Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty guide: Which is the best choice to make during Balls to the Wall side job?

Early in the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty expansion, you can pick up the “Balls to the Wall” side job. A pair of BARGHEST soldiers are in a very difficult position, and after learning about their plight, you can choose to help them—in particular, Paco. However, while all three choices are interesting, they aren’t equal in terms of storytelling weight and rewards for completion. In fact, one of them is downright grim.

We’ll go over what options you have as a Cyberpunk 2077 player and what the best choices are for Balls to the Wall. It’s not a challenging side job, as far as missions go, and only one of the options really involves any serious combat. Here’s what you need to know and what we recommend you do.

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All Balls to the Wall choices in Cyberpunk 2077 and where they end up

Choices

• Frame Yuri
• Get out of town
• Call in some favors

1) Frame Yuri

Even if you defeat Yuri, Paco's still dead (Image via CDPR)

In my first playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, I chose “Frame Yuri,” which is, without a doubt, the worst of the choices. V notes that Yuri doesn't favor Kurt Hansen—this expansion’s primary antagonist—at the time, based on what little information he has. This turns out to be not the case. You’ll work together with Paco to try and set Yuri up.

You’ll agree to meet Paco beneath an underpass for this mission later at night. Sadly, Yuri and Kurt Hansen already knew that he betrayed BARGHEST, and as a result, Yuri is not only killed, he’s decapitated and hung upside down as a warning to others.

In addition, you’ll have to fight Yuri during Balls to the Wall if you make this choice. You get a pair of guns, and they’re okay—the M-10AF Lexington and M-76 Omaha. But Paco is dead, and the shard conversation reveals the truth that Kurt knew.

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2) Get out of Town

It's time to get out of (Dog)town (Image via CDPR)

In my second playthrough, I chose “Get out of town,” and that one is incredibly simple; it also saves Paco’s life in Cyberpunk 2077. For this option of Balls to the Wall, you stow Paco in the trunk of his own car and drive him out of Dogtown.

In this resolution, you wait two days for a text and then go meet up with the character again in Cyberpunk 2077. Turns out, he chose to be a Scav and start a new life. You receive 8,000 Eddies and the useful Carmen Power Assault Rifle. It’s a better ending and a better weapon. However, there’s a chance Paco and Babs could wind up facing off in the future, as she chose to stay in BARGHEST.

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3) Call in some favors

Depending on who you ask, there are a variety of solutions (Image via CDPR)

Your final choice is to call in some favors from one of your allies/romantic relationships. Depending on who you pick, it will change what happens. Sadly, I didn’t do this one personally, but after researching it, I’ve learned what you can expect.

Rogue will help you replace the generators, and Panam (my relationship partner of choice) will smuggle Babs and Paco out of Night Town. There are other choices as well that more or less end up the same as these two.

Your reward will require you to go back to the BARGHEST camp and pick up the Carmen Power Assault Rifle, as well as a Solo Skill EXP shard.

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What is the best choice for Balls to the Wall in Cyberpunk 2077?

Let Paco have another chance - even if he chooses poorly (Image via CDPR)

Frankly, making either the second or third choice is amazing. The weapon is better, and the only real difference is whether or not you want the Solo Skill EXP or the money. I chose the second option because I thought it would give Paco a chance to do something more with his life.

Ultimately, that disappointed me, but the reward in Balls to the Wall was worth it. I recommend either the second or third option. I only recommend the first if you simply do not like Paco or have a driving desire to kill Yuri, Kurt Hansen’s right-hand man.

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Balls to the Wall is but one of the many missions you can take on in Cyberpunk 2077. You can pick it up at a variety of times in the game, but we picked up this job while we waited on finishing up The Damned main story quest.