How to get The Needler

The Needler is one of the most sought-after weapons you can acquire in Murder on Eridanos, the latest DLC for The Outer Worlds. As a Science Weapon, its damage multiplies based on your skill level, which means you could end up with a potentially dangerous gun—or a dud if you haven’t put any points into Science. Despite needing the skill to be a high level to make it effective, everyone will want to get their hands on this weapon before finishing up the DLC.

This article contains spoilers for the final questline in Murder on Eridanos. As such, we recommend returning here after completing the DLC for the first time. Do not continue reading if you want the story to remain unspoiled.

Players will be able to get their hands on The Needler during the quest Naked Hunch. This quest is triggered after turning in the killer to Administrator Ludovico.

During Naked Hunch, you’ll need to make your way over to the Rizzo’s Distillation facility and infiltrate the area. Upon arriving inside, interact with the terminal to remove the fog from a glass pane that separates the room you are in from another. Beyond the glass you’ll see a familiar figure.

The Needler is a handy weapon because it never needs to be reloaded.

Halcyon Helen is alive and well, and is the one that has been murdering her way through the various characters you’ve met throughout your investigation. After a bit of dialogue you’ll need to choose whether you want to side with Administrator Ludovico or side with Halcyon Helen. There are ramifications for each choice, so make the one that makes the most sense for your character.

As a side note, you are guaranteed The Needler if you choose to side with Ludovico. If you side with Helen, you’ll need a Persuasion level of 40 or higher to get The Needler.

Siding with Ludovico

If you choose to side with Ludovico, continue through the questline until you find yourself inside the Pilothouse, where you need to disperse the larvae for the Administrator. Before you can start the dispersion, you’ll have to face off against Halcyon Helen. She’s relatively easy to kill, so long as you’ve leveled up your character and companions.

You can get The Needler off of Helen's body after defeating her inside the Pilothouse.

Once Helen dies, you can loot her body to obtain The Needler.

Siding with Helen

If you choose to side with Helen, you’ll need to escape the distillation facility and make it back to the Penthouse in the Grand Colonial. Once there, head into the room to the left and speak with Helen. During the conversation you’ll have the chance to ask for The Needler. If you don’t have a high enough Persuasion level—you need at least level 40—then you won’t be able to get the weapon.

How to get The Needler from Helen - The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos

When Helen asks if you're scared she is going to shoot you in the back, simply respond with I'm already doing all the work. I deserve to feel like an aetherwave hero. She'll agree with the sentiment and hand over The Needler.

Now that you have The Needler, let’s talk about what makes this weapon so impressive. Unlike other weapons, The Needler doesn’t require you to reload. Instead, reloading will change between the three different ammo types available in the weapon.

Here are the three ammo types:

Rid O’ Life – Slowly damages the target over time.
Caustolerene – Slowly eats away at a target’s armor.
Debilerol – Slows the target.

You can easily swap between the three during combat to make use of all the advantages that The Needler gives you. Because you never have to reload, you can also fire infinitely at a target, constantly dealing damage to it when using Rid O’ Life.

With The Needler in hand, you can head back out into the universe like an aetherwave hero. Make sure to stop by our The Outer Worlds guide for even more helpful info.