How does Phantom Liberty connect to Cyberpunk 2077's story?

Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty is coming in September, giving players more story to take part in. However, many fans aren’t really sure where the two stories connect together - if they do at all. In a recent exclusive interview with quest director Pawel Sasko, we learned more about this story, and how it links the two storylines together. It could also offer some very interesting consequences to the plot story of CD Projekt RED’s open-world action RPG.

As a player'd choice is an important part of Cyberpunk 2077, could Phantom Liberty change the overall story? It’s entirely likely. Though Sasko didn’t spoil anything, he gave us some very interesting hints about what is to come for this expansion.

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Could Cyberpunk 2077’s ending change thanks to Phantom Liberty’s story?

Cyberpunk 2077’s expansion, Phantom Liberty, according to Sasko, is ging to run parallel to the main game. That means you don’t have to complete the entire story before you dive in. However, if you’re new to the title, you should probably start a new character instead of skipping directly to the expansion.

“. . .you’ll discover various references and callbacks to missions and characters from the base game as you play.”

“. . .we really wanted to make sure that Dogtown feels like it has always been part of the Cyberpunk 2077 experience, and for someone playing the base game and expansion as a whole, it will look like one consistent piece of art.”

These two stories are connected, and they're not completely confined to the new territory of Dogtown. You’ll still go back to the rest of Night City for certain parts of this tale. The goal is to make it feel like it belongs in the city, and making these callbacks and references will help.

It should seamlessly connect the Phantom Liberty story and Cyberpunk 2077. You won’t have access to the expansion normally, until you’ve at least been to Pacifica, and met the Voodoo Boys.

However, during this exclusive interview, we also learned something interesting. One of the main points of Phantom Liberty is V meeting Songbird - a netrunner who claims she can cure him of the Relic that is trapped in his system.

“This is how the whole of Phantom Liberty’s story is connected to the base game. The stakes are high, and the player’s choices may result in a new development in regards to the ending of the base game, but I’m not going to reveal anything more!”

While he didn’t elaborate, this quote is a very interesting thing to keep in mind as Cyberpunk 2077's expansion launches. Depending on the actions V takes as he explores Dogtown and the rest of Night City, he could perhaps avoid the fate that awaits him at the end of the main story.

What awaits V at the end of the road? (Image via CD Projekt RED)

It’s unknown if V will survive the Relic, but the possibility is there. This makes the upcoming expansion an attractive story to players who may want the protagonist to avoid a tragic fate. They will just have to see what happens in September.

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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty launches on September 26, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. You can learn more about the major changes coming to the game here.