So, you’re wondering how many nights of “just one more quest” it’ll take before the credits roll in The Outer Worlds 2. That’s a good question, and fortunately, we now have good estimates about it.
How Long Does it Take to Beat The Outer Worlds 2?
If you plan to focus on the main storyline — the critical path, faction drama, and narrative payoffs — expect to spend 25 to 35 hours.
This doesn’t involve any side quests or additional activities, but just the main story progress. You’ll still need to make a few pit stops, since some secondary missions are required to advance the main plot.
The developers expanded both the world size and narrative density, so even your straight-line sprint will take longer than the first game’s average 13–15 hours.
Main Story + Side Quests Takes Around 40–50 Hours
For most of us, the “ooh, what’s that?” explorers, you’ll have to spend roughly 40 to 50 hours. That includes poking into faction conflicts, companion storylines, and a healthy dose of optional exploration. This time, Obsidian has introduced double the amount of branching quests and moral gray areas.
Every choice splinters into dialogue variations and alternate endings. So, even before you min-max your build or debate whether to charm or shoot your way out of trouble, you’ll invest the hours easily. If you like doing things “properly,” this is your average player’s completion time.
Completionist Run Needs 60+ Hours of Perfectionism and Pain
If your idea of fun is to clear every quest marker and loot every planet until your inventory looks like a space hoarder’s dream, then expect 60 to 70 hours of gameplay before you reach the ending. That’s for the players who want to see every ending, level up relation with every companion, and discover all hidden secrets in the new RPG.
There’s also real replay value here. The Outer Worlds 2 brings new traits, deep skill trees, and no ability to respec mid-run, so you might be tempted to roll multiple characters to test different builds. The result is potentially dozens of additional hours if you go for second or third playthroughs.
- Related: Is The Outer Worlds 2 on Game Pass?
The Outer Worlds 2 is Way Longer Than the First Game
The first Outer Worlds could be completed in 30–40 hours for completionists. But The Outer Worlds 2 is a massive release. Obsidian went “twice as big” in map size, quest volume, dialogue density, and player choice complexity. Even the opening prologue area reportedly takes around 10–12 hours if you explore in-depth.
There’s a bigger emphasis on factions, multiple endings, and companion arcs, so you can’t just blaze through without missing substantial content. Add in features like improved gunplay, new traversal mechanics (double jumps), and expanded stealth, and you’ll find yourself experimenting far more than in the first game.
Technically, it’s possible to hit credits in under 30 hours. But you’ll need ruthless focus by skipping most exploration, avoiding companion distractions, and reloading frequently to optimize decisions. Even then, this isn’t a short RPG by any stretch. The Outer Worlds 2 makes sure every shortcut costs you some context or character payoff.
How Long is The Outer Worlds 2?
| Playstyle | Estimated Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main Story Only | 25–35 hours | Fastest route, limited exploration |
| Story + Side Quests | 40–50 hours | Typical experience for most players |
| 100% Completion | 60–70+ hours | For explorers, collectors, and masochists |
In short: expect a solid 40-hour RPG on your first playthrough, with room to double that if you get hooked on every faction drama and side arc.
