Guardians of the Galaxy: Should You Pay The Fine?

In Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the titular band of s̶c̶o̶u̶n̶d̶r̶e̶l̶s heroes will find themselves hit with a hefty fine for entering the Quarantine Zone. Eventually, you will have the option to either pay off the fine or choose to ignore it.

In this guide, we will answer if you should pay the fine in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and detail what happens when either option is chosen.

Should You Pay the Fine in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Yes, you should pay the fine in Guardians of the Galaxy. Although it doesn’t alter the story significantly or the gameplay at all, you will earn the achievement/trophy ‘Galactic Frugality’, which requires you to “Pay your Nova Corps fine.” If you decided not to pay the fine on your first playthrough, you can load an old save or replay Chapter 9 at any point.

Not paying the fine will earn you nothing, other than a telling-off from Gamora. To make sure you don’t miss any other trophies/achievements, check out our guide on all trophies/achievements in Guardians of the Galaxy.

What Happens if You Pay the Fine in Guardians of the Galaxy

Instead of being scolded by Gamora, this time it’s Rocket. Rocket expresses his dissatisfaction with Star-Lord’s choice of choosing to hand over what little Credits they have left. But you have a shiny new trophy, so the joke’s on him. After this short dialogue, the game’s story continues exactly the same as the option to not pay the fine.

What happens if You Don’t Pay the Fine in Guardians of the Galaxy

If you don’t pay the fine, Gamora will scold Star-Lord for choosing to ignore it. Star-Lord will rebuke by pointing out the impending doom they’re about to face and the fact that Nova Corps are no longer tracking them anyway. You will get to keep all your current Credits and the story will continue as normal. You also won’t earn the achievement/trophy ‘Galactic Frugality’, as detailed above. There is a very short addition to the post-credit scene, however.

Other Missable Hidden Achievements/Trophies in Guardians of the Galaxy

The majority of achievements/trophies in Guardians of the Galaxy are either unmissable via playing through the entire game or can be completed at any time. The exceptions are the achievement/trophy you earn for paying the fine, ‘Galactic Frugality’ and one other, ‘Eat It, Rodent’.

‘Eat it, Rodent’ can be earned by winning the bet Rocket insists on starting in the first chapter of the game. This requires you to blast more larvae found throughout the chapter than Rocket and ends just before the final few minutes of the chapter.

If you didn’t earn one or both of these achievements/trophies in your initial playthrough, don’t worry. You can use the ‘Chapter Select’ on the main menu to replay the chapters needed. ‘Eat it, Rodent’ takes place in Chapter 1, while ‘Galactic Frugality’ takes place in Chapter 9.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch and GeForce Now.