Arcade Gannon is one of the most compelling companions in Fallout New Vegas, largely because his loyalties lie with the remnants of the Enclave. Players frequently search for Arcade Gannon a deep dive into Fallout New Vegas Enclave to understand how his complex backstory intertwines with the remnants of pre-war America. You'll find that recruiting Arcade requires careful navigation of factions, trust, and specific moral choices.
If you want to unlock his companion quest, For Auld Lang Syne, you can't just wander the wasteland blindly. You'll need to earn his trust through specific trigger points across the Mojave Wasteland while managing your reputation with Caesar's Legion and the NCR. Let's look at how his character subverts typical RPG tropes and why his connection to the Remnants remains a fan-favorite narrative arc.
Understanding Arcade Gannon and the Enclave Background
Arcade Gannon grew up in the shadow of the Enclave's collapse. As a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse stationed at the Old Mormon Fort, he hides his origins behind a sharp intellect and a cynical wit. He doesn't advertise that he's the son of an Enclave scientist, and he certainly doesn't want anyone in the Mojave looking too closely at his past.
The Enclave Remnants scattered after the destruction of the Oil Rig on the West Coast. These former soldiers and scientists chose isolation over execution, hiding in plain sight or retreating to safehouses like the Silver Peak Mine. Arcade holds deep resentment toward the atrocities committed by his former faction, yet he maintains a protective curiosity about the older generation who raised him.
When you bring Arcade into your party, you're not just getting a companion with a plasma defender and decent energy weapons proficiency. You're carrying a walking political landmine. The Legion hates him, the NCR views him with suspicion, and his own internal conflict dictates every comment he makes about Mojave politics.
How to Recruit Arcade Gannon
You can find Arcade Gannon inside the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside. To recruit him, your character needs to meet specific criteria, or you need to progress certain quests like The White Wash or That Lucky Old Sun. If you have the Confirmed Bachelor perk, you'll unlock unique dialogue options that add flavor to your interactions.
- Travel to the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside.
- Locate Arcade Gannon inside the main building or courtyard.
- Talk to him and select the dialogue option inviting him to travel with you.
- Ensure your party slot isn't already full with Boone or another companion.
If you haven't built a good reputation with the Followers of the Apocalypse, Arcade might hesitate. He won't join a player who openly slaughters innocent people or acts as an unthinking boot for Caesar's Legion. Once he agrees to follow you, keeping him happy means avoiding actions that benefit the Legion too heavily before you've locked in his loyalty.
Triggering For Auld Lang Syne
The core of the Enclave narrative in Fallout New Vegas revolves around Arcade's companion quest, For Auld Lang Syne. You can't just talk to him once and unlock it. You need to earn "trust points" by exploring specific locations and talking to specific NPCs throughout the Mojave.
Here are the key trigger points that award trust points with Arcade:
- Crash Site of the Vertibird: Visiting this location with Arcade triggers a dialogue about his past.
- REPCONN Test Site: Discussing the rockets and the Dala/Jason Bright situation with him active.
- Silver Peak Mine: Entering the mine where the Remnants hide out.
- The Fort (Caesar's Tent): Bringing Arcade into Caesar's tent for the first time creates an immediate confrontation.
- The Silver Rush: Talking to Gloria Van Graff about energy weapons.
If you trigger enough of these events, Arcade will approach you and ask for a favor. He wants you to help him track down the old Enclave members—Judith Kennerer, Orion Moreno, Daisy Whitman, Cannibal Johnson, and Henry Autumn's former colleagues—and unite them one last time.
The Remnants and Their Role in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam
Uniting the Remnants requires visiting each aging veteran across the wasteland. Daisy Whitman is at the Novac motel, Cannibal Johnson is at his cave retreat, Orion Moreno is near the Aerotech Office Park, and Dr. Henry is working with the mutants at Jacobstown. You'll need to complete their individual requests to convince them to reform.
Once you gather the Remnants at the bunker near Silver Peak Mine, they vote on whether to support the NCR or Caesar's Legion during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Arcade's personal politics heavily influence this discussion. If you've played your cards right, you can convince them to fight for the NCR or remain independent, depending on your overarching goals for the Mojave.
During the final battle, the Remnants drop from the sky in full Tesla and Advanced Power Armor, raining plasma fire down on enemy lines. It's one of the most visually striking and mechanically powerful moments in Fallout New Vegas, turning the tide of the war in seconds.
Common Mistakes When Building Trust with Arcade
Players often lock themselves out of Arcade's quest without realizing it. Because his quest triggers are tied to specific map markers and dialogue choices, a few missteps can ruin your chances.
- Rushing to The Fort: If you bring Arcade to Caesar before triggering his other trust points, he might permanently leave your party out of disgust.
- Ignoring Side Quests: Skipping locations like REPCONN or the crashed Vertibird means you won't accumulate enough trust points.
- Failing Speech Checks: When dealing with the aging Remnants, low speech or charisma stats can cause them to refuse cooperation.
- Siding with the Legion Early: Performing too many quests for Caesar before recruiting Arcade makes him instantly hostile or distrustful.
You don't need a perfect walkthrough, but you do need to pace your exploration. Check your quest log and keep Arcade in your active party when exploring major historical or scientific sites in the wasteland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you complete For Auld Lang Syne without killing anyone?
Yes, you can navigate the Remnants' recruitment quests using non-combat solutions, high speech checks, and stealth where applicable, though you'll still face combat during random wasteland encounters.
What happens to Arcade Gannon if you side with Caesar's Legion?
If you side with the Legion, Arcade's personal quest becomes virtually impossible to complete normally, and he will permanently abandon your cause or attack you when you confront him about Legion policies.
Where is Arcade Gannon's Power Armor stored?
Once you complete his quest, Arcade inherits his father's remnants power armor, and you receive a training perk that allows you to wear any power armor variant in the game without penalty.
Does Arcade Gannon have a romantic romance option?
No, Fallout New Vegas doesn't feature a traditional romance system for companions, though the Confirmed Bachelor perk adds unique dialogue flavor to your relationship with him.
