Fallout 4 Explained: Hunter/Hunted Quest Walkthrough

Look, we’ve all been there. You pop out of Vault 111, blinking in the sun, and the Commonwealth just… happens to you. You’re getting shot at by Raiders, chomped by Ghouls, and generally just trying to survive. The Institute? They’re a myth. A boogeyman. They’re the “they” in “they took my son.”

And then, Hunter/Hunted drops into your Pip-Boy.

This quest, for me, is the single biggest turning point in Fallout 4. It’s the moment you stop being the victim and start being the predator. It’s where you decide to hunt the monster in the closet, and it’s one of the most satisfying story beats in the whole game.

So grab a Nuka-Cola, and let’s dive into why this quest is so brilliant, what it means for the lore, and how to walk through it like you own the place.

The Story

On paper, Hunter/Hunted is simple. You’ve (most likely) just been to the Glowing Sea, met the grizzled Super Mutant scientist Virgil, and he’s given you an impossible task: get me a Courser chip.

This is the Fallout 4 equivalent of being asked to go fetch a dragon’s tooth.

Up to this point, Coursers are whispered about with pure dread. They are the Institute’s elite, their black-clad terminators. They are whispered to be unstoppable, impossibly fast, and utterly ruthless. They don’t just kill you; they retrieve you. And now, you’ve got to go hunt one.

The genius of the quest’s title is its double meaning. You are the Hunter, tracking the Courser. But the Courser is also a Hunter, tracking a rogue synth. The quest becomes this tense, three-way triangle of predation.

This is the first time you actively, willfully engage the Institute on your terms. You’re not defending a settlement or stumbling into a synth patrol. You are loading your best gun, taking a deep breath, and heading out to punch the boogeyman in the mouth.

The Lore: What Is a Courser, Anyway?

Before this quest, the Institute is an abstract, almost god-like threat. They teleport, they replace people, they have an invisible army. They seem all-powerful.

Hunter/Hunted shatters that illusion.

It establishes the Courser as the pinnacle of synth technology, but also, critically, as something beatable. When you finally take one down, you’re not just looting a “Courser Chip.” You’re looting a symbol. You’re proving to yourself, and to the factions of the Commonwealth, that the Institute can be fought.

This is also where the game subtly reinforces its central question: “What does it mean to be human?” The Courser you’re hunting is, in turn, hunting Z2-47, a synth who just wants to be free. And on your way up to the fight, you can find another synth, “Jenny” (FLL3), cowering in a room, terrified. She’s not a monster; she’s just a person trying to escape.

This quest forces you to see the “enemy” not as a monolith, but as a complex machine of individual, often terrified, parts… and the cold-blooded killers who hunt them.

The Walkthrough: A Personal Guide to Bagging a Courser

Okay, so you’re ready to go. You’ve got the quest. Let’s do this right.

1. The Hunt Begins (Don’t Forget Your Radio!)

This is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated parts of any Fallout quest. You’re not given a map marker (at first). You’re told to tune your radio to the Courser Signal.

Do it. Put on your headphones.

You’re now literally tracking your prey by the beep… beep… beep… of the signal. As you get closer to the C.I.T. Ruins, the signal gets stronger. It’s so atmospheric. It’s a proper hunt. I remember my first playthrough, crouch-walking through the ruins, my combat shotgun drawn, the beeping getting faster and faster… my heart was pounding.

You’ll find some scraps and signs of a fight at C.I.T., but your man is on the move. The signal ultimately leads you to a new location: Greenetech Genetics.

2. The Dungeon: Greenetech Genetics

Take a breath before you go in. This place is not messing around.

Greenetech is a high-rise building, and it’s completely controlled by Gunners. And I don’t mean a few low-level goons. I mean a small army. We’re talking Assaultrons, Mr. Gutsys, and high-level commanders with missile launchers.

My personal pro-tip: Don’t just charge in the front door. There’s a collapsed expressway to the side that lets you get on the roof. From there, you can find a broken window that lets you bypass the entire ground floor lobby, which is usually a deathtrap. You’re welcome.

This is a vertical dungeon crawl, and it’s one of the best in the game. You’re fighting your way up, floor by floor, through labs and offices. The tension builds with every level because you know he’s at the top.

(Don’t forget to talk to the trapped synth “Jenny” [FLL3] on the third or fourth floor. It’s a great piece of world-building.)

3. The Showdown

You finally reach the top floor. The elevator doors open, and… there he is.

The Courser, model Z2-47, is standing there, holding his rogue synth at gunpoint. The music swells. He’s exactly as advertised: cold, efficient, and wearing that iconic black uniform.

Now, you can talk. And you should! The dialogue is fantastic. He’s not a raving lunatic; he’s a machine on a mission. He’s dismissive of you. You’re a bug. A “surface-dweller.” He has zero interest in negotiating. He’ll offer you a chance to walk away.

Don’t.

No matter what you say, this ends in a fight. And let me tell you, this fight is designed to make you panic.

The second combat starts, the Courser does two things:

He activates a Stealth Boy, effectively disappearing.
He charges you fast with his Institute laser, which hits like a truck.

He’s not like a Raider who ducks behind a desk. He’s an offensive force. My first time, he was on me before I even got my VATS open.

How to win:

Psycho and Med-X: Use them before you talk to him.
VATS is Your Friend: The moment he cloaks, pop VATS. It will still target him, even if you can’t see him clearly. A headshot or, even better, a shot to the leg can cripple him and stop his charge.
Mines: Before you start the conversation, toss a few bottlecap mines between you and him. It’s a cheap shot, but hey, he’s a boogeyman. All’s fair.
Don’t Back Up: He’ll just chase you down. Stand your ground, hit him hard and fast, and try to break his stealth.

The Aftermath

When the smoke clears, he’s down. You walk over, and you loot two of the most important items in the game:

The Courser Chip: Your key to the Institute. The whole reason you came.
The Courser Uniform: Let’s be honest. We all wore it. It’s +1 Perception, +1 Endurance, and it just looks incredible. It’s a trophy. Wearing that uniform feels like you’re wearing the skin of the monster you just slew.

You’ve done it. You’ve beaten the Institute’s best.

Hunter/Hunted is the quest that changes your character’s entire place in the world. You’re no longer the confused parent from the past. You’re the one who hunted the hunter. You’re the one who has the key. And as you step back out into the Commonwealth, you’re not just surviving it anymore.

You’re a part of it. And you’re the baddest thing in it.