Some players were disappointed to learn that you permanently lose access to one of your buddies if you complete certain missions in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Well, thanks to a recent patch, you can now reunite with that buddy – if you know what to do.

Warning! The article contains SPOILERS beyond this point!

In order to get Quiet back after the events of mission 45, you need to go back and replay mission 11 several times. This sounds like one of those fake "secrets" that gamers use to trick each other ("Seriously! You can bring Aeris back to life!"), but I promise, it actually works.

The process isn't complicated. Just keep playing mission 11, using non-lethal means to defeat Quiet (I use the supply drop technique to get it done quickly). Do it enough times – between six and eight seems to do the trick – and the text before "Cloaked in Silence" will change from [Replay] to [Reunion]. That's the sign that you're almost done; just complete the "reunion" version of the mission (everything plays out the same) and Quiet will be back in your buddy list afterwards.

Watch the video below to see the footage of the process in action.

For about Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, read our review and watch our spoiler-filled chat about the ending.