Pinching the Pupa is one of the quests where The Outer Worlds 2 fully embraces its absurdity. You’re sent to Fort Endurance, a military outpost run by a soldier and a Mantisaur captain named Wotjek. He and the two humans arguing under him—Bradford and Wentworth—want the same thing for very different reasons: your recently stolen, Zyranium-soaked Mantisaur pupa.
Once you survive the sprint out of the den with half the Mantisaur population on your heels, you have to choose who gets it. The game doesn’t make the choice obvious, but the fallout is specific. So here’s what happens when you hand the pupa to either Bradford or Wentworth, and which option is better for your build and your reputation.
The Outer Worlds 2 Pinching the Pupa Quest
You’ll likely start the Pinching the Pupa quest on your way to help Durban during Invocation of Inconclusive Innocence. He first needs you to resolve the Fort Endurance leadership crisis, where a Mantisaur is the commanding officer and nobody agrees on what to do about it. Go inside the fort, talk to Wentworth, Bradford, and Wotjek to trigger the quest, and both humans will instantly pitch why they deserve your grabbed piece.
Bradford follows the science route and wants the pupa to study Zyranium mutation patterns, and, very transparently, use the results to get herself a few steps up Auntie’s Choice ladder. She never hides her ambition, but at least she’s grounded in reality and knows Mantisaurs don’t discuss military tactics. Wentworth, on the other hand, is confident that he can interpret Wotjek’s thoughts, but he needs pupa to raise a new Mantisaur recruit. It won’t take you much talk to realize he’s clinging to the authority illusion, and the pupa is his last shot to prove his fraud.
What Happens If You Give the Pupa to Bradford?
If you give the pupa to Bradford, she will be grateful that you have done something for science, though it’s obvious she plans to use the results in her next performance review. Wentworth tries to plead his case, but she brushes him off, and Wotjek doesn’t object—he barely reacts, which says a lot about Wentworth’s authority.
Auntie’s Choice respects Bradford’s strategy, and siding with her largely increases your reputation (+3) with the faction. It’s a better choice in Auntie’s friendly run when you want to get easy access to their gear, vendors, or story part. Mantisaurs will attack the fort right away, and you have to survive the fight to end the quest. Other than a solid rep, you will also get Cleo’s The Hunt Shotgun, some XP, and 1,500 Bits.
What Happens If You Give the Pupa to Wentworth?
If you give pupa to Wentworth, he launches into a speech about destiny, Wotjek, and command hierarchy, and Wotjek responds by the most Mantisaur thing possible: he eats the pupa on the spot. The argument is obliterated instantly, Wentworth’s whole persona shatters in front of you, and he will be very annoyed by the bug captain.
As nothing comes from the pupa in this route, there are no long-term consequences, and no one brings up your decision again except as a joke at Wentworth’s expense. The fort will be attacked with the same enemy waves, chaos, and risk of losing NPCs if you come unprepared. After the fight, the quest ends, but you will get only +1 reputation with Auntie’s Choice and all the same rewards you earn in the opposite choice.
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Should You Give the Pupa to Wentworth or Bradford in Outer Worlds 2?
If you want the most rewarding outcome, we recommend giving pupa to Bradford. Auntie’s Choice favors the choice; the reputation rise is higher, and the game frames it as the responsible answer, even though the faction’s science is always ethically questionable. However, to keep the story clean and avoid any possible long-term weirdness, Wentworth is the good choice. Wotjek eats the pupa, which ends the argument for good. You will prevent any implied fallout in the ending slides and still walk away with the same weapon and payout.
Role-play wise, Bradford fits the pragmatic captain who sides with competence and science. Wentworth is a chaotic or neutral guy who prefers minimal entanglement and enjoys letting a fraud collapse under his own nonsense. Either way, the fort ends up getting trashed by a bunch of Mantisaurs, and the quest completes with no restriction to future content, no matter who you choose.
