In the Outer Worlds 2, a destructive rifts tear across the star system, and each power fights to control these anomalies for its own ends. Into this chaos steps you: a daring Earth Directorate agent tasked with uncovering the source of these rifts before they destroy all of humanity. The fate of the galaxy will hinge on your decisions, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Your first major decision in shaping this fate is choosing your character’s Background. While your Skills and Perks will determine your combat effectiveness and problem-solving abilities, your Background defines your past and provides unique tools for navigation. It grants exclusive dialogue options and environmental interactions that can bypass obstacles or secure better outcomes—an Ex-Convict might know a security flaw, while a Professor understands obscure technology.
The Outer Worlds 2 features six backgrounds that you can choose from, each with its own unique backstory. Your background will determine what unique in-game dialogue options you get to choose from when interacting with different NPCs. In this guide, we’ll go through all the backgrounds, what skills and traits to pair them with.
Ex-Convict
You never cared for the Earth Directorate, and they never cared for you. So much so that they decided it would be best for you to spend much (if not all) of the rest of your life behind bars. However, desperate times call for desperate measures, so you accepted a deal to work for them to clear your record. Or escape while they weren’t looking
This background is your choice if you’re aiming for a ruthless or morally flexible “evil” playthrough. Your history provides a range of nefarious dialogue options, allowing you to intimidate law-abiding citizens, ingratiate yourself with the colony’s underworld, and express unlawful opinions that other backgrounds wouldn’t dare consider.
Beyond just talk, your criminal expertise has tangible, practical benefits. The Ex-Convict background grants you the unique ability to bypass special environmental locks and security systems. These aren’t the standard locks opened with the Lockpicking skill, but rather specific puzzles or obstacles that can be instantly neutralised with your insider knowledge. This can open up shortcuts, secret stashes, and alternative paths that are otherwise inaccessible.
If you plan to lie, cheat, and steal your way through the factional war, the Ex-Convict background provides the perfect foundation for your devious ambitions.
Suggested Build
This build leverages the harsh skills honed in prison to become a ruthless and efficient operative. It focuses on maximising damage, operating in stealth, and bypassing security with brutal practicality.
| Traits | Brawny, Resilient, Abrasive |
| Skills | Melee, Lockpick, Observation, Sneak |
| Perks | Heavy Handed, Bulletshield, Pickpocket, Psychopath |
Gambler
“The Grand Plan.” Hah! You know the universe is run by blind luck and chaos, even if you’ve been riding the winning edge of that chaos for most of your life. Unfortunately, that winning streak came to an end when you lost a bet with an agent who was trying to convince you to utilise your penchant for bucking the odds in the service of the Earth Directorate.
Life is a game of chance, and you’ve always known how to stack the deck in your favour. The Gambler background embodies this philosophy, translating your affinity for risk into unique gameplay advantages throughout Arcadia. This background is for the opportunistic and the bold. Your dialogue options frequently revolve around pushing your luck, calling a bluff, or proposing a high-stakes wager to turn a situation to your advantage. Play your life as a game of luck and chance to bypass certain interactions.
Suggested Build
With luck on your side, the Gambler build allows you to find more treasure, read your opponents, and critically hit enemies to take them down quickly.
| Traits | Lucky, Suave, Sickly |
| Skills | Observation, Speech, Guns, Hack |
| Perks | Charlatan, Face Reader, Treasure Hunter, Lucky Strikes |
Lawbringer
After experiencing a youth of hardship and corporate malfeasance, you joined the Earth Directorate, devoting your life to bringing order to colonies in the throes of chaos. You are a champion of the people, whether they want one or not. The law is not to be trifled with, and neither are you. On the flipside, Lawbringer is a solid choice for players looking to be a goody two shoes. If you want to abide by the law and simultaneously be virtuous and help anyone and everyone you can, this Background gives you the smoothest avenue to achieve that with various good-natured (if strict) dialogue choices.
You’ve seen the chaos that unchecked corporations and lawlessness breed, and you’ve dedicated your life to being the solution. As a Lawbringer, you are the iron fist of the Earth Directorate, a champion of order, whether the people want one or not.
This background is the choice for a paragon playthrough, but not necessarily a gentle one. Your dialogue options reflect an unwavering commitment to the law, allowing you to enforce regulations, demand compliance, and offer help through structured, lawful channels. You can be virtuous and helpful, but your methods are rooted in authority and a clear chain of command. Choose this background to bring a rigid, uncompromising order to the fractured colony of Arcadia.
Suggested Build
Bring law and order to the colonies with both your weapons and words, use tactical command and overwhelming authority to crush chaos across the colonies.
| Traits | Heroic, Brawny, Dumb |
| Skills | Leadership, Guns, Engineering, Speech |
| Perks | Bulletshield, Crabble Rancher, Space Ranger, Inspiring Commander |
Professor
You were a prominent voice in your field until your penchant for “full contact” archaeology and your colleagues’ jealousy at your success rate for retrieving artefacts long thought to be lost cost you both your tenure and position. Fortunately, your talent for dealing with the more unsavoury elements of artefact trafficking will serve you well in the Earth Directorate.
Your greatest weapon is your intellect. The Professor’s background establishes you as one of the most learned individuals in Arcadia, translating your academic expertise into consistent practical advantages throughout your journey. The Professor’s background is currently one of the most versatile backgrounds in the game.
It frequently provides unique, intelligent dialogue options, especially in the early hours, allowing you to gain the upper hand in conversations by explaining complex concepts, correcting others, and persuading through logic. This is particularly effective when dealing with the colony’s religious Order and other scholarly figures.
Beyond dialogue, your knowledge has tangible applications in the field. This background allows you to bypass certain Science-based skill checks entirely and interact with environmental elements like complex formulae on blackboards or obscure data-slates to discover passwords and uncover secrets. If you want a background that offers a reliable and frequent edge in both social and exploratory gameplay, the Professor is the superior choice.
Suggested Build
Become an archaeologist armed with numerous skills learned in the field while securing artefacts and preventing others from taking them.
| Traits | Brilliant, Innovative, Sickly |
| Skills | Science!, Medical, Explosives, Observation, Hack |
| Perks | Rapid Recharge, Pharm-Thusiast, Electro-Therapist |
Renegade
You may have lived a life that skirted the laws of any colony you found yourself operating in, but that’s what you were paid for. And definitely not a reason for your unsatisfied previous employers to hunt you down, is it? Joining the Earth Directorate seemed like a great way to solve the problems your “work” history may have caused.
This background is for the self-serving operative who prefers direct action. Your dialogue options consistently allow you to prioritise your own interests, dismiss bureaucratic nonsense, and suggest violent, explosive solutions to obstacles. You are used to doing things your way and getting away with it, and the Renegade dialogue reflects that confident, often intimidating, attitude.
If your philosophy is that every problem looks like a nail when you have a hammer, the Renegade background provides the perfect justification for that playstyle. It’s the ideal choice for players who want to be the unpredictable, heavy-handed agent that the Directorate reluctantly relies on.
Suggested Build
This build is for the unapologetic mercenary who gets results, no matter the collateral damage. It focuses on high-risk, high-reward combat and manipulating situations for personal gain.
| Traits | Nimble, Suave, Abrasive |
| Skills | Guns, Observation, Sneak, Lockpick, Speech |
| Perks | Crabble Rancher, Commando, Serendipitous Slayer, Trick Shot |
Roustabout
You’re not quite sure what happened. You simply wanted to find a job that used your particular set of skills. Which would be “none.” Yet, one accidental death of a well-known villain later, you’re now known as a gunslinging Earth Directorate agent not to be trifled with. You often find yourself wondering if this “Earth Directorate” has any good cashier openings.
You’ve drifted through life without ever specialising in anything, and it shows. The Roustabout background is the game’s built-in option for a “lovable fool” playthrough, trading practical advantages for consistent comedic relief.
This background offers very few unique environmental interactions or combat benefits. Instead, its value lies entirely in its unique dialogue. You will have frequent access to options that display a charming lack of understanding, clueless observations, and spacey non-sequiturs in almost every scenario. While these choices rarely lead to an optimal outcome, they provide a constant stream of humour. The Roustabout is your ticket to a uniquely hilarious experience.
Suggested Build
You’re just doing your best to survive.
| Traits | Lucky, Witty, Dumb |
| Skills | Sneak, Speech, Observation, Leadership |
| Perks | Ghost, Charlatan, Face Reader |
