Planning to experience what’s in store in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty? This paid expansion takes your character, V, to the ruined streets of Dogtown, now in the hands of a disgruntled colonel and his mercs. Thankfully, there are several ways to reach this point in the story. Our guide discusses how to start the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion, as well as what you can expect from various options. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains minor spoilers.
How to start the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion
There are several ways to begin your next adventure in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. These include:
- Skipping ahead to the Phantom Liberty arc.
- Completing the Transmission main quest.
- Loading an old save file where you’ve already finished Transmission.
Starting a new game and skipping ahead to Phantom Liberty
It’s possible to start the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion right from the get-go. Simply select New Game from the main menu and pick “Skip Ahead to Phantom Liberty.” You’ll be able to customize your main character, and you’ll also have attributes that are allocated automatically (you can change these later).
The main downside here is that you won’t be able to experience the preceding arc, where you’ll learn about V’s backstory and meet their old pals. There’s also quite a bit of worldbuilding here, where you’ll find out more regarding Night City. As such, we don’t recommend this option for newcomers.
Completing the Transmission main quest
The key requirement if you want to experience Phantom Liberty’s campaign is the completion of a main quest called Transmission. This can be done whether you’re starting a fresh save/new game, or if you’re already progressing through the campaign but you haven’t reached that part yet.
Transmission involves heading to Pacifica and encountering the Voodoo Boys. You’ll also meet characters such as Placide and Brigitte. Once you’re done with Transmission, you should get a call from a character named Songbird, who claims that there’s a way to help V.
Loading an old save file after you’ve finished Transmission
Those who’ve already played through most of the base game (thus completing the Transmission main quest) will also be able to try out Phantom Liberty. For instance, one of our writers had a save file at the point of no return (i.e. Nocturne Op55N1). Upon loading that save, they went to sleep in V’s apartment and, once they woke up, they received a call from Songbird.
Likewise, it’s worth noting that veteran players who haven’t checked the game in a while might be surprised by all the changes thanks to Update 2.0. Thankfully, it’s easy to adjust to these new mechanics and features, and you’ll even be able to reallocate your perk points accordingly.
Regardless of the method you choose to start the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion, the call from Songbird leads to the Dog Eat Dog mission. From there, you’ll be able to enter Dogtown, which is a walled-off section of Pacifica. You’ll be off to the races in a high-stakes game of espionage. For more on what to expect, check out how long it takes to beat Phantom Liberty.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has you exploring a new district called Dogtown, all while interacting with secret operatives and mercenary leaders. We’ll have a guides hub soon, so stay tuned.
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