Cyberpunk 2077: Don't Fear the Reaper Quest Guide

A comprehensive guide to unlocking and completing the secret 'Don't Fear the Reaper' ending in Cyberpunk 2077, including requirements, choices, and rewards.

By Cyberpunk 2077 Guide Team · Updated July 18, 2026 · generic

Unlocking Don’t Fear the Reaper

The “Don’t Fear the Reaper” quest is Cyberpunk 2077’s secret ending, offering a unique and challenging path to the game’s conclusion. To unlock this specific ending, you must meet certain requirements primarily focused on your relationship with Johnny Silverhand and the completion of specific side jobs before initiating the main quest “Nocturne OP55N1” and heading to Embers to meet with Hanako.

First, you need to have completed a series of Johnny Silverhand’s side jobs:

  • Tapeworm
  • Chippin’ In
  • Blistering Love

In addition to completing these quests, your relationship with Johnny must be at least 70%. You can monitor this percentage by opening the main menu and hovering over the large rectangular icon at the top of the screen. If your relationship percentage is below 70%, specific dialogue choices during “Chippin’ In” can help boost it. During the conversation in “Chippin’ In,” select the following options:

  • “Let’s do something about that.”
  • Inscribe Johnny’s initials when prompted.
  • “The Guy who Saved My Life”
  • “Nah, fucked that up too.”
  • “What do you want from me?”
  • “OK. But as second chances go, this is your last.”
  • “You were a real dick in the beginning.”
  • “When you said you let down your friends…”
  • “Yeah, I’ll call Rogue.”

Once these conditions are met, during the “Nocturne OP55N1” quest, when speaking with Johnny on the roof, you will be presented with dialogue options. Choose “Think you and Rogue should go.” After selecting this, you must wait for approximately five minutes without making another choice. Johnny will then propose an alternative plan. Select “Let’s hear this plan” to initiate the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” quest. This path involves V and Johnny storming Arasaka Tower alone.

Don’t Fear the Reaper Walkthrough

This quest is a high-stakes, solo assault on Arasaka Tower. There are no allies to assist you, and if V dies during this mission, the game concludes, and credits will roll.

The primary objectives during this assault are:

  1. Find a way to the level with Mikoshi: Navigate through Arasaka Tower to reach your destination.
  2. Defeat all enemies in the lobby: Clear out hostile forces in the initial lobby area.
  3. Gain access to the elevators: Secure a path to the elevators.
  4. Defeat all enemies in the lobby: Another wave of enemies will appear that must be dealt with.
  5. Loot the access token: Obtain the necessary token to proceed.
  6. Take the elevator to Mikoshi: Use the elevator to ascend to the Mikoshi access point.
  7. Find the Mikoshi Access Point: Locate the designated access point.
  8. Defeat all the enemies in the control room: Eliminate all hostiles in the control room.
  9. Find a way to connect Alt to the mainframe: Discover the method to link Alt Cunningham to the Arasaka mainframe.
  10. Defeat all enemies in the mainframe room: Clear the mainframe room of any remaining threats.
  11. Expose the mainframe: Interact with the mainframe to expose it.
  12. Connect Alt to the mainframe: Successfully connect Alt.
  13. Defeat Adam Smasher: Engage and defeat Adam Smasher, a formidable opponent.

Choices and Outcomes

After reaching the Mikoshi Access Point and defeating Adam Smasher, you will face a critical decision that determines the final outcome of the game. The choices presented are:

  • 14a-1 Cross the bridge and enter Cyberspace forever: Choosing this option leads to the Temperance ending. In this outcome, V’s consciousness is erased, and they remain in Cyberspace forever with Alt. Johnny Silverhand takes over V’s body and leaves Night City.
  • 14a Enter the well to return to your body: Selecting this path results in The Sun ending. V returns to Night City, retaining ownership of the Afterlife bar. Rogue greets V, who then embarks on a new adventure, though V is still dying.

While both endings are valid, The Sun ending is often considered a preferred outcome by some players because V remains in their own body. The implication of a “last big job” suggests a potential way to prevent V’s death, though this is not explicitly confirmed within the game. The key difference in this secret ending compared to other paths is that Rogue remains alive.

Rewards

The full list of rewards for completing the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” quest is not yet confirmed.

FAQ

What are the requirements to unlock “Don’t Fear the Reaper”? You must complete the side jobs “Tapeworm,” “Chippin’ In,” and “Blistering Love,” and have at least a 70% relationship with Johnny Silverhand. Then, during “Nocturne OP55N1,” choose “Think you and Rogue should go,” wait five minutes, and then select “Let’s hear this plan.”

What happens if V dies during “Don’t Fear the Reaper”? If V dies during the solo assault on Arasaka Tower, the game will end, and the credits will begin to roll.

What are the possible endings after “Don’t Fear the Reaper”? You can choose between The Temperance ending (V enters Cyberspace forever, Johnny takes over the body) or The Sun ending (V returns to their body, retains Afterlife, and embarks on a new adventure).

Is “Don’t Fear the Reaper” considered a “secret” ending? Yes, it is widely known as the secret ending due to its specific unlock requirements and the challenging solo nature of the final mission.