Best Time To Start Phantom Liberty Expansion In Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 was a stuttering mess at its launch. However, things have taken a drastic turn since then. The game has mostly positive reviews now. It turns out that beneath all those bugs and errors, there is actually a decent game. 

One reason CD Projekt Red was able to turn the tables was the inclusion of the “Phantom Liberty” expansion. This expansion features more game time than some of the full-fledged games we have seen recently, clocking in at around 13 hours.

When To Start The Expansion?

Now, the tricky part is when to start the expansion cause, unlike other DLCs, CD Projekt Red integrated this expansion into the game and allows you to start it almost whenever you want. 

Mentioned below are some of the expected points in the game where most people would be tempted to start the expansion. 

At The Start Of The Game

When starting a new game, you are given the option to either start the main story or jump into the Phantom Liberty expansion. If you are a new player, it is recommended that you start the main story first before hopping on to the expansion.

However, if you have completed the main storyline already, then you can start the expansion at this point, as it will lead you straight to the new area at the start, and you will not have to progress in the story to get there. 

After Act 1

Right after completing Act 1, somewhere in Act 2, you will come across the Voodo boys’ quest line that will take you to the Pacifica side. After completing the mission “Transmission,” you will get a call from a stranger named Songbird. 

After picking up the call, a new side quest will pop up in your journal named “Dog Eat Dog.” That’s when you have the option to head to the newly introduced area of Dog Town and access the expansion.

You can certainly start the expansion now. However, for an immersive experience, I recommend you wait until further. At this point, you would be roughly ten hours into the game, and in my opinion, you should spend some time in the main city first.

Before Taking Down The Arasaka Corporation

This is my favorite point in the game to start the expansion. It also makes the most sense to explore the new Dog Town Area at this point. Since doing it at this point will impact your final ending to some extent as well.

Before taking down the Arasaka Corporation, you will have completed almost the entire game, and you will be left with one last job. You are taking down the biggest evil in the Night City. You will also have a decent level of cyberware and weapons now. 

When starting this mission, the game will inform you that this is the point of no return, and if you want to tie up any loose ends, now is the time. In my opinion, this is the best moment to pause the main storyline and complete the expansion.

After Completing The Main Storyline

Some players want to experience the game in the timely order in which it was released. This means completing the main storyline, including all the side quests, and then taking your time with the Phantom Liberty expansion. 

There is nothing wrong with this approach. However, with the 2.0 patch, the expansion has been integrated into the base game so that the events of Phantom Liberty affect the main ending of the base game. 

So, if you decide to take this approach, you will miss out on a secret ending that you can potentially get if you complete the Phantom Liberty Expansion before ending the main storyline, which is when we recommend you dive into the expansion. 

Cyberpunk 2077, despite all its flaws, is still a terrific game whose publicity got overshadowed by a wonky launch. The game is now better than ever, and the Phantom Liberty expansion is a cherry on top.

So, if you still have not taken the time to get back to this masterpiece, now is the perfect time to do it. Because if you have not, you are surely missing out on one of the finest works of CD Projekt Red.