New Growth Quest Guide for the Competitive Gaming Scene

Control Resonant has carved out a serious reputation in the competitive gaming community since its launch, and the New Growth quest is one of the reasons players keep coming back. It's a mid-game mission that blends atmospheric storytelling with meaningful decisions, and getting it wrong can cost you resources you'll desperately need later. This guide, put together by the editorial team at SkinMarket, walks you through every stage so you can approach it with full confidence.

What Is the New Growth Quest?

The New Growth quest is a story-driven mission that unlocks after you've stabilized the Containment Wing in Control Resonant. It centers on Dr. Underhill, a researcher whose fate is directly shaped by the choices you make during the final confrontation. Understanding the quest's structure before you enter the area will save you significant backtracking.

The mission is notable for its branching dialogue system, which is more nuanced than anything else in the game's first act. Players who rush through it without reading the environmental clues often find themselves locked into the worst possible outcome. Take your time, interact with every terminal, and read the case files scattered throughout the lab before speaking to Underhill directly.

Starting the Quest and Early Objectives

To trigger New Growth, speak with the Bureau Dispatch Officer in the eastern corridor of the Containment Wing after completing the Threshold mission. She'll mark the Underhill Research Annex on your map and give you a brief that mentions unusual energy signatures. Do not skip this briefing — it contains a code you'll need for the locked cabinet in the annex itself.

Once inside the annex, your first objective is to restore emergency power to the three relay nodes scattered across the lower floor. Each node is guarded by a Hiss cluster, and the difficulty scales with your current level. If you're playing in 2025 on the latest patch, the enemy density has been slightly increased, so bring a fully upgraded Service Weapon before entering.

Navigating the Research Annex

The Research Annex is a multi-level environment with a vertical layout that catches a lot of players off guard. The upper walkways are accessible only after you've activated the second relay node, which triggers an elevator sequence. Watch your footing on the catwalks — there are invisible collision gaps near the eastern railing that can send you back to the lower floor.

On the upper level, you'll find Dr. Underhill's personal terminal. Logging in requires the code from the Bureau briefing. Inside, there are three documents: a research log, a personnel file, and a classified memo. Reading all three isn't just good lore — it unlocks an additional dialogue option with Underhill that leads to the quest's best reward tier. SkinMarket recommends treating every readable document as mandatory rather than optional.

The Dr. Underhill Confrontation

The confrontation with Dr. Underhill is the emotional and mechanical core of the quest. When you finally reach her in the containment chamber, she presents you with a dilemma: allow her to continue the experiment or shut it down and extract her. The choice is not as binary as it first appears.

If you read all three documents on her terminal, a third option becomes available: negotiate a controlled shutdown that preserves both the research data and Underhill's safety. This is the optimal outcome. It rewards you with the Resonant Bloom ability mod, which is one of the strongest utility items in the mid-game. Players who skip the documents are locked out of this path entirely, which is why preparation matters so much in this quest.

Final Choice Outcomes and Rewards

There are three possible endings to the New Growth quest, and each one feeds into the broader narrative of Control Resonant in different ways. Shutting down the experiment without negotiating saves Underhill but destroys the data, yielding a standard XP reward and a single crafting material. Allowing the experiment to continue results in Underhill's transformation into a Hiss-adjacent entity, which unlocks a harder optional boss fight later in the game.

The negotiated shutdown — the third path — is the most rewarding in every sense. Beyond the Resonant Bloom mod, it also raises your standing with the Bureau Research faction, which unlocks a vendor discount later in the campaign. For players engaged in online tournaments or community challenge runs, this outcome is almost always the preferred route because it keeps more options open for the endgame. The esports arena community has documented several speedrun categories built specifically around this quest's branching structure.

Tips for Replaying and Challenge Runs

New Growth is one of the most replayable quests in Control Resonant precisely because of its branching outcomes. If you're running the game on a gaming platform that supports cloud saves, consider keeping a manual save just before the Bureau briefing so you can explore all three endings without starting a full new playthrough.

For challenge runners and those participating in community events, the annex's enemy layout also makes it an excellent benchmark for measuring build efficiency. The three relay nodes each represent a distinct combat scenario — ranged, close-quarters, and mixed — which means a strong performance across all three is a reliable indicator of a well-rounded loadout. SkinMarket has seen this quest used as a benchmark in several community-organized time trials throughout 2025.

Conclusion

The New Growth quest in Control Resonant is one of the game's most rewarding mid-game missions, offering branching choices, meaningful consequences, and some of the best loot available before the final act. By restoring power to all three relay nodes, reading every document on Dr. Underhill's terminal, and selecting the negotiated shutdown, players unlock the Resonant Bloom mod and a lasting faction bonus that pays dividends throughout the campaign. SkinMarket is committed to delivering expert-level guidance like this so that every player — whether a casual explorer or a dedicated participant in competitive gaming events — can get the most out of every quest Control Resonant has to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What level should I be before starting the New Growth quest?

Most players complete it comfortably between levels 12 and 15, though the enemy density on the latest 2025 patch means level 14 or higher is recommended for a smoother run.

Can I miss the third dialogue option with Dr. Underhill?

Yes. The negotiated shutdown option only appears if you've read all three documents on her personal terminal before initiating the confrontation.

What is the Resonant Bloom mod and what does it do?

Resonant Bloom is a utility ability mod that reduces the cooldown of your Evade ability by 30% and adds a brief energy shield on activation, making it highly valuable for aggressive playstyles.

Does the Dr. Underhill choice affect the ending of the game?

It doesn't alter the main ending, but the negotiated shutdown raises your Bureau Research faction standing, which unlocks a vendor discount and an additional cutscene in the late game.

Where is the code for the locked cabinet in the Research Annex?

The code is given verbally during the Bureau Dispatch Officer's briefing. It's worth noting it down before entering the annex, as there's no in-game journal entry for it.

Is the New Growth quest available in co-op mode?

As of the 2025 patch, the quest is single-player only. Co-op functionality is limited to the game's open-zone exploration segments and does not extend to story missions.

How long does the New Growth quest take to complete?

A first-time playthrough with thorough exploration typically takes 45 to 60 minutes. Experienced players doing a second run can complete it in under 20 minutes.

What happens if I let the experiment continue?

Dr. Underhill transforms into a Hiss-adjacent entity. This locks out the Resonant Bloom mod but adds an optional boss encounter later in the campaign with its own unique loot table.

Are there any hidden collectibles in the Research Annex?

Yes. There are two hidden audio logs behind destructible wall panels on the lower floor and one rare crafting material tucked behind the elevator shaft on the upper level.

Does SkinMarket cover other quests in Control Resonant?

Absolutely. SkinMarket publishes in-depth quest guides, build breakdowns, and patch analysis for Control Resonant and other major titles throughout the year, all written to the same standard of detail you've seen here.