The last two story quests, back to back: into the Renegade Stronghold, the three tapes in Waltz's quarters, X13 and the final fight, then the final choice twice, the second time from the save backup.
This stretch is the last two story quests, Now or Never and X13, which run straight into each other once you open the door at the end of The Breakthrough: there is no free roam until the credits. You have every tool the story gives (the Paraglider, the Grappling Hook, the UV Flashlight, the GRE key and Detector); keep the Inhibitors you hold unspent. Now or Never takes you into the Renegade Stronghold, where one room has three tapes you can't come back for. X13 ends with a choice that decides the ending. This run takes the left option first, then copies back the save backup you made before the door and plays both quests again for the right option. After those credits the game returns to free roam, which the next section covers.
Now or Never: the escape and the way into the StrongholdHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – Past the door the quest drops you among infected: keep running along the objective through the corridors and up the floors, and take the jump to the hanging rope with care, as stopping or falling gets you swarmed. Downstairs, clear the Renegades, open the elevator shaft and drop in; in the room below, deal with the archers and bottle throwers on the upper level first, then go through the marked door and climb into the van by its passenger door.
In the Stronghold's main hall the Colonel and Matt each give their side, and you must say whom you believe. Pick "I believe the Colonel" (the left option). It avoids a fight, turns the Renegades neutral and sends you to Waltz's quarters, where this run takes three tapes. The choice is final on this save; the other side is for the New Game+ run.
Now or Never: the Colonel's hall (believe the Colonel)Hidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – The van takes you inside the Stronghold's walls; the goal is the big main building. Quietest way: keep to the tall grass going straight, dive into the reservoir around the building and swim off to the right, away from the guard there, then climb onto the lower roof. Take out the archer on it, go right along the wall (three more guards) and down the ladder into the building. Two guards stand in one of the last corridors (vents lead around them); behind them the Pump Section opens onto the hall, where you pick I believe the Colonel. Walking in by the front door also works, but means a big fight.
Memento: The Kill OrderHidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – After the talk the Colonel sends you to Waltz's quarters nearby. On the way there, go through the two barred yellow doors into the room with the long dining table: the note is on the middle of the table.
Tape: Waltz's Chamber Recording #3Hidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – Back in the hallway, follow the marker on to Waltz's quarters (an elevator ride is part of the way) and through the marked door. Inside, go left past the surgical equipment: the tape lies on the corner of the large white desk at the end.
Why you can lose it
Lost once you leave Waltz's quarters: the quarters stay locked after the credits, and only joining another player's co-op game while they play Now or Never brings them back.
Tape: Waltz's Chamber Recording #1Hidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – Cross to the far end of the quarters and go through the wooden door: the tape is on the table at the back left of that room. It only shows once you get close to the table.
Why you can lose it
Lost once you leave Waltz's quarters: the quarters stay locked after the credits, and only joining another player's co-op game while they play Now or Never brings them back.
Tape: Waltz's Chamber Recording #2Hidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – Turn around from that table: the tape is on the counter beside the bed.
Why you can lose it
Lost once you leave Waltz's quarters: the quarters stay locked after the credits, and only joining another player's co-op game while they play Now or Never brings them back.
Three Tapes can't be picked up once you walk out of Waltz's quarters: Waltz's Chamber Recordings #1, #2 and #3. The quarters stay locked after the credits; joining another player's co-op game while they play Now or Never is the only way back. The quest itself only needs you to examine the operating table here. When you replay this quest from the backup later in this section, take the three tapes again.
The last trader
Outside the Stronghold's entrance, a trader stands near the truck where the Colonel waits. It is the last chance to buy or sell before the end of the story, and the last fight ahead is a long one, so stock up before you talk to the Colonel.
Shoelace MacheteHidden spoiler – activate to revealWeaponMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · the Renegade Stronghold – Leave Waltz's quarters (the gates open from the far side) and go out to the Stronghold's entrance: talking to the Colonel by the truck ends Now or Never and hands it over. The backup you restore later takes it back, and the replay gives it again.
X13: the tunnel, X13 and LawanHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – Leave Waltz's quarters for the Stronghold's entrance and talk to the Colonel by the truck to end Now or Never. X13 opens with a stand-off in western Garrison: talk or fight, as it comes. Then follow the red footprints into the gas cloud and down through the rubble to the marked tunnel door. Beyond the wall, take the road (crawl under the half-raised gates; mind the drop off the broken highway), go up the cliffs on the left at the broken railing, through the cave and on to the elevator button at the back of the tunnel: Going Down pops for reaching X13. Inside, take the second door on the right, clear the room where Renegades and infected fight, then the ambush in the next room after the lights go out (Volatiles join it: Night Hunter), and go back out to Lawan.
The first half of the 22nd and last story quest, from western Garrison to the complex beyond the city walls. It pops Going Down, and Night Hunter if no Volatile kill earned it earlier.
Memento: X13 Medical Chart: WayneHidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – After the talk with Lawan, Volatiles roam the rooms: keep out of their sight (Survivor Sense shows them) and slip through the gap in the door marked B02 Medical. At the far end of the hallway, push through the double doors into the first room, where a flashback plays: the chart is on the bed on the far side.
Memento: X13 Medical Chart: WendyHidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – Back out through the double doors, carry on down the hallway, take the left turn and go straight through the next double doors into a room with beds: the chart is on the bed on the left.
Memento: X13 child's poem addressed to Dr. WaltzHidden spoiler – activate to revealCollectibleMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – Carry on down the hallway and through the door on the right; more flashbacks play. In the room with the operating table where they leave you, the note is on the counter at the far end.
Waltz, final battleHidden spoiler – activate to revealBossMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – Go on through the doors to the big open area and follow the footprints with Survivor Sense; the Renegades in the next room haven't seen you, so stealth works. Family First pops as the search ends. Beat the two Renegades sent at you and the heavy in the hallway, open the door at its end, then go down the stairs to the fight. Phase 1, on the ring: circle him, jump back from the leaping slam, sidestep the shockwave chains and hit him while he recovers. Phase 2, the steamy floor below: kill the infected first, sidestep his charges out of the haze and keep out of the gas, which drains immunity. Phase 3: follow him across the high platforms on bars and yellow ledges and keep your back to a wall so his blows can't knock you off; a death only restarts the phase. Phase 4 plays differently: leap after him and hit him until he falls.
After the fight, scenes play and then the final choice appears. It is final on this save: once the credits roll the game goes back to free roam, and X13 can't be played again on that save. This run picks the left option first, then copies back the backup made before the epilogue door and plays both quests again for the right one. No backup, or it won't restore? Pick the left option anyway; the right one then needs one more New Game+ run after run 2 (a third run).
Ending A: the first choice at X13Hidden spoiler – activate to revealEndingMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – When the choice appears, pick the left option. Then follow the new objective to the bed and interact with it: that is the last thing you control, and the ending and the credits play. Your World, Your Rules pops for finishing the story.
After the credits, restore the backup over the save. On PlayStation, copy the cloud (or USB) copy back to console storage and overwrite; on PC, paste the saved folder back over the save. On Xbox, follow the note on the Ending C row below. Load it and you are back at your last autosave before the door. Everything after the door is undone on this save, so the replay has to pick up again what it handed out: take the three tapes in Waltz's quarters again before you leave them (the dining-room Mementos too, or later in free roam; X13's notes come anyway at its end). Trophies you have earned stay earned. If the backup won't restore, carry on in free roam from the first ending and make the other choice in one more New Game+ run after run 2 (a third run: run 2's own X13 choice is for the third ending).
Ending C: the other choice at X13, after restoring the backupHidden spoiler – activate to revealEndingMinor spoiler
Location
Central Loop · X13 – From the restored save, open the door and play Now or Never and X13 again as above (believe the Colonel; the tapes). After the fight, pick the right option and pick it again when asked to confirm. A climb against a timer of under two minutes follows: run and jump for the yellow holds; in the silo grab the vertical yellow pipe, jump to the first rocket, the middle ledge, the second rocket and the higher balcony, then the bars sticking out of the wall, and run to the end. A fall only restarts the climb. The ending and the credits play.
The route's second ending, on the save you keep: free roam and New Game+ follow from it.
Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Xbox has no manual copy: force a cloud save instead. Go offline, move around in the game for a few seconds, go back online and check that the save has uploaded. From then until you restore, don't quit the game (quitting can overwrite the cloud copy), and stay online, since achievements don't unlock offline. To restore, delete the game's saved data from the console under Manage Game, Saved Data (repeat until it is gone) and start the game again: it downloads the cloud copy.