Game breaking softlock in Outer Worlds 2

[TheJotunn]

Encountered a bug where I cannot progress to the Vox Relay station without killing my way the the entire Protectorate faction or doing other janky things. TL;DR I can't use the Writ of Conscription to get in.

I did the quests for Milverstreet to recruit/sabotage the people in Westport and got the Writ of Conscription from Vigilant Hogarth. However, I can't show the Writ to the Protectorate guard on the bridge leading into the Vox Relay.

This is (likely) because I already chatted with the guard about finding the traitors (and turning in Inez, though I didn't follow through that dialogue option) as an alternate means of getting access. I refused the quest to find the traitors, but in my exploration, I must have come across one of them. I had dialogue with the guard relating to a person jumping to their death and needing proof of this but I don't recall where this person would have been and don't actually have the quest in my quest log (since I never accepted it).

It's worth noting that, during the Westport sequence, I also sent the guard's cousin (Charleston?) to see her and try to convince her to leave. This interaction where he gets crucified may also be contributing to the bug.

Regardless, I can't show her the Writ to get past, I don't want to do the quest to find the traitors, and it would be a huge pain if I did want to because it's not in my quest log. My only options are basically to turn over Inez to be hanged or stumble upon the arm of the traitor. I'm just starting over because it's only 7 hours in but definitely a punch to the gut.

[TheJotunn]

After rushing a bit to get to this point on my second playthrough, it is not a bug that I could not use the Writ to get across the bridge, apparently that is intended. The bug was that I did not get the quest to cross the bridge (For Whom the Bridge Tolls) added to my quest log. The tragedy is that I'm guessing I could have found the arm and progressed the quest since getting the cousin there (Charlton) is actually a part of the quest. Basically it bugged out because I accidentally completed a part of the quest by sending Charlton to the bridge without actually accepting the quest (by my guess).

[ardarlol]

On 10/28/2025 at 6:51 PM, TheJotunn said:

I can't use the Writ of Conscription to get in.

I’m having a problem with that root too, Hogarth just won’t speak with me after the end of The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest.

Steps to reproduce:

Gone to Vox Relay from raptor cave, but chose to go back to finish sides.
Made an The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest and going to the Westport, having Brain Benders quest in log. 
Talk my way with Charlton, Pickey and Rowe at Brain Benders quest while going to Hogarth.

Finished The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest with Hogarth, but now can’t go with Brain Benders or Writ of Conscription questline - Hogarth won’t talk to me at all.

Kinda softlocked to roots with one bug!

 

[ardarlol]

Seems like a problem was with The Saboteur of Paradise quest, that’s locked Writ of Conscription path.

But this lock is also blocking The Brain Benders of Auntie's Choice that's already given. So should be fixed. 
Tried different approaches, and if finishing of Milton’s quest before completing Automaton parts one can be done - but feels buggy, netherless

[TheJotunn]

4 hours ago, ardarlol said:

I’m having a problem with that root too, Hogarth just won’t speak with me after the end of The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest.

Steps to reproduce:

Gone to Vox Relay from raptor cave, but chose to go back to finish sides.
Made an The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest and going to the Westport, having Brain Benders quest in log. 
Talk my way with Charlton, Pickey and Rowe at Brain Benders quest while going to Hogarth.

Finished The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest with Hogarth, but now can’t go with Brain Benders or Writ of Conscription questline - Hogarth won’t talk to me at all.

Kinda softlocked to roots with one bug!

 

You should be all set to progress the main story by just going back into the Vox Relay through the Raptidon cave, right? I don't know if you NEED the Writ to progress the main quest, I think you just need to get in there and explore/kill the bad dude to find out where de Vries went.

[Poindextercheez]

 

22 hours ago, ardarlol said:

Seems like a problem was with The Saboteur of Paradise quest, that’s locked Writ of Conscription path.

But this lock is also blocking The Brain Benders of Auntie's Choice that's already given. So should be fixed. 
Tried different approaches, and if finishing of Milton’s quest before completing Automaton parts one can be done - but feels buggy, netherless

You're correct, this is a convoluted bug that's happening. I did the quest for hogarth to get automech parts, but he didnt give me any writ of conscription. I tried to go back and speak to the woman guarding the bridge, but she and everyone else around her immediately turned hostile after saying "our scouts saw you" - which as far as I can tell will happen if you cross over onto the northern island without speaking to her first. To recap, I cannot complete "for whom the bridge tolls" nor can I complete "the brain benders of auntie's choice" - after speaking to two citizens in Westport, they said they'd go to fairfield if I could convince Hogarth, but I cannot speak to Hogarth after doing the quest for him to get the automech parts, so I tried to sabotage the speaker, generator, and water supply, but even after doing that he still just repeats the same line without letting me actually speak to him. So now my only option is to try to sneak into the Vox, or shoot my way in. 

[tigernipp]

I have a lock apparently on a quest or I did something wrong for the main story quest fiend in high places I'm at the end after I cross this bridge opened the door is locked everybody's dead I cannot progress through the door and I watch the video on YouTube and I did everything the same as they did but they're door opened. 

I asked to chat but AI and they told me that if you pick pocketed de veires earlier in the game it will hard blocked this quest and that door won't open but these chat GPT AI tools sometimes just make things up like they're inventing their own plot lol

Is this actually hard locked or did it just get stuck and I need to replay that one level? Because if I have to go back before I met that person we're talking hours of gameplay hopefully somebody has an answer