Select Language:
The Outer Worlds 2 is a satire that sometimes seems hesitant to fully show its teeth. With this sequel, it shifts away from simply highlighting the horrors of late-stage capitalism spreading into space, instead emphasizing how different extreme economic beliefs clash with each other.
But often, reality is more bizarre than fiction. It’s in these moments that the game draws from real life, making its story genuinely funny. For example, amidst all the corporate chaos, who would have imagined a military leadership crisis involving a supposedly intelligent Mantisaur?
How To Get The Pinching The Pupa Quest
The “Pinching The Pupa” quest can be started on its own, but it’s usually part of the larger “Invocation Of Inconclusive Innocence” quest. Your task is to deliver a peace message to Durban, the leader of Outpost Opportunity, deep in no-man’s land.
Durban isn’t quick to accept the message. He’s dealing with many problems, and one misstep—like a missile landing nearby—is not enough to fix everything. However, if you help him with some of his issues, he’ll agree to send the message higher up the chain to Auntie in the name of peace.
He gives you three tasks to choose from, but for now, we focus on one. Durban mentions that Fort Endurance, further north, has installed a Mantisaur as its leader, sparking a power struggle. Solve that, and the message will be accepted.
Travel to Fort Endurance and talk to Wentworth, Bradford, and Wojtek (that’s the Mantisaur). This begins the “Pinching The Pupa” quest.
Note: You can also work on solving a murder investigation here, which is another of Durban’s requests.
Meeting With Bradford And Wentworth
Wojtek, the Mantisaur officer, is hard to miss. You’ll see many domesticated animals around Dorado thanks to Auntie’s influence, but Wojtek appears to be a free agent. Interestingly, only Wentworth can seemingly hear Wojtek’s thoughts and communicate with him.
After speaking with Wentworth, he explains Wojtek wants to bring more Mantisaurs into his ranks. There’s a nest of zyranium-infused Mantisaurs to the east. If you retrieve a pupa from there, Wojtek could raise it as part of Auntie’s Choice. Doesn’t that sound reasonable?
Bradford, however, doubts Wentworth’s claim that he can talk to Wojtek, but agrees that the pupa could be useful—to investigate its properties and see if they can improve Auntie’s forces.
You don’t need to choose sides yet; your main goal is to get the pupa.
Securing the Mantisaur Pupa
The map marks a large area east of Fort Endurance for the pupa location. It’s within a Mantisaur Den, heavily populated with Mantisaurs. You can try fighting your way through or sneaking past them. To find the pupa, head to the deepest part of the den — further east. Be prepared for a fight and take your time to divide and conquer, especially if you choose to engage.
At the very end, spot the nest tucked away in a corner, guarded by a Mantisaur. Approach with caution, either stealthily or by taking it down, because alerting the entire den could swarm you.
Tip: Equip gear that boosts your sprint speed before grabbing the pupa. You’ll need to make a quick escape.
Once you grab the Zyranium Mantisaur Pupa, the den is alerted, and Mantisaurs will spawn endlessly, trying to overwhelm you. Your only option is to sprint out quickly. Your sprint speed is much faster when in combat, so use that advantage. After escaping, return swiftly to Fort Endurance.
Who Should You Give The Pupa To?
Back at Fort Endurance, you have the choice of who to give the pupa. Talk to Bradford for a straightforward handover—no fuss. If you choose Wentworth, he’ll be thrilled, but Bradford will try to persuade you to give her the pupa instead.
Pro tip: Save your game before handing over the pupa, as a combat situation is imminent.
If you give the pupa to Bradford, she’ll thank you, giving you “Cleo’s The Hunt,” a special weapon, along with 1,500 bits. Wentworth will be upset and angry at your disobedience, insisting he can still talk to Wojtek.
Handing the pupa to Wentworth results in Wojtek devouring it immediately, which infuriates Wentworth and ruins his plans to create a Mantisaur army. Ironically, he couldn’t truly communicate with Wojtek after all.
In either case, you get the same rewards.
Defending Fort Endurance
Following your decision, the fort is suddenly attacked by waves of Mantisaurs—dangerous and powerful foes. Make sure to save the game beforehand because casualties could be severe. The attack includes multiple waves of Mantisaurs, mostly like Wojtek, and some Mantiwasps. Stay at the gates, mainly where Wentworth and Bradford are, and do your best to hold them off.
Wojtek will help defend the fort, so try not to harm him—Auntie’s respect depends on it. Establishing a strong defense will eventually end the attack, completing the quest. Afterwards, you can talk to the surviving characters if you want, but that’s optional.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
