The Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty expansion features four distinct endings that determine the fate of V, Songbird, and Reed. Your path to each ending is primarily dictated by critical dialogue choices made during two main jobs: “Firestarter” and either “Killing Moon” or “Somewhat Damaged.”
Overview of Phantom Liberty Endings
Phantom Liberty offers four significant endings, each named after a tarot card, reflecting the profound impact of your decisions on the story’s conclusion. These endings are “King of Wands,” “King of Swords,” “King of Cups,” and “King of Pentacles.” The choices you make, particularly in the “Firestarter” mission, establish which two of these four endings become accessible in your playthrough. This branching narrative ensures a high degree of replayability if you wish to experience all possible outcomes.
| Ending Name | Primary Path | Key Decision | Outcome for Songbird | Outcome for V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King of Wands | Help Songbird | Kill Reed in “Killing Moon” | Escapes to Luna | No cure, Alex survives |
| King of Swords | Help Songbird | Hand Songbird to Reed in “Killing Moon” | Captured by NUSA | No cure |
| King of Cups | Help Reed | Kill Songbird in “Somewhat Damaged” | Dies | No cure |
| King of Pentacles | Help Reed | Refuse to kill Songbird in “Somewhat Damaged” | Captured by NUSA | No cure, new base game ending |
Major Decision Points
The entire branching narrative of Phantom Liberty hinges on two pivotal main jobs: “Firestarter” and a subsequent mission determined by your “Firestarter” choice. It is highly recommended to create manual saves before these missions to easily explore alternate paths without replaying the entire expansion.
Firestarter
This is your first major decision point. During this mission, where V and Alex infiltrate Hansen’s meeting with the netrunner twins, you must choose whether to escape with Songbird or assist Reed in capturing her.
- Option 1: Help Songbird escape. This choice unlocks the “Killing Moon” main job, which can lead to either the “King of Swords” or “King of Wands” endings. Choosing this path means Alex kills Kurt Hansen, allowing Songbird to help V escape the stadium, but locks you out of Solomon Reed’s questline.
- Option 2: Help Reed capture Songbird. This path unlocks the “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” main job, eventually leading to “Somewhat Damaged.” This can result in either the “King of Pentacles” or “King of Cups” endings. If you choose this, Songbird goes cyberpsycho, Kurt kills Alex, and you’ll need to defeat Hansen in a boss fight, locking you out of Songbird’s questline.
Killing Moon or Somewhat Damaged
Your choice in “Firestarter” determines which of these two missions you will play next, and thus, which two endings are possible.
- If you helped Songbird (Killing Moon): A crucial dialogue moment at the end of “Killing Moon” allows you to either kill Reed, enabling Songbird to flee to Luna, or hand her over to the NUSA.
- If you helped Reed (Somewhat Damaged): This mission will present you with a choice regarding Songbird’s fate, leading to the “King of Cups” or “King of Pentacles” endings.
King of Wands Ending
The King of Wands ending is achieved by siding with Songbird during “Firestarter” and then choosing to kill Reed during the “Killing Moon” main job. This ending is often considered by some players to align well with V’s and Johnny’s philosophies, offering Songbird a chance at freedom.
Steps to achieve the King of Wands ending:
- During “Firestarter”: Choose to help Songbird escape.
- During “Killing Moon”: After Songbird reveals she lied about the cure and that the neural matrix can only be used once, you’ll confront Reed at the Tycho terminal.
- Crucial Choice: When speaking with Reed, you must draw your weapon and kill him. There will be a slow-motion sequence where you need to eliminate Reed; failing to do so will result in him killing you, requiring a reload.
- Important: After defeating Reed, remember to pick up his iconic tech pistol, Pariah, from his body.
Consequences and Rewards for King of Wands:
- Songbird’s Fate: Songbird successfully escapes to the Moon, gaining a second chance at life, free from the NUSA.
- V’s Fate: V remains uncured, returning to square one regarding their condition.
- Alex’s Fate: Alex survives and retires to Monte Carlo, sending V a postcard from Monaco later. You’ll share a final drink with her at The Moth during the “Unfinished Sympathy” mission.
- Rewards: You receive Songbird’s iconic cyberdeck, the Quantum Tuner, and later find a hermetic container with a metal pin from Tycho, proving Songbird’s successful operation, during the “From Her to Eternity” main job.
King of Swords Ending
The King of Swords ending occurs if you side with Songbird during “Firestarter” but ultimately hand her over to Reed in “Killing Moon.” This path reflects a decision to prioritize the NUSA’s demands or to avoid further conflict, despite initially helping Songbird.
Steps to achieve the King of Swords ending:
- During “Firestarter”: Choose to help Songbird escape.
- During “Killing Moon”: After Songbird’s confession about the cure and the neural matrix, you’ll have multiple opportunities to hand her over to Reed.
- Crucial Choice: When confronting Reed at the Tycho terminal, choose dialogue options that lead to handing Songbird over, such as “Holster weapon | All yours, but you’ll help me live on,” or “Call Reed | Reed’ll take care of you.”
Consequences and Rewards for King of Swords:
- Songbird’s Fate: Songbird is handed over to Reed and taken into NUSA custody. Her fate beyond this is uncertain but implies continued servitude or experimentation.
- V’s Fate: V remains uncured. This path does not provide a cure for V’s condition.
- Alex’s Fate: Not explicitly detailed in the provided sources for this specific ending, but her survival is implied from the “Firestarter” choice.
- Rewards: The sources do not specify unique iconic rewards for this ending, but completing the “Through Pain to Heaven” main job is unlocked if you choose the option to hand her over in return for help.
Other Endings and Rewards
The remaining two endings, King of Cups and King of Pentacles, stem from the decision to help Reed capture Songbird during the “Firestarter” mission. This choice leads to a different set of subsequent missions, culminating in “Somewhat Damaged.”
King of Cups Ending
- Path: Help Reed in “Firestarter.”
- Key Decision: During the “Somewhat Damaged” mission, choose to kill Songbird.
- Outcome: Songbird’s misery is ended. V remains uncured.
- Rewards: Not detailed in sources.
King of Pentacles Ending
- Path: Help Reed in “Firestarter.”
- Key Decision: During the “Somewhat Damaged” mission, refuse to kill Songbird, allowing her to be taken by the NUSA.
- Outcome: Songbird is captured by the NUSA. V remains uncured, but this ending uniquely unlocks a new alternate ending for the base game, known as “The Tower” ending.
- Rewards: Not detailed in sources, but the access to “The Tower” ending is a significant consequence.
FAQ
How many endings does Phantom Liberty have? The Phantom Liberty expansion has four distinct endings.
What are the two most important missions for determining the ending? The two most important main jobs for determining your ending are “Firestarter” and either “Killing Moon” or “Somewhat Damaged,” depending on your choice in “Firestarter.”
Can I get a cure for V in Phantom Liberty? No, none of the Phantom Liberty endings directly provide a cure for V’s condition. While a new base game ending (“The Tower”) can be unlocked through one of the Phantom Liberty paths, the immediate problem of V’s impending death is not resolved within the DLC’s narrative.
Should I make manual saves? Yes, it is highly recommended to make manual saves before the “Firestarter” mission and again before the final decision point in either “Killing Moon” or “Somewhat Damaged.” This allows you to easily revisit different choices and explore all endings without replaying the entire expansion.