A Moral Maze in Arcadia: Deciding Between Acquisition Officer Kaur and Minister Milverstreet in The Outer Worlds 2

The highly-anticipated launch of The Outer Worlds 2 has once again thrust players into a morally ambiguous, yet brilliantly satirical, galaxy. As the newly-arrived Commander, navigating the tumultuous political landscape of the Arcadia colony is no easy feat. One of the earliest and most impactful decisions you will face is choosing a side in the escalating power struggle on Paradise Island, specifically within the newly-conquered settlement of Fairfield, currently under the corporate control of Auntie’s Choice.

The choice between Acquisitions Officer Kaur and Minister Milverstreet during the main story quest, “The Saboteur of Paradise,” is more than just a simple quest-giver selection; it’s a commitment that locks you into distinct questlines, unique rewards, and, most importantly, different moral and strategic approaches to the conflict with the Protectorate. Understanding the nuances of each character’s philosophy and the tangible in-game consequences is crucial for any player looking to optimize their role-playing experience and long-term success in the colony.

The Factions and the Fairfield Conflict

The setting for this pivotal choice is Fairfield, a town recently wrestled from the clutches of the authoritarian Protectorate. This area is now nominally controlled by Auntie’s Choice, the mega-corporation representing the unfettered consumerism that characterized the first game. Within Auntie’s Choice’s local leadership, a significant ideological schism has emerged, represented by Kaur and Milverstreet.

• • The Protectorate: The former rulers of the colony, representing a militaristic, heavy-handed authoritarianism. Their presence lingers, and the threat of their return is a clear and present danger to Auntie’s Choice’s fragile control.

• Auntie’s Choice: A massive corporate entity that now governs Fairfield. While they offer a distinct flavor of dystopia compared to the Protectorate, their primary interest remains profit maximization and control over the colony’s resources and population.

Your involvement is sought by both Kaur and Milverstreet, each requiring your unique skill set to advance their conflicting agendas.

Acquisitions Officer Kaur: The Militant Path

Acquisitions Officer Kaur embodies a militant and decisive approach. Kaur believes the only way to solidify Auntie’s Choice’s control and neutralize the Protectorate threat is through direct confrontation and force. Her philosophy is one of aggressive defense and securing strategic assets through any means necessary—likely involving guns, explosions, and minimal diplomacy.

When you side with Kaur, you are choosing a path of action-oriented combat-heavy quests. This choice is often preferred by players running a high-damage build or those who enjoy the game’s snappy gunplay and combat systems. The immediate tangible benefit often includes heavy armor and powerful unique weapons, which are excellent for characters prioritizing Strength and Damage Per Second (DPS). Furthermore, her questline focuses on direct engagement with Protectorate forces and assets, providing a clearer, more immediate objective. This is a solid option for those who favor the “shoot first, ask questions later” mentality that is a hallmark of many great RPG adventures, despite the potential moral cost. However, this aggressive posturing may lead to future diplomatic difficulties with non-militant factions.

Minister Milverstreet: Diplomacy and Subterfuge

In stark contrast, Minister Milverstreet advocates for a more diplomatic and subversive strategy. Milverstreet is hesitant to engage in an all-out war, preferring to undermine the Protectorate through espionage, negotiation, and non-violent means. He recognizes that a prolonged, bloody conflict is detrimental to the colony’s stability and, by extension, corporate profits. His preferred methods involve intelligence gathering, manipulating political figures, and using Speech and other social skills to achieve Auntie’s Choice’s objectives.

Choosing to align with Milverstreet opens up a questline that heavily favors Speech checks, Lockpicking, and Hacking. Players who have invested heavily in Mind and Tech skills, particularly those focused on Stealth and Persuasion, will find Milverstreet’s quests more rewarding and accessible. The rewards tend to be more utility-focused, often including light armor with strong defensive or utility mods, and access to crucial early-game companions, such as the much-touted Inez, whose recruitment is tied directly to his quest chain. This route generally offers a more complex narrative, requiring players to think critically about their actions and the long-term political consequences in Arcadia. It also sets up for an easier resolution to a major future decision point in the game.

The Final Verdict: Who Should You Choose?

The choice between Kaur and Milverstreet is a brilliant distillation of The Outer Worlds 2’s core design philosophy: there is no definitively “right” or “wrong” answer, only different shades of corporate dystopia and personalized consequences. Your decision should be based on your preferred playstyle and what you value most in your power-fantasy RPG experience:

• Choose Kaur if:
  • You prefer high-octane combat and an aggressive, direct approach.
  • Your character build is focused on Melee or Ranged Weapons and high damage output.
  • You want immediate access to heavy combat armor and powerful unique firearms.
  • You favor a shorter, more straightforward quest path to progress the main story.
• Choose Milverstreet if:
  • You prefer diplomacy, subterfuge, and non-lethal solutions.
  • Your character build is strong in Speech, Persuasion, and Tech skills (Hacking/Lockpicking).
  • You prioritize unlocking a valuable companion early in the game (Inez).
  • You seek a more complex, morally nuanced narrative and want to ease a major future political decision.

Ultimately, both choices offer a significant amount of content and their own merits. Siding with Minister Milverstreet has been anecdotally reported to offer a slightly more substantial and diverse quest chain, including a major companion recruitment opportunity, making it a potentially better choice for a first playthrough focused on maximizing content. Regardless of your choice, the decision sets a precedent for your Commander in the Arcadia colony—will you be the hammer or the scalpel? The fate of Fairfield and your standing with Auntie’s Choice’s local leadership hinges on your ability to make the best, most self-serving (or altruistic, if you can find a sliver of it) corporate-approved decision possible in this unsettling, yet fascinating, science fiction RPG.

For more on the latest Obsidian news, check out this video.

The Outer Worlds 2 | Sequel Story Setup Explained

This video explains the story setup and new setting for The Outer Worlds 2, providing important context for the difficult choices you’ll face, like the one between Kaur and Milverstreet.