Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – Release Date, Gameplay Updates, Story Details, and Latest News
Phantom Liberty, the first and only major expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, is nearly here. The highly anticipated DLC, which adds new quests, stories, locations, characters, and abilities, will be accompanied by a major update to the base game that adds all-new, highly requested gameplay systems.
In anticipation of the expansion and base game update, we’ve compiled this overview of everything we know about Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, including its release date, platforms, price, gameplay updates, story details, and more.You can also check out our preview of Phantom Liberty for an extended demo.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Release Date
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will be released on September 26. You can see the full list of available platforms below.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Platforms and Price
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (including Steam Deck). The expansion will not be released for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game.
Phantom Liberty costs $30 USD. Alternatively, those who don’t own the base game can buy the base game and expansion bundle for $80 USD.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Trailer
The official Keanu Reeves-narrated Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty trailer debuted during the Xbox Games Showcase in June. Check it out below:
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Story Details
CD Projekt Red describes Phantom Liberty as “a new spy-thriller adventure for Cyberpunk 2077.” The developer cited Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridge of Spies, James Bond, Ocean’s Eleven, and Bourne Identity as inspirations. Players will once again step into the shoes of V, who’s been hired as a government secret agent to save Rosalind Myers, president of the New United States of America.
Phantom Liberty is set in a new area called Dogtown, described by CD Projekt Red as “a ruined city-within-a-city ruled by a trigger-happy militia.” Within Dogtown, players can expect to encounter “a web of shattered loyalties and sinister political machinations,” leading to “high-octane gigs and quests with stakes like never before.”
Joining Keanu Reeves, who reprises his role as Johnny Silverhand, is actor Idris Elba. The Night City newcomer plays Solomon Reed, a member of the Federal Intelligence Agency “who knows better than anyone how to tap into the countless webs of spies and netrunners, how to extract information, and how to break into even the most tightly guarded places.”
In addition to Myers and Reed, new characters include Alena “Alex” Xenakis, a shapeshifter hired by Reed; Colonel Kurt Hansen, the antagonistic leader of Dogtown; and Songbird, President Myers’s personal netrunner.
Phantom Liberty will have multiple endings — one of which will unlock a sixth ending for the base game. This new ending for Cyberpunk 2077, according to game director Gabe Amatangelo, “has to do with your new relationships and characters and situations.”
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Gameplay Updates
Phantom Liberty and the base game’s 2.0 update are bringing several additions and changes to the Cyberpunk 2077 experience. Below, we’ve listed the most notable updates for each, with additional information on the biggest additions below:
Phantom Liberty Updates
- A new district (Dogtown)
- Increased level cap (60)
- New storyline and characters
- New story quests, gigs, boss fights
- Endless dynamic events (vehicle missions and airdrops)
- New Relic skill tree and abilities
- Vehicle missile launchers
- 100+ new items: weapons*, cyberware, vehicles, and fashion
*Among the new weapons shown off: a shotgun called Order, a handgun called Grit, an SMG called Warden, a sniper rifle called Osprey, and a special prototype weapon called Hercules.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Updates
- Redesigned skill trees and perks
- Revamped cyberware and new capacity system
- Vehicle combat and car chases
- Combat AI improvements
- New police system
- UI and UX improvements
- Loot, items, and crafting changes
- New radio stations
New Police System
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 rebuilds the police system with an emphasis on clarity: “Criminal activity is punished, runners are chased, and cyberpsychos are flatlined, no questions asked,” said CD Projekt Red.
The size and speed of the police response will now correlate to the severity and location of the crime, with murder in a wealthy district resulting in a fast and heavy police presence, for example.
Getting away from the police will seemingly be more of a challenge too: “For those who decide to run, we prepared engaging car chases and roadblocks to make the escape more difficult,” said CD Projekt Red. “As a player, you will know when the police are not after you anymore. NPCs will leave the scene in a way that is natural and intuitive. You can lose them by running away from the crime scene on foot or driving away. Make sure to stay out of their sight.”
If you’re caught, the police will “have no mercy” — bribes and surrender are off the table. Reaching five stars will spawn a “surprise Max Tac mini-boss experience,” of which there are various archetypes.
Vehicular Combat
Players will now be able to fire guns while driving a car or bike. Additionally, some vehicles will come equipped with mounted weaponry.
“Together with Phantom Liberty we’re introducing vehicle combat,” said CD Projekt’s Paweł Burza. “You’ll be able to fire guns from your car or bike or use weapons, which are mounted on your car.”
New Perks
Within the redesigned skill tree system are several new perks. Among the most enticing shown off thus far are an air dash and the ability to deflect incoming bullets with melee weapons, as well as a couple of new finishing moves, including Savage Sling, in which V weaponizes enemy corpses.
Cyberware Capacity
A new capacity system will limit the amount of cyberware players can install on V, though a new Edgerunners perk will allow that limit to be surpassed at a cost (e.g., a health debuff). “It’s all about this balance between risk and reward,” said quest director Paweł Sasko. “We are not going as far as the introduction of cyberpsychosis though, have that in mind.”
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty New PC Specs
With the overhaul, CD Projekt Red has updated its PC requirements for Cyberpunk 2077. Notably, Cyberpunk will stop supporting HDDs for the minimum requirements: “SSDs offer faster loading times, improved streaming, and better overall performance when compared to HDDs,” the developer explained.
Current Cyberpunk 2077 owners with systems below the minimum specs will still be able to play the game, though CD Projekt Red “will discontinue active support for them and stop testing the game on those setups” once the update is released.
Will There Be Another Cyberpunk 2077 Expansion?
No, CD Projekt Red has confirmed Phantom Liberty will be the only paid/major DLC for Cyberpunk 2077.
“As we have announced a long time ago, we’re not going to make a second or third expansion”, said CD Projekt’s Michał Nowakowski. “This is the only expansion of the game, and it has nothing to do with the numbers and how satisfied or not we are with sales or anything of the kind.
“It’s a technological decision to be honest. This is the last time we’re working on the REDengine, for the time being at least, and in the foreseeable future as you know we are working on the Unreal Engine from Epic. This was one of the key reasons why we decided [Phantom Liberty] was the only one.”
Rather than work on a future expansion, CD Projekt Red has its sights set on a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Orion. Development will be led by Phantom Liberty director Gabe Amatangelo. The sequel, according to the developer, “will fully unleash the potential that this universe offers.”
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Preorder Bonuses
Those who pre-order Phantom Liberty will receive a new in-game vehicle, the Quadra Sport R-7 ‘Vigilante.’ Those who have a GOG account can redeem further pre-order content, while GOG account holders who also own The Witcher 3 and/or Gwent will receive even more pre-order goodies. The breakdown of pre-order content is explained in the infographic below:
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
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