In The Outer Worlds 2, your choice to kill or spare Montelli isn’t just another moral dilemma – it might change how entire factions see you. But is his survival worth the consequences that follow?
How to save Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2
To save Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2, you need to carefully navigate the dialogue options to build trust and avoid conflict. Focus on gathering evidence that supports Montelli’s intentions and use persuasion to highlight common goals. Completing specific side quests that aid Montelli’s cause will also increase your chances of sparing him. Timing and choice matter, so pay attention to the consequences of your decisions during key story moments.
The essential first step in sparing Montelli is to get Corbin to work with you, though you’ll have to have two points in Speech to make this work or get the Writ of Conscription from Hogarth. The writ makes Corbin comply immediately, but without it, you’ll need to do this:
- Say an agent named De Vries was responsible for the chaos that unfolded on Horizon Point.
- Say “I helped you before. I can help you again, this time with Montelli” (requires two points in Speech). Corbin will reluctantly agree to side with you.
- The next choice doesn’t matter.
- Ask Corbin if he’ll get in trouble for sending the message, then say you’ll do it his way.
There may be other alternatives depending on how you handled the situation on Horizon Point, but this has consistently been the way it played out for us. After agreeing to work with Corbin, proceed through the relay station until you reach Montelli.
In our experience, the only way to spare Montelli is this:
- Tell Corbin that you can work together to end Montelli’s reign of terror OR convince him you’re an ally by showing Hogarth’s Writ of Conscription (as detailed above).
- Read all the entries on Montelli’s terminal. Whether you send Corbin’s message or not doesn’t matter.
- Say “These extreme measures were never your idea in the first place, were they, Montelli?” (This choice is only available if you work with Corbin and read Montelli’s terminal.)
- Say “Do what you know is right, not what your puppeteer tells you.” (This choice is only available if you have five points in Speech.)
As long as you don’t attack Montelli, the choices you make leading up to “These extreme measures.” don’t matter. Even if you read Montelli’s terminal and get the information, the option to say that Montelli is carrying out someone else’s orders is only available if Corbin is with you. Likewise, there’s no alternate way of saving Montelli without having five points in Speech. Every other dialogue option from “These extreme measures.” onward that isn’t “Do what you know is right.” will result in you having to fight and kill him.
Should you kill or spare Montelli?
Deciding whether to kill or spare Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2 can significantly shape your gameplay experience. Sparing him may offer unique alliances and story development, while killing him might provide immediate rewards or change the power dynamics in your favor. Consider your play style and the consequences you want to face before making this impactful choice.
The choices you pick here and in the scenario that follows will influence how your The Outer Worlds 2 ending plays out, but only in slides at the very end of the game. Whether you send Corbin’s message or kill Montelli has no tangible effect on the rest of the story. Either way, you’ll still get access to De Vries’ safe room afterward and can grab Montelli’s weapon, a shock machine gun called the Chainspark Cannon that sends waves of electricity through nearby enemies.
In one of our initial blind playthroughs, we ended up with enough points to either convince Montelli to stand down or to save Fairfield and Westport in the relay station dilemma that follows – but not both. That’s including having done every side quest up to this point. If you’ve been sussing out your preferred skills instead of specializing up to this point, or specialized in completely different areas, you might not have a choice but to resolve the situation using violence.
How to meet the requirements to spare Montelli
To meet the requirements to spare Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2, you need to follow these steps:
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Have Speech at level 5: This is essential for passing critical dialogue checks needed to avoid combat.
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Keep Corbin alive: Do not kill Corbin during earlier missions like Horizon Point. You must have Corbin as an ally.
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Convince Corbin to work with you and do things his way: Avoid aggressive dialogue options with him; instead, choose options that support collaboration.
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Access Montelli’s terminal: After reaching Montelli’s office, use his terminal to send a message to High Command notifying them that Corbin is taking control.
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Read all files on Montelli’s terminal: This reveals Montelli’s orders and aids your dialogue choices.
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Win the dialogue confrontation with Montelli: Use non-aggressive dialogue and the Speech 5 check to convince him to stand down. Key dialogue options include telling Montelli that extreme measures were never his idea and advising him to act on what he knows is right, not what his puppeteer commands.
If all these conditions are met, Montelli will leave peacefully with Corbin, allowing you to avoid the boss fight and collect his Chainspark Cannon and Officer Regalia armor without violence.
If any of these steps are missed, a difficult boss fight with Montelli becomes unavoidable.
Which dialogue choices persuade Marshal Corbin to help
To persuade Marshal Corbin to help you in The Outer Worlds 2, you need to meet certain requirements and select specific dialogue options:
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You can either have the “Writ of Conscription” obtained after the quest “The Saga of Malfunctioning Mechanicals,” which instantly makes Corbin cooperate, or alternatively, you can use your Speech skill at level 4 to convince him without the writ.
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During the conversation with Corbin, use diplomatic and persuasive dialogue options that align with supporting Corbin’s plan. Example helpful dialogue options include:
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Lie with Speech 2: “Horizon Point? Never heard of it. You have me confused for someone else.”
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Speech 4: “As it happens, I’m in the business of deposing tyrants. Just point me at Montelli.”
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Speech 2: “I’m sorry about that. Honestly. Let me make it up to you now.”
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After convincing Corbin to assist, agree with his plan to use Montelli’s terminal to send an official notice transferring command to Corbin.
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Avoid hostile or dismissive answers; failing to convince him will result in Corbin becoming hostile and attacking you.
Persuading Corbin this way is key to unlocking the peaceful option to spare Montelli later.
