frequently

Very Hard

Requirement: Complete the game on Very Hard difficulty

Beat the game on the highest difficulty. This is genuinely challenging and requires:

Mastery of combat mechanics
Optimal build planning
Strategic resource management
Careful positioning and tactics
Patience with difficult encounters

Consider attempting this after finishing the game once to understand enemy patterns and optimal strategies.

You’ve Given 110% (PlayStation Exclusive)

Requirement: Unlock all other trophies

The platinum trophy—awarded for getting every other achievement. This is exclusive to PlayStation and doesn’t appear on Xbox or Steam.

Achievement Planning: Multiple Playthrough Strategy

Some achievements are mutually exclusive, requiring at least two complete playthroughs for 100% completion:

Playthrough #1: “Good Guy” Run

Complete both faction questlines
Unlock “Corporation Cooperation”
Get “AC: All Complete” and “OA: Objectives Accomplished”
Recruit all companions (“One for All”)
Complete all companion quests (“All for One”)
Collect all regional collectibles
Focus on exploration and lore

Playthrough #2: “Chaos” Run

Tank reputation with both factions (“Destroyer of Worlds”)
Complete The Archive alone (“Capture The Archive The Hard Way”)
Drive away all companions (“All for None”)
Pursue “Winning Hearts and Heads” (Serial Killer achievement)
Attempt Very Hard difficulty
Focus on combat achievements you missed

Efficiency Tips:

Use cloud saves or backup saves to attempt conflicting achievements
Complete collectible achievements in your first playthrough
Save difficult combat achievements for when you’re experienced
Attempt Very Hard difficulty on your second playthrough when you understand mechanics

Fastest Route to 100% Completion

Estimated time for 100% completion: 60-80+ hours across multiple playthroughs

Priority Order:

First playthrough (40-50 hours):
- Complete all collectible achievements
- Finish both faction questlines
- Recruit and complete all companion quests
- Gather as many combat achievements as possible
- Reach Level 30
- Complete the game on Normal or Hard
Second playthrough (20-30 hours):
- Focus on conflicting achievements (Destroyer of Worlds, All for None)
- Attempt Very Hard difficulty
- Clean up remaining combat achievements
- Complete no-spending run if needed
Cleanup phase:
- Load old saves for specific achievements
- Farm remaining collectibles if needed
- Attempt specific combat challenges

Tips for Efficient Achievement Hunting

• Make manual saves regularly: Essential for attempting achievements without consequence (like “All for None” or “A Stiff In The Rift”)

• Track progress externally: Use a checklist to monitor collectibles, combat achievements, and quest completion

• Check achievement requirements early: Don’t accidentally lock yourself out of achievements by making irreversible choices

• Combine compatible achievements: Work toward multiple goals simultaneously (collect cards while exploring for murals)

• Use guides for collectibles: Don’t waste time searching blindly—use our location guides for efficiency

• Experiment with builds: Some achievements require specific weapons or abilities, so diversify your skills

• Join communities: Share strategies and tips with other achievement hunters on forums and Discord

Difficulty-Specific Achievement Strategies

For Hard Mode:

Invest heavily in defensive perks and health upgrades
Bring companions on every mission
Use cover and tactical positioning
Don’t rush encounters—patience wins fights

For Very Hard Mode:

Choose optimal starting backgrounds and traits
Maximize one damage type completely
Stock consumables before tough fights
Learn enemy patterns and weaknesses
Accept that some fights require multiple attempts

Final Thoughts on 100% Completion

Achieving 100% in The Outer Worlds 2 is a significant undertaking that showcases mastery of every system in the game. From meticulous collectible hunting to strategic faction management, from creative combat challenges to brutal difficulty modes, these 48 achievements test every aspect of your skills.

The mutually exclusive achievements mean you’ll experience the game from multiple perspectives—both as a diplomatic hero uniting factions and as a chaotic force destroying relationships. This actually enhances replayability, as you’ll discover different story outcomes and gameplay approaches.

My biggest advice? Don’t stress about perfect efficiency on your first playthrough. Enjoy the story, explore naturally, and collect what you find organically. Use your second playthrough to target specific achievements with guides in hand. The game is meant to be experienced, not just completed.

If you’re looking for more ways to optimize your playthroughs, check out our guides on what to do first, best perks, and optimal starting builds.

Good luck with your achievement hunting, and may you earn that platinum trophy or perfect Gamerscore!

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