Cyberpunk 2077: Should you frame Yuri, tell Paco to run, or call in a favor?

In the side mission Balls to the Wall in the Phantom Liberty DLC for Cyberpunk 2077, you will be faced with a choice that can potentially save the life of a recently recruited BARGHEST member Paco Torres.

Paco is a newly recruited member of BARGHEST, the military unit/gang that is in charge of the new Phantom Liberty district, Dogtown. However, Paco made the very stupid mistake of stealing generators from his new boss, Kurt Hansen. Paco will explain his story to you, and then it is up to you how to deal with the situation. 

There are two main choices to pick from here, as well as one additional choice that is only unlocked if you have built strong relationships with certain characters during the main game. We are going to be taking a look at all three of these options, including the consequences for Paco and the potential rewards from each choice. 

How to start the Balls to the Walls mission in Phantom Liberty

Before you get to the choices, you first need to begin the mission by heading to the BARGHEST camp. The camp can be found in Dogtown, in the center of the district. The Golden Pacific fast travel station is nearby, and the camp itself is hard to miss thanks to the large watchtower next to the entrance. Head into the camp, and you will see two BARGHEST recruits sitting in the tent on the left. This is Paco and his friend Babs, and you will need to talk to them to begin the mission. If you can’t find this mission on the map, it might be because you haven’t completed the correct quests to unlock it yet. You need to have progressed through the first few Phantom Liberty quests—including the Spider and the Fly mission—for the Balls to the Wall mission to become available. 

How will you help Paco in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty?

Paco will first take you through his memories of joining BARGHEST via the Deep Dive drug, which lets you relive his joining through the perspective of the leader of BARGHEST, Kurt Hansen. This is where you will become aware of the tension between Hansen and his right-hand man, Yuri. 

When you are done with the Deep Dive sequence, Paco will inform you of his theft and how he has no idea what to do, as he is sure to be a dead man if Hansen finds out. This is where you have to make your choice as to how to help Paco. You can always walk away from the situation too, but that would mean giving up some of the possible rewards from making a choice. 

Frame Yuri

Framing Yuri seems to be a smart choice on the surface, as it is clear from the Deep Dive sequence that tensions are high between him and Hansen. However, it is arguably the worst option in terms of both rewards and the end result for Paco. 

If you opt for this, Paco and Babs will ask you to meet them at a nearby underpass the following evening. A marker will appear on the map telling you where you need to go. Once there, sit on a nearby bench and wait for the next evening, but not before you get some words of encouragement (that was sarcasm, he hates the idea) from Johnny. 

When you wake up, Yuri will be there waiting to fight you as, unfortunately, he was one step ahead of both you and Paco the entire time. You will have to fight him, but luckily it isn’t too difficult of a fight. That being said, make sure that you stay wary of the two SMGs that he is dual-wielding during the fight, as well as his armor. 

Once Yuri has gone down, loot his body, and you will receive two rare guns—those being the M-76 Omaha and the M-10AF Lexington— as well as a shard. This shard is an archived conversation between Kurt and Yuri. Read it, and you will discover that they were both very much aware of Paco’s theft. As you can imagine, it doesn’t end well for Paco. 

You will have a conversation with Johnny first, but then a marker will appear on the map that will lead you to the Needle in Dogtown. Go there, and you will find Paco’s headless corpse hanging from the rafters. So yeah, not a great result for Paco when it comes to this choice. To complete the mission, interact with Paco’s body. When you do so, you will be given the prompt to text Paco’s friend Babs. Babs will tell you that she has managed to escape Dogtown by securing safe passage out of the district, but it would seem that Paco was not so lucky. 

This is where the mission ends if you opt for framing Yuri, the reward are those two rare weapons. Whilst they aren’t bad rewards by any means, they aren’t exactly the same as iconic weapons. Not only that, but they also come at the cost of Paco’s grisly torture and death. From both a moral and a logical perspective, this is definitely the worst option to go with. 

Run for the Hills

Pick the “At this stage…run for the hill guys” dialogue option, and you be able to smuggle Paco out of Dogtown whilst Babs decides to stay behind. Follow Paco to his car and get him into the trunk. You will then have to drive out of town and to the Grand Imperial Mall, which is only across the street from the main entrance gate into Dogtown. 

You will need to wait a few in-game days before you hear from Paco, and when you do, he will text you asking you to meet him at Afterlife. The marker will appear on the map and show you the way. When you arrive, talk to Paco, and he will tell you that he is now a scav. Not exactly a desirable occupation, but one that doesn’t lead to decapitation. Not immediately, at least. You can express your disappointment in Paco’s choices and tell him how he might have to fight Babs one day if he continues down the path of a scav, but it’s unclear whether this lecture will make an impact on Paco’s scav career. 

When it comes to rewards from this path, Paco will give you 8,000 Eurodollars along with the Carmen Power assault rife. It’s a pretty good deal in terms of rewards, but a bit morally grey as an outcome for Paco. That being said, at least he kept his head in this option. 

Calling in a favor

With this option, you will need to pick the “See if I can’t call in some favors. Could work somethin’ out” dialogue choice. You will only get this choice if you have built up a good relationship (or romance) with either River, Rogue, or Panam in the main game. If you have, you can text one of them and see if they are willing to help you out.

River’s Favor

River will use his connections from his time as a Night City Police Department officer to get some replacement generators arranged for Paco. When you have texted him, speak to Paco and tell him that a friend in the NCPD has offered their assistance and that all they have to do is go and pick up the generators. After a few days, Paco will text you a selfie of himself with the replacement generators whilst thanking you profusely for your help. 

Panam’s Favor

Panam will be able to round up her fellow members of the Aldecado’s Nomad gang to help smuggle both Paco and Babs out of the city. Tell Paco the plan and then wait a few days for him to text you. When he does, he will inform you that both he and Babs are safe and that they are getting out of dodge for good with a plan that will take them to Kenya. 

Rogue’s Favor

Rogue will help out similarly to River by getting her hands on some replacement generators for you. All you need to do is collect them, and Paco will text you his thanks with a picture of the generators.

No matter which of these options you choose, the reward is the same. When you have received the text from Paco a few days after you have called in your favor, a marker will appear on the map taking you back to the BARGHEST camp where you first spoke to Paco and Babs. Head in and go into the tent where you met the two recruits. In a marked container, you will find the same Carmen assault rifle that you get from the running away option, as well as a Solo skill shard. When you pick up the shard, you will instantly receive 400 XP on the Solo skill.

Should you frame Yuri, tell Paco to run, or call in a favor in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty?

You should avoid framing Yuri at all costs. The right choice is to call in some favors with your friends instead. This way, you receive 400 XP, a Solo skill shard, and the Carmen assault rifle. You don’t get money with this option, but you might be able to sleep better at night. 

Below are the three options you are presented with in the game as well as their benefits and consequences.