Matthews is the FBC Ranger standing next to the fridge in the Security Station breakroom, at the Field Office in Central. Take the yellow stairs up to the top Security Station door and walk through the pool table room. He’s in the breakroom at the back.
He won’t admit who he is, whatever you pick. Keep pressing until you accuse him of abandoning his team, then tell Zoe you think it was him.
What I Covered:
Where Is Matthews in Control Resonant
Zoe brings Matthews up over the radio partway through the story. A ranger she knows went missing in the West Incursion Zone and was presumed dead, but someone just spotted him at the Field Office security station. If that call came in during a fight and you missed where to go, this is the place.
Open the Central map and look for the Field Office. It sits below the West Incursion Zone Checkpoint and above the Central Supply Route Station.
- Find the orange building marked SECURITY STATION.
- Climb the yellow stairs to the Security Station door at the top. You want the upper floor, not the door at ground level.
- Inside, turn right into the room with the two pool tables.
- Walk straight into the breakroom behind them. Matthews is the armed ranger by the fridge on the left.
The map also marks a Large Resource Crate at the Field Office, if you want to grab it on the way.
What to Say to Matthews
Matthews denies everything from his first line, and no answer makes him confess. What you’re aiming for is the moment Dylan accuses him of leaving his team behind. You can get there two ways:
- Call his bluff: Ask if he’s sure he doesn’t know a Matthews, then tell him he’s lying.
- Dig into his story: Ask if he was ever in the West Incursion Zone, then ask for his real name.
Either way, finish with “Did you abandon your team?” He snaps and tells Dylan to leave him alone, and the conversation ends there.
I’d pick the second route. When you ask for his name, he begs you to drop it and mentions he has a kid. Then he admits he was “just trying to stay alive out here.” It’s as close to a confession as you’ll get from him.
Before you leave, pick up the FBC Policy Update: Security document in the same breakroom. It goes straight into your Archives.
What to Tell Zoe
Step back outside and the call with Zoe starts. Tell her you think it was him. Dylan admits Matthews never confirmed it. Zoe still decides he abandoned his post and says she has to report him. Then she moves straight on to the West Incursion Zone.
Two follow-up questions are worth asking before she hangs up:
- Will Matthews get fired? Yes, and Zoe tells you not to feel sorry for him.
- Were you and Matthews close? They go back to college. He showed up a few months ago asking for work, and she gave him the job because she felt she owed him.
Zoe Keeps Calling About Matthews (Known Bug)
If the Matthews call keeps playing over and over, your save isn’t broken. Remedy lists it in the official known issues for PC version 1.3.3: “Dylan’s call with Zoe about Matthews can repeatedly trigger.” The call restarts every time you walk into or out of the Security Station.
There’s no official workaround yet, so for now:
- Stay away from the Security Station once you’ve had the conversation.
- Don’t reload an older save or restart the game over it. It’s the same conversation playing again, and nothing in the known issues says it blocks your progress.
Remedy says the fix is planned for the next game update. It is also supposed to fix the missing subwoofer prompt in The Complete Set, another quest bug on that list.
Should You Feel Bad for Matthews?
Honestly, a little. He survived by running while his team went MIA. Now he’s hiding in a breakroom with a kid at home and a name he won’t say out loud. Zoe has no sympathy, which makes sense given she’s the one who gave him the job. It only takes a few minutes either way, and the second route is worth it just to hear him slip.
CONTROL Resonant
