Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Control - Old Growth: finding the Mold samples and defeating Mold-1

What's worse than black mold?

Old Growth is a side mission in Control, which you can start after you've completed Threshold.

Emily Pope will ask you to find her college Dr. Underhill, who is studying the mold growing beneath Central Research. This will send you into the hidden underground world of the Research Sector.

There you'll discover The Pit and the former Bureau employees who have been infected by the fungus. Looks like the Hiss has competition when it comes to invading the Bureau of Control.

On this page:

13 Ways Control Gameplay Connects To Alan Wake - Control + Alan Wake Easter Eggs!Watch on YouTube

Need more help in your quest through the Oldest House? Then check out our Control walkthrough hub, with links to all our Control guides.

How to start Old Growth in Control

You can begin Old Growth by talk to Emily Pope in the Board Room in Central Executive after you've started My Brother's Keeper.

Before tackling this mission, make sure you have unlocked the Levitate ability by defeating Salvador in My Brother's Keeper.

Locate Dr. Underhill below Central Research in Control

Emily Pope will ask you to find her friend, Dr. Underhill. Apparently she has been studying the mold growing throughout the Oldest House.

To find her you need to head to Central Research either by taking the Sector Elevator or by fasting travelling via the Control Points.

Either way head to the lowest floor of Central Research. Look for the black plant life growing near a set of electric lights. In the corner near this plant life, you'll find a hole.

Jump down the hole, using your Levitate ability to bring you safely to land.

Welcome to The Pit.

Make your way into the next room and use your Launch ability to place the electricity box on the socket next to the door you just passed through. This will re-activate the lift, allowing you easy access in and out of The Pit.

Once you've done that head through the door into the next room.

You can find a chest on the small outcrop to the right of you.

Head through the Clearance Level 4 door and talk to Dr. Underhill.

Collectables to be found:

  • Research & Records - Research - Threshold Utility Counteressay
    • (On the desk at the back of Dr. Underhill's lab.)
  • Correspondence - Non-Official - Underhill: Checking In
    • (On a cart at the right-hand side of Dr. Underhill's lab.)
  • Research & Records - Research - Mold Threshold
    • (On the desk in the left-hand of Dr. Underhill's lab.)
The locations of collectables - Threshold Utility Counteressay, Underhill: Checking In and Mold Threshold.

Collect five Mold samples for Dr. Underhill in Control

Dr. Underhill will ask you to find five different mold samples. Head through the door on the right, up the stairs and through the door to go further into The Pit.

Follow the corridor all the way along to the right, dropping down the stairs to find a chest and a collectable.

Going through the other doorway will bring you into the main Pit chamber.

Kill the first two fungus infected people you encounter and you'll find yourself on a plateau overlooking The Pit.

The Pit is a very dangerous place, so it's best to take out your enemies before you journey further. Stay on the plateau to do this.

There are two more fungus infected people in the bottom right-hand corner of the home, but the creatures you'll want to direct your firepower onto are the living fungus. These will spit poison at you, leaving you dead after four or five shots depending on your health.

The best way to kill them is to shoot them with the Service Weapon and pulling up your shield when you see the purple poison coming your way. If you haven't unlocked the shield yet, complete the A Good Defence mission.

There are four of these living fungus in total. Each one looks like a thinner version of the fungus infected people.

Whatever you do - don't touch the purple floor.

The best order to find the samples is:

  • Type E
  • Type D
  • Cleanse the Control Point
  • Type A
  • Type B
  • Type C

Collectables to be found:

  • Case Files - Altered Items - Pink Flamingo Supplement
    • (At the bottom of the right hand corridor before you enter the main chamber of The Pit.)
The location of the collectable - Pink Flamingo Supplement

How to find the The Pit Control Point in Control

Once you've made The Pit semi-safe. Head to the staircase directly opposite the plateau you're standing on.

Go up these stairs and through a doorway to find the Control Point.

Cleanse it and you'll have a fast travel point down into the Pit whenever you want it.

Where to find Type A: Grows near fresh corpses in Control

In the room with the Control Point, head behind the pillar and you'll find a small room containing Type A.

If you're having trouble, follow the corpses.

The location of Type A.

Where to find Type B: Grows near toilets in Control

On the far-left hand side corner of the main Pit chamber you'll see an opening with a toilet sign next to it.

Head through this opening and you'll find yourself in what used to be a bathroom. In the left-hand corner you'll find all the toilets clumped together.

Climb up this toilet-mold-block and you'll find yourself looking at Type B growing out of a toilet.

Climb up the toilet block to reach Type B.

Where to find Type C: Grows near televisions in Control

After collecting Type B, head further down the corridor from the former bathroom.

Keep going past a desk and up a set of stairs till you find a doorway labelled 'Lab 05.'

Enter this lab and you'll find the sample growing in front of a television.

Head through the door to Lab 05 to find Type C.

Where to find Type D: Grows near staircases in Control

Head to the staircase directly outside the plateau who enter by. You'll find Type D underneath the stairs.

There is also a chest nearby.

The location of Type D.

Where to find Type E: Grows near The Pit in Control

Drop down to the desk directly below where you first enter The Pit to find this sample.

The location of Type E.

Speak with Dr. Underhill in Control

Once you've collected all the samples, take them back to Dr. Underhill.

She'll give you a mystery pill and tell you to investigate the source of the mold.

Investigate The Pit in Control

Head back to the main Pit chamber and descend through the Pit in the middle of the room. It's the massive hole in the floor with purple smoke coming out of it.

Kill the two fungus hosts you come across. You can also access a chest and collectable by knocking down the pile of rubble hiding a doorway. This will lead to a small office area where you can levitate up onto the ledge to find the chest.

Heading left will take you further into the pit. Continue along the passageway to find a chest, killing the fungus infected people you come across. Follow the corridor to the left and you'll come to another corridor, which looks like it has roots growing out of it.

Go down this corridor and kill the fungus people you find in there.

Grab the chest in the corner near all the mannequins, before jumping down the hole to fight Mold-1.

Collectables to be found:

  • Multimedia - FBC Recordings - Threshold Log 1
    • (On the floor when you descend to the lowest level of The Pit.)
  • Case Files - Altered Items - Balloon Supplement
    • (In the room you first enter at the bottom of the pit, knock down the rumble to your right to open a doorway, then levitate to the upper level and take it off the desk.)
  • Multimedia - FBC Recordings - Threshold Log 2
    • (On the floor in the room before you fight Mold-1.)
The locations of the collectables - Threshold Log 1, Balloon Supplement and Threshold Log 2.

How to defeat Mold-1 in Control

Before you fight Mold-1 make sure you have your best Headshot Boost mod equipped to your preferred Weapon Form. You'll be aiming directly at Mold-1's head, so this will give you an advantage over the creature.

Levitating down the hole will take you to the home of Mold-1.

Wait for Mold-1's health bar to appear at the bottom of the screen, because any damage you do to Mold-1 before this won't count.

Mold-1 will attack you by spitting out poison bullets and throwing one of its arms out at you. You can avoid these attacks by levitating around the room or hiding behind one of the large blocks.

The best way to attack Mold-1 is to alternate between using your Launch powers and then hitting it with your Service Weapon. Aim for the middle, largest, head of Mold-1 to deal the most damage. You'll also want to try and launch as many of the fungus balls hanging from the ceiling at Mold-1, since these will deal additional damage.

There is a way to kill Mold-1 without taking any damage. When you enter Mold-1's room, you'll land behind a large cuboid. If you go to the right-hand side - to the point where you can attack Mold-1, but still be partly hidden by the block - Mold-1 will not attack you. This will allow you to simply kill Mold-1 without taking any damage.

Try to stand here to avoid being attacked by Mold-1.

Return to Underhill in Control

Once you've killed Mold-1 head through the doorway at the back of the home. If you can't find it, it's surprisingly well hidden, just run around the edge of the room.

This is the doorway you're looking for.

Go through this doorway and cleanse the Control Point you find. There is also a chest and a collectable in this room.

Use the Control Point to fast travel back to Central Research and then head back to Dr. Underhill the same way you found her.

Talk to Dr. Underhill and she'll be less than happy that you killed Mold-1.

Collectables to be found:

  • Multimedia - FBC Recordings - Threshold 3
    • (In the dark corner in the room with the Control Point after Mold-1.)
The location of the collectable - Threshold 3.

It’s time to journey into the mysterious Federal Bureau of Control. Our Control walkthrough can help you through the storyline missions, including Welcome to the Oldest House, Unknown Caller, Directorial Override, Old Boy’s Club, Threshold, My Brother's Keeper, The Face of the Enemy, Finnish Tango, Polaris and Take Control. You can also learn new supernatural powers by completing A Merry Chase, A Good Defence and A Captive Audience. We also have guides on upgrading the Service Weapon, your Abilities, how to use Weapon and Personal Mods, how to unlock every outfit and the solution to the Roulette Wheel puzzle.


Rewards for completing Old Growth in Control

Completing Old Growth will begin the side mission Mold Removal. You'll also be rewarded with:

If you'd like to learn more about Control, visit our Control walkthrough guide.

Read this next