The final hour of Cyberpunk 2077 has struck, and it’s time for V to choose their fate. In keeping with CD Projekt Red’s branching-path mentality, there are quite a few ending options in Cyberpunk 2077, although some are more climactic than others.
If there’s a particular ending you’re shooting for—or one you want to avoid—this guide will set you on the right path to creating a perfect end to V’s story.
How to get every ending in Cyberpunk 2077
By now, you know you need to breach Arasaka Tower—and the Mikoshi data prison within it—to get Johnny out of your head and save your life, but the ending choice relies entirely on who you enlist to help you accomplish this gargantuan feat.
You’ll need to call on one of the groups of allies you’ve made in your journey across Night City—but what are the options, and how do you gain these groups’ favor in the first place? Every ending in the game, including its requirements, is broken down below.
It should go without saying this guide contains heavy spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077, and you should ideally have seen at least one of these endings for yourself before reading.
The Devil (Arasaka)
The Devil is the ending you’ll get by default if you haven’t engaged with any of the extensive side questlines in the game, and its grim outcome for V is a reflection of this. You don’t need to do anything special; simply choose to put your faith in Hanako Arasaka at the end of the story and you’re already on the path to perdition. Just beware—Johnny will warn you against making this deal with the devil, and for once, he might be right.
The Sun (Rogue)
Rogue’s ending feels very classic Cyberpunk, and that’s probably because almost every character involved in it is lifted straight from the original series of TTRPGs. It’s a group of solos, oxymoronic as that is, hitting a megacorp where it hurts in a balls-to-the-wall mission full of adrenaline and cheesy one-liners. This is the way to go if you’re playing a V inspired by the likes of Morgan Blackhand, and all you need to do to unlock it is complete the side job Blistering Love, which follows on from Chippin’ In. Although Rogue and Samurai’s quest chain will continue after Blistering Love, this quest specifically is the one that unlocks her ending.
The Star (Aldecaldos)
If you want the Aldecaldo Nomad clan at your back for the raid on Arasaka Tower, all you have to do is complete Panam Palmer’s sidequest chain (possibly while wooing her along the way). Upon completion of her final quest, Queen of the Highway, the Aldecaldos will be willing to ride with you, even to almost certain death at the hands of the most powerful entity in the world. Just be careful, as accepting any of her side quests and then failing to complete them quickly enough will cause her to cut ties with V for good.
Temperance (Johnny)
This one doesn’t require you to unlock anything specific—rather, it’s a choice you can make. At the end of either Rogue or Panam’s path, you can choose to sacrifice yourself in Johnny’s place and let him have your body, giving the faded rocker another chance at life. While Johnny is eternally grateful, and V may even find a second life of their own beyond the Blackwall, not everyone will be so willing to accept this new state of affairs, as evidenced by a few choice phone calls during the credits.
The Tower (NUSA)
Interestingly, this is arguably either the best or the worst ending depending on your perspective. It requires you to get two specific endings out of the four possible in the Phantom Liberty expansion—essentially, as long as Songbird is alive and you’re still on good terms with the NUSA, you’ll have this alternate ending for the main game available to you once the expansion’s questline is concluded. It doesn’t tie into the others but is its own quest—fitting, for how radically it differs from the other endings on this list. If you value survival and freedom over all else—and I do mean all else—taking the NUSA’s path may be the way to go.
Easy Way Out
This ending is a bit of a downer, in terms of both story and gameplay. When V takes the path of least resistance, their story ends right there on Misty’s rooftop, and you, the player, are robbed of both the catharsis of the final assault on Arasaka Tower and any of the rewards you usually get for finishing the game. This is an option you can take by default with no extra requirements, but I wouldn’t recommend it at all. V’s story deserves to end with a bang, not a whimper.
Party Like It’s 2023
This could be considered Cyberpunk 2077’s “secret” ending, although it will lead back into The Sun or Temperance depending on the choice you make in Mikoshi. With a high enough rapport with Johnny Silverhand, he’ll suggest throwing caution and planning to the wind and taking care of it yourself—walking in through the front door of Arasaka tower with nothing but a weapon and motivation. This path represents Cyberpunk 2077’s toughest challenge by far, as your health is steadily decreasing and even one death will roll credits, but if you want the bragging rights for yourself, make sure to choose these specific dialogue options in Chippin’ In:
"Nah, fucked that up too." "What do you want from me?" "OK. But as second chances go, this is your last."
When the time comes to pick an ending on Misty’s rooftop, simply wait idly for a few minutes and Johnny will suggest your glorious final run.
Just like with The Witcher 3, there’s no cut-and-dry ‘best’ ending to the game. It’ll all depend on what kind of character you’re roleplaying, what you personally value and, of course, what you feel is the most satisfying ending for V and their unwanted passenger. We’ll have to wait for the sequel to see which one CDPR decides is canon, if any, but until then these varied endings are an excuse to play the game over and over again.
Published: Nov 6, 2023 03:37 am