If you’re not excited about CD Projekt RED’s new Cyberpunk 2077 expansion Phantom Liberty, you should be – and we’re not just saying that because Idris Elba is among those in the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty cast. No, we’re saying that because CDPR has confirmed that the Phantom Liberty DLC is introducing a new Cyberpunk 2077 ending to the main game. Yes, that also means that this DLC isn’t going to be end-game content; so, those of you grinding through a playthrough before the Phantom Liberty release date can take a breather.
Following CDPR’s reveal of a brand-new Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty trailer, with the help of Johnny Silverhand himself Keanu Reeves, game director Gabe Amatangelo spoke to media outlet Wccftech – among other media outlets – about the expansion and confirmed that it would usher in a new ending for V. Might be worth getting those Phantom Liberty pre-orders in now.
When asked whether Phantom Liberty was a continuation of one of Cyberpunk 2077’s endings – presumably then confirming a canon ending for V – Amatangelo responded with the following:
“No, this takes place in the midst of [the story]… You get to a certain point in the game and this unlocks… It has endings, different endings based on how things play out. Then, based on the ending within Phantom Liberty, you can unlock a new ending in the base game”.
So, while we don’t know too many details, it certainly sounds like Phantom Liberty is going to offer players the same amount of choice – if not more-so – when it comes to how the events of the DLC play out. It’s also nice to see that this isn’t going to be an addition to the game that happens in isolation, despite the fact that it’s introducing a new map area in Dogtown. Phantom Liberty is going to become a core part of Cyberpunk 2077 and another avenue for V to pursue when it comes to getting Silverhand out of their head.
In addition to the above, though, Amatangelo also revealed – for those of you currently playing Cyberpunk 2077 – that you should unlock this when you reach the part of the story with Brigitte and the Voodoo Boys. If you don’t want to play through all of that again, though, CDPR will actually let you skip right to the start of Phantom Liberty, just like you can skip to the expansions in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.
Is Phantom Liberty going to rescue Cyberpunk 2077 and make it one of the best PS5 RPG games and best Xbox RPG games out there? Well, it certainly sounds like it might if you read the previews. Windows Central’s Jez Corden described the expansion as a “literal game changer” and Gamespot’s Jake Dekker even goes as far as to say it rewrites the game’s DNA. VGC’s Andy Robinson doubles down on this, saying the expansion “totally overhauls the original game”. Why, though?
Well, you can check out the new trailer for yourself:
However, Phantom Liberty is doing a little more than just shoving some story content at us. It’s going to completely update the skill system in play, switches around the control scheme, introduces new methods of attack – like “ramming”, according to Gamespot – and it’s going to improve things like the police systems in play. Creative director Pawel Sasko has even claimed that “no system of the original game has been left untouched”. This includes expanded AI, vehicle-to-vehicle combat improvements, and even the UI has been altered.
Is this going to make this game one of the best games of all time like we all thought it would be when it launched? Well, it’s hard to say for sure, but it certainly sounds like this is going to breathe new life into the experience.