The first two major factions players will encounter in The Outer Worlds 2 are Auntie's Choice and The Order of the Ascendant. These two prominent factions have a ceasefire agreement in place that is challenged by a sudden surprise attack, but it can be difficult to decide who to trust in Outer Worlds 2.
At the end of the day, you don't actually have to choose between one or the other – players aren't locked out from one faction for working with another. In fact, there is an achievement for getting these diametrically opposed organizations to work together. But when it comes to whether you should trust the Order or Auntie's Choice on a roleplaying level, there is a lot to consider.
Should You Trust Auntie's Choice In Outer Worlds 2?
Auntie's Choice is an interplanetary megacorporation that was formed after Auntie Cleo's staged a hostile takeover of Spacer's Choice, sometime between the events of The Outer Worlds and The Outer Worlds 2.
You'll run into Auntie's Choice, one of the two major factions vying for control over this portion of Eden (the other being the Protectorate), soon after arriving on Paradise Island. Life in Auntie's Choice is entirely based around consumerism, soulless corporate capitalism, and rugged individualism.
In the Protectorate, you have to sacrifice your individuality and show your devotion to the Sovereign, but you'll also receive protection without asking for it – or paying for it. Auntie's Choice subjects might not be forced to worship a god-emperor, but they aren't exactly free.
Just about everyone in Auntie's Choice is out for themselves, and everyone has to answer to someone else higher on the corporate ladder. You'll get paid for your work, and can spend your money as you please. But you'd better get used to eating overprocessed and overpriced Auntie's Choice-brand food products.
Working with Auntie's Choice is recommended to get through the first area of Paradise more easily. But if you are role-playing a character who fights the fight against both tyrannical governments and corrupt corporations, you might want to consider finding an alternate path to the Vox Relay without the help of Auntie's Choice.
Should You Trust The Order of the Ascendant in Outer Worlds 2?
The second major faction players will encounter in Outer Worlds 2 is the Order of the Ascendant. The Order of the Ascendant is a wholly unique organization that you will meet for the first time on the planet Dorado, in Golden Ridge.
The Order of the Ascendant is, for all intents and purposes, a mathematical religious order that devotes itself to solving the Universal Equation and the ascendance of humanity. Followers of the Order of the Acendant believe mathematics can even predict the future, and thus, they base all decisions in their society on the prophecies of mathematician Seers.
On the surface, the Order of the Ascendant seems innocuous enough. Awkward Pastors bumble around trying to explain complex maths to laypeople, there don't appear to be any major intentional abuses in their society, and by all appearances, there is some truth to the Universal Equation's ability to predict events to come.
However, beneath all of this academia are some sinister implications. Their society is so reliant on statistics that they often fail to see the humanity of some situations. Because of subjects' zealous adherence to the Universal Equation, they hardly ever question orders from higher up, even if they don't make any sense – like the Exclusion Zone in the refugee camp on Golden Ridge.
After landing on Golden Ridge, you'll witness a Zyranium bomb from the Order annihilate an Auntie's Choice town nearby. It initially appears that this was an accident and not sanctioned by the Order, which had a truce with Auntie's Choice. Follow the story of Golden Ridge, and you'll quickly figure out whether you personally trust the Order of the Ascendant or not.
The Outer Worlds 2
- Released
- October 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Prequel(s)
- The Outer Worlds
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
