In the early stages of Mass Effect 2, Commander Shepard takes possession of a tank with a powerful Krogan inside, and it is ultimately brought aboard the Normandy. Upon interacting with this tank, players will be given the option to open it, and those that do will gain access to a new squad member in Grunt. That said, it is possible to never release the Krogan in Mass Effect 2, and this guide will fully detail the consequences of that action.
To note, providing a thorough explanation of the consequences for leaving Grunt in the tank does require that some story details from both Mass Effect 2 and 3 be revealed. Players that are attempting to reach the end of the Mass Effect trilogy without any spoilers may thus want to revisit this guide after concluding their playthroughs. With that established, information on the ramifications of this choice can be found in what follows.
To put things simply, never opening Grunt's tank is very much like leaving him to die at the end of Mass Effect 2, and the results are primarily seen during a side mission in Mass Effect 3. This side mission leads Shepard to a team of Krogan warriors known as Aralakh Company, and Grunt serves as their leader on playthroughs where he has survived. If the tank was left closed, however, a Krogan named Urdnot Dagg is the leader of Aralakh Company, and fans will instead work with him on the rest of the side mission.
Ultimately, the mission concludes quite similarly, with the Krogan supporting Commander Shepard's escape, regardless of which one is present. However, while it is possible for Grunt to survive the mission, Urdnot Dagg will die whether or not the Rachni Queen was saved. Notably, Aralakh Company can make it through the encounter even if Dagg is at the helm, but they will be a less valuable War Asset, providing much less Military Strength, without Grunt to guide them.
One final thing to mention is that leaving the tank closed will obviously prevent Grunt from being a possible squad member during the second game in the trilogy. While it is certainly possible to complete the title without his assistance, Grunt is a solid companion in Mass Effect 2, and setting him free is definitely recommended. This is especially true because never releasing the Krogan does not lead to any unique dialogue or very interesting consequences, making it a rather unappealing option.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
