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Should you move the refugees to the Exclusion Zone in The Outer Worlds 2?
Deciding whether to let the refugees occupy the Exclusion Zone during the “Present and Future Company Excluded” quest in The Outer Worlds 2 places you in a situation where nobody wins. Literally. There is no happy outcome in this scenario and no way to fix things. On the bright side, whatever you pick has no long-term ramifications.
Below, we explain what happens if you move the refugees to the Exclusion Zone in Outer Worlds 2 and which choice is best. As such, it includes spoilers for the quest outcome. And if you’re getting lost trekking around Dorado, keep our The Outer Worlds 2 interactive map handy.
Should you move the refugees to the Exclusion Zone in The Outer Worlds 2?
After tracking down all the necessary intel around Matriarch’s Mercy, speak to the Voice of the Displaced near the Exclusion Zone. Administrator Agarwal will show up and ask if you’re ready to proceed with the mediation, and then you’ll need to pick which side to discuss first.
Covering the Order or the refugee side first doesn’t matter, so pick whichever you like and discuss all the intel you found. In our experience, whether you fully complete the “Doctors Inside Borders” subquest has no bearing on what happens next, outside of getting an extra line of dialogue praising you for helping make things easier for the medics.
At the end of the presentation, you have three options:
- Let the refugees into the zone
- Keep the refugees from the zone
- Do nothing
What happens if you side with the Displaced?
The refugees move into the Exclusion Zone if you side with the Displaced, and you get bits, a Burst SMG, and slightly improved reputation with the Order of the Ascendant. After clearing the “Discrete Mathematics” quest at the N-Ray Range and returning to Matriarch’s Mercy, you’ll see that a rockfall occurred while you were gone. Giant stones fell from the cliff above onto the Exclusion Zone and killed several refugees. Agarwal and the Voice of the Displaced express regret over having ignored the Order’s predictions. However, no one blames you, and there’s no negative effect on the rest of the story.
What happens if you side with the Order?
Quite a lot less. You get a bigger reputation boost with the Order of the Ascendant, bits, and a unique armor set. The rocks fall after you’re done at the N-Ray Range anyway, but since the refugees weren’t allowed to move into the Exclusion Zone, they don’t die. Not from rocks, anyway. From a practical perspective, this is the better choice. You aren’t indirectly responsible for the instant deaths of a large group of people, you get paid for it, and the Order likes you more. Win-win.
What happens if you do nothing?
Nothing! Both parties are annoyed with you, and no change happens. It’s essentially the same as siding with the Order from a narrative perspective, except you don’t get bits, XP, or a reputation boost.
In our experience, your decision, or lack thereof, has no bearing on The Outer Worlds 2‘s endings. There are dozens of permutations depending on what choices you make throughout the game, so it’s possible the topic comes up in some combination of choices or other. However, in what we saw, no mention of the refugees and their death (or survival) happens in the ending slides.
For more help on your Arcadia adventure, check out our Outer Worlds 2 beginner guide and recommendations for the best skills and best perks. Don’t forget to do Tristan’s “Arbitrary Measures” quest while you’re still on Dorado, and scoop up lockboxes and pets for your ship while you’re out and about for some extra loot.
