The Protectorate of Arcadia sits at the center of power in The Outer Worlds 2, an authoritarian regime that promises safety and comfort at a steep cost. It governs multiple colonies across the Arcadian system and directly runs the Arcadia colony itself. The faction’s founder also invented Skip Drives, the faster‑than‑light engines that underpin interstellar travel here—and the Protectorate is now intent on dealing with the rifts linked to that technology. If you’re stepping into The Outer Worlds 2 for the first time, the Protectorate’s reach will frame many encounters and decisions from the opening hours onward. You can find the official game listing on Xbox at xbox.com.
Protectorate overview (mandate, leverage, and ideology)
The Protectorate consolidates political control, economic resources, and technological leadership across several colonies. Its wealth flows from the same breakthrough that allows ships to traverse the system: Skip Drives. That origin makes the faction both a benefactor of Arcadia’s progress and a stakeholder in solving the fallout—namely, addressing rifts associated with Skip Drive use.
The public pitch is simple: stability, security, and luxury for subjects who submit to its order. The subtext is less subtle: the Protectorate’s guarantees come with sweeping demands over your labor, choices, and loyalty. The faction’s anthem puts a pragmatic spin on that posture: “Two hands are better than one, but one is better than none.”
How Protectorate reputation affects your run
Factions in The Outer Worlds 2 are wired into a reputation system that changes how the world treats you. As your standing shifts with the Protectorate, you can expect concrete outcomes, including:
- Merchant trading price adjustments tied to your status
- Changes in NPC hostility or cooperation
- Altered reward tiers and quest payouts
- New quest availability or quest locks based on favor or infamy
Those levers can open fast tracks through Protectorate‑controlled spaces—or make key facilities and characters much harder to access.
Protectorate characters you’ll encounter
These named figures are affiliated with the Protectorate across the Arcadian system. Some hold command or technical posts; one can even join your crew.
| Name | Role or notes |
|---|---|
| Audra Baines | Protectorate‑affiliated NPC |
| Brigadier Montelli | Senior military leadership |
| Cadet 4th Class Corbin | Protectorate cadet |
| Cadet Warden Atarah | Cadet warden |
| Chief Deviser Delphinia Bryant | Head of design/engineering |
| Chief Mechanist Woodrow Contos | Chief of mechanical operations |
| Curativist Rowe | Medical specialist |
| Doctor Xochitl Foley | Medical doctor |
| Interim Chief Mechanist Pinckney | Acting mechanical lead |
| Interim Quartermaster Hazel Chapman | Acting logistics/quartermaster |
| Marshal Donelson | Law enforcement leadership |
| Protectorate Deserter Jakes | Former member; deserter |
| Protectorate Salvager Blaxton | Salvage specialist |
| Redactor Quesnel | Information control/redaction |
| Senior Warden Weintraut | Senior security/warden |
| Sentinel Lorenz | Protectorate sentinel |
| Sentry Second Class Lehman | Junior sentry |
| Sub‑Deviser Dmitri Cantwell | Deputy in design/engineering |
| Sub‑Mechanist Cade Tierney | Deputy mechanical specialist |
| Sub‑Mechanist Missy Aubuchon | Deputy mechanical specialist |
| Tristan Rao | Companion (Protectorate‑aligned) |
| Vigilant Hogarth | Protectorate vigilant |
| Warden First Class Tyson | Senior warden |
| Warden Sterling | Protectorate warden |
Protectorate territory and facilities
Expect tight access control, security checks, and mission‑critical interactions at these Protectorate‑occupied locations.
| Location | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Euphoria Coast Automech Repair Center | Mechanicals servicing and related objectives |
| Ministry of Accuracy | Administrative and oversight functions |
| Skycutter A102 | Protectorate vessel or installation |
| The Bridge of the Reverent | Command or ceremonial platform |
| Vox Relay | Communications infrastructure |
Quests tied to the Protectorate
Several early and mid‑game missions intersect with Protectorate interests or take place on their turf. The following questlines are explicitly related:
- An Aegis Against the Miasma
- The Mystifying Case of the Midnight Marauder
- The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals
- Vanquishing the Vexing Vapors
A dedicated, enumerated Protectorate faction questline is not fully listed, but the faction’s footprint is hard to miss. Early in the story, you may be routed to a Protectorate‑aligned town on the island’s northeast called Westport, and later objectives often pull you through Protectorate facilities like the Ministry of Accuracy or Vox Relay.
Can you join the Protectorate?
No. You can’t formally enlist with the Protectorate. Your choices can still swing outcomes in their favor, particularly on the first planet, and your reputation will adjust to reflect those decisions. Think of the Protectorate less as a joinable organization and more as a power bloc that responds—positively or negatively—to how you resolve its problems and challenge its authority.
How the Protectorate’s origin shapes the plot
The faction’s Skip Drive lineage is more than backstory. As the inventor’s heirs, the Protectorate is both proud of and responsible for the consequences of faster‑than‑light travel. That duality drives mission hooks: investigations into mechanical failures, containment of environmental hazards, and efforts to stabilize anomalies associated with rift activity. When the Protectorate asks for help, it’s usually to reassert control where its technology or governance is fraying at the edges.
Whether you’re angling for better prices in Protectorate markets, hoping to recruit a companion with Protectorate ties, or planning a stealthy run through restricted facilities, assume this faction’s rules apply unless you’ve earned the leeway to bend them. Their promises are generous, their reach is long, and their ledger—of favors and grudges—tends to balance over time.
