In your first NPC encounter with Helen Pascal at the start of the “A Cause Worth Killing For” quest in The Outer Worlds 2, the game hands you a first fork in the road just a few minutes after your journey in Obsidian’s RPG — choose between Security Ops or Central Dispatch. In Obsidian’s usual fashion, the choice is more about which playstyle you prefer instead of any impact on the storyline.
Both routes in the end lead you to the same objective, but they teach very different stealth and combat-heavy mechanics early on, which are very important for your whole game journey. Below, we’ll explain both choices and what happens if you pick Security Ops or Central Dispatch.
The Outer Worlds 2 Security Ops Route
Security Ops is The Outer Worlds 2’s stealth tutorial in which you are introduced to silent takedowns, distraction gadgets, and pathfinding, all while enemies don’t even know you are there.
Once you get the Security Operations Maintenance Key, you’ll drop down into the tunnels and sneak your way through Protectorate troopers and drones. You’ll learn how to tiptoe, line up sneak attacks, and use throwable distractions to clear your path through openings. The actions are slow-paced but reward careful play with extra XP for skill-based actions like Hack, Lockpick, and Engineer skills.
You can hack a damaged automech repair station and reprogram the bots to target Protectorate forces. If you have the Engineer 1 skill or the Trait: Innovative, you get to control the base defense system, which makes late-game encounters very easy. You obtain the Sentry Blade knife from a corpse in the small tunnel and perform a sneak attack Protectorate Neophyte with it, a good melee weapon for stealth builds, and can also pick up Decoy Grenades to keep enemies busy while you slink around. With the Hack level 1 skill, you can get the Pumping Station Keycard using the terminal to skip some combat zones.
The Outer Worlds 2 Central Dispatch Route
Central Dispatch is the combat-focused route for anyone who wants to kick the door open and instantly get into a fight. The first few rooms are filled with enemies, and you’ll be taught to use the Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) gadget — the series’ signature slow-motion mechanic that helps to fire precise shots and exploit enemy weak points.
You have to clear multiple rooms of Protectorate troopers and a few automechs, using cover and grenades. You can find a Stun Baton and a vending machine for quick restocks, which keep you armed for the carnage ahead. This choice leans more into sabotage and subterfuge through brute force. If you have Hack level 1 or the Innovative trait, you can hack the communication terminal to change Protectorate messages with Earth Directorate propaganda, which scrambles enemy coordination and stops human reinforcements in A Cause Worth Killing For.
You can further check out Cadet Corbin’s journal in the room, which details his future role in later Protectorate storylines. When you squad regroups in the end, Niles will still be conscious and have a small conversation with you before the explosion happens.
Should You Go to Security or Central Dispatch in The Outer Worlds 2?
Although both routes have different types of play, they converge on the same story and don’t change the outcomes. Helen and Niles’ fate is the same, and whichever path you didn’t take is covered by your teammates. Neither side locks you into a permanent build; it just helps you learn what kind of captain you want to be in The Outer Worlds 2.
For stealth, hack, or engineer builds, you should choose Security Ops. It gives you the best start to sneaky playstyle, extra skills-based loot, and lets you reprogram mechs to do your dirty work, and is also the easiest way, with only a few fights where you must fight. But if your build is focused on combat, leadership, or action, Central Dispatch is the right choice. You’ll get immediate gunplay practice, learn to use TTD, and walk away with extra bits from terminals and loot drops.
