Best Companion Perks and Mod Kits in The Outer Worlds 2

When The Outer Worlds 2 throws you into its wild corporate chaos, your companions aren’t just backup—they’re the backbone of your survival. Building the right team means understanding how their perks, traits, and mod kits intertwine with your playstyle. Whether you favor brute strength, stealth tactics, or high-tech precision, the right combination of upgrades can completely shift the outcome of every encounter.

Below, we break down how perks and mods work, how to unlock them, and which builds make each ally shine in battle.

How Companion Perks Work

Every companion in The Outer Worlds 2 levels up independently, unlocking a new perk choice every five levels. Unlike your own skill tree, their perks are more specialized—they define what role they’ll fill within your squad. These upgrades might enhance damage resistance, amplify ability cooldowns, or add crowd-control effects that change the tide of a fight.

Once a perk is chosen, it’s permanent. There’s no respec option, so it pays to plan ahead. Each character also gains unique traits—passive bonuses that remain active whenever they’re in your party. As your allies gain experience, they’ll notify you when a new perk becomes available, and some personal quests can even unlock signature abilities or mod kits tied to their backstory.

How to Unlock Mod Kits

Mod kits are the game’s version of companion customization—your chance to tweak abilities or add elemental damage types. After completing specific companion quests, you’ll gain access to a new kit that can be equipped or crafted at any workbench under the “Party Upgrades” section.

The best part? You’re not locked out of future changes. If you find a better combination later, you can swap mods freely between workbenches scattered across colonies and stations.

Pro tip: pay attention to your companions’ core stats and ability cooldowns—certain mods synergize far better with fast-acting or tank-heavy allies.

Best Companion Builds and Perk Recommendations

Each companion has a defined combat identity, but their best builds depend on how you balance your team. Here’s a breakdown of the most effective playstyles we’ve tested.

Niles – The Aggro Specialist

Niles is built to soak damage and draw attention away from you. His best perks increase taunt range, armor penetration, and area control. For his mod kit, prioritize Rail Revolver Barrel and Reflex Amplifier Caster for high shock damage and party-wide evasion boosts.

Recommended perks:

I Got ’Em – Improves taunt efficiency.
Spotter – Reveals enemies and reduces detection rate.
Self-Repairing Armor – Boosts armor recovery in downtime.

Ideal for: front-line control and group engagements.

Valerie – The Healer and Support Anchor

Valerie’s role revolves around keeping everyone alive. Her syringe launcher restores health over time, and her mods enhance regeneration and cooldown speed. She’s the one who’ll bail you out of sticky firefights.

Recommended perks:

Restoration Operation – Grants instant team heal.
Fortitude Supplement Module – Clears debuffs mid-combat.
Preservation Catalyst – Adds passive regeneration for the squad.

Top mods:

Supercooling Coils (adds frost effect).
Enhanced Generator (faster ability recharge).

Ideal for: defensive playstyles and long boss fights.

Aza – The Close-Combat Tornado

Aza lives for chaos. She’s your melee berserker who can dish out explosive close-range damage. To keep her alive, stack perks that boost damage mitigation and ability uptime.

Recommended perks:

Relentless – Adds stagger to melee combos.
Strike from Smoke – Boosts post-ability damage.
Flurry of Blades – Chance to trigger critical melee bursts.

Best mods:

Serrated Edge – Adds bleed damage.
Emergency Adrenaline Injector – Auto-revive once per encounter.

Ideal for: aggressive, hit-and-run combatants.

Tristan – The Unbreakable Tank

If you like a wall between you and every plasma bolt, Tristan’s your guy. His perks revolve around taunting, area stuns, and armor amplification.

Recommended perks:

Juggernaut – Shortens status durations.
Zyranium Regeneration – Passive healing in hazardous zones.
Frenzied Charge – Boosts speed and attack power after ability use.

Essential mods:

Plasma Grenades (AoE burn).
Shrapnel Resistor (AoE immunity).

Ideal for: tank builds and frontline coordination.

Marisol – The Tactical Disruptor

Marisol’s gadgets stun, shock, and confuse enemies, making her the best pick for players who love crowd control and precision kills.

Recommended perks:

Combat Analyzer – Marks weak points for team bonuses.
Dispersed Glare – Expands stun radius.
Chain Paralysis – Allows ability to spread between targets.

Mod picks:

Blast Barrel – Adds area damage to sidearm.
Kinetic Charging Relay – Restores ability charge when damaged.

Ideal for: hybrid DPS-support roles and boss takedowns.

Crafting and Party Synergy

Don’t just pick perks in isolation—think about how your team functions as a whole. A Valerie-Tristan duo, for instance, can keep your entire squad alive during drawn-out firefights, while an Aza-Marison combo focuses on high burst and enemy control.

Use the workbench to craft compatible mod kits that match your combat rhythm—fast-recharge weapons for aggressive builds, or defensive armor plating for survival-heavy runs.

When you find synergy between healing, damage, and crowd control, The Outer Worlds 2 opens up into a completely new tactical experience.

Final Thoughts

Your companions are more than sidekicks—they’re the gears that keep your build running smoothly. Whether you’re optimizing for endurance, raw DPS, or balanced utility, the best companion perks and mod kits in The Outer Worlds 2 can transform even the toughest encounters into cinematic brawls.

Experiment, mix builds, and don’t be afraid to swap mods mid-campaign—the beauty of Obsidian’s RPG design lies in how flexible it lets you be.