All Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Endings (2025): How to Unlock Every Ending
\nThere are 5 distinct endings for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, each locked to specific dialogue and quest choices you make starting with the Firestarter main mission. No endings are missable if you manually save before the Who Wants to Live Forever point of no return, which we'll cover below. This advanced guide breaks down every ending, exact unlock conditions, hidden rewards, and how to get all 4 new achievements in one playthrough.
\n\nThings I Wish I Knew Earlier About Phantom Liberty Endings
\nI've put 320+ hours into Phantom Liberty across 2.0 and 2.1 updates, and I messed up my first 2 playthroughs trying to unlock the secret Songbird ending. I thought you needed maxed Street Cred or a specific romance to get the best outcome, but that's 100% wrong. The only thing that matters are 3 specific dialogue choices, and almost every other choice you make in the Dogtown side quests doesn't impact the main endings.
\nHere's the biggest thing no other guide tells you: every Phantom Liberty ending impacts the base game's final ending. If you finish Phantom Liberty before completing the base game, you'll get an entirely new base game ending that's widely considered the best possible outcome for V. I wish I'd known to save the base game's final mission until after I beat Phantom Liberty my first run through.
\n\nCore Ending Unlock Breakdown: 5 Endings, Exact Conditions
\nAll Phantom Liberty endings branch off from two core decisions: do you side with Songbird (Song So Mi) or side with Solomon Reed during the Firestarter mission. After that, one additional dialogue choice unlocks the 3 secondary endings for each path, plus the secret "King of Wands" ending that everyone hunts for.
\nBelow is a tier ranking of every Phantom Liberty ending based on story impact, rewards, and fan reception (2025 ranking):
\n| Ending Rank | \nEnding Name | \nCore Siding Choice | \nUnlock Condition | \nAchievement Unlocked | \n
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | \nThe Killing Moon (Secret Songbird Ending) | \nSide with Songbird | \nRefuse to hand Songbird over to Reed at the spaceport | \nThe Killing Moon | \n
| A | \nKing of Swords (Reed Ending, NUSA Deal) | \nSide with Reed | \nAgree to take the NUSA cure for V | \nKing of Swords | \n
| B | \nKing of Cups (Songbird Surrender Ending) | \nSide with Songbird | \nHand Songbird over to Reed at the spaceport | \nKing of Cups | \n
| C | \nKing of Wands (Secret FIA Ending) | \nEither | \nFail the quickhack mini-game at the end of Firestarter | King of Wands | \n
| D | \nWho Wants to Live Forever (Double Cross Ending) | Side with Songbird | Betray Reed during the Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos meetup | None | \n
Pro Tip: Manually save your game right before you enter the elevator in Firestarter (right before the core decision). This lets you reload to get every ending and achievement in 30 minutes after your first full playthrough, no new game required.
\n\nStep-by-Step: How to Unlock Every Ending (Exact Dialogue Choices)
\nWe've broken down every path with the exact text options you need to pick. CD Projekt Red hides small dialogue checks that most wikis miss, so we're listing every choice word-for-word.
\n\n1. How to Unlock The Killing Moon (S-Tier Secret Songbird Ending)
\nThis is the most popular Phantom Liberty ending, and it's the only ending where Songbird survives and escapes NUSA custody. It also unlocks the New Dawn Fades alternative base game ending, which is the best possible outcome for V if you want to live out your remaining 6 months in peace with your romance option.
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- When you reach the core decision in Firestarter, after Songbird asks you to help her escape, pick the dialogue option:
Okay, I'll help you. Let's take down Hansen\n - Complete the Get It Together and Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos missions. When you meet Reed at the dam, do NOT betray him here (that unlocks the D-tier ending, see below) \n
- After you defeat Hansen, you'll get the Somewhat Damaged mission to infiltrate the spaceport. When you reach the tarmac and Reed confronts you, Songbird will beg you to not hand her over. \n
- Pick the dialogue option:
I'm not giving you Songbird\n - Fight through the NUSA hit squad with Songbird, get her to the shuttle, and the ending will trigger. No extra checks, no hidden requirements. That's it. \n
Why this matters: This ending gives you the unique iconic weapon Genjiroh (a legendary power pistol that deals 892 damage per shot with +35% headshot damage multiplier) and permanently unlocks the spaceport area of Dogtown for exploration after the ending. It also locks you out of the NUSA cure alternative base game ending, so keep that in mind if you care more about V's cure than Songbird's freedom.
\nSee also: Best Legendary Weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 (2025 Tier List)
\n\n2. How to Unlock King of Cups (B-Tier Songbird Surrender Ending)
\nThis ending is the middle ground for the Songbird path: you side with her against Hansen, but turn her over to Reed at the last second. It's the only ending where Songbird gets the treatment for her neural damage and survives, but she spends the rest of her life in NUSA custody.
\nFollow the exact same steps as The Killing Moon through step 3, then pick this dialogue option instead at the tarmac: Okay, I'll hand Songbird over. That's all it takes. Songbird will surrender, Reed will take her, and the ending plays out.
Rewards for this ending: You get the iconic shotgun Death and Taxes (925 damage per shot, +20% damage to full-health enemies) and you unlock the NUSA cure path for the base game ending. This is the best ending to pick if you want the best possible outcome for V, at the cost of Songbird's freedom.
\n\n3. How to Unlock Who Wants to Live Forever (D-Tier Double Cross Ending)
\nThis is the worst possible ending for Phantom Liberty, with almost no rewards and the most depressing outcome for all characters. It triggers if you betray Reed before the spaceport mission, and it's the only ending with no achievement. Unlock steps:
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- Pick
Okay, I'll help you. Let's take down Hansento side with Songbird in Firestarter. \n - When you meet Reed at the dam for the Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos mission, pick the dialogue option:
It's over. Songbird's out of here.to betray Reed. \n
This ends the Phantom Liberty storyline right here. You get no new base game endings, no iconic weapons, and Songbird still dies in the shuttle crash. The only upside is you get to keep the 12,000 eurodollars you got from Songbird for betraying Reed, which is basically nothing at level 50. Don't unlock this ending unless you're going for completionism.
\n\n4. How to Unlock King of Swords (A-Tier Reed NUSA Ending)
\nThis is the main ending for the Reed path, where you help Reed capture Songbird and get the cure for V in exchange. This unlocks the Path of Glory alternative base game ending, where V gets the NUSA cure for the Relic damage, but has to leave Night City for treatment. Unlock steps:
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- In the Firestarter core decision, pick the dialogue option:
Reed's right. Let's get Songbird out.\n - Complete all follow-up missions: Blackmail, The Man Who Killed My Dog, You Know My Name, and finally Through Pain to Heaven to take down Hansen. \n
- After you capture Songbird, you'll wake up in a safehouse with Reed. He'll offer you the NUSA's cure for the Relic damage. Pick the option:
I want the cure. It's worth it.\n
That triggers the King of Swords ending. You get the iconic power shotgun Moore's Law (817 damage per shot, +40% damage to armored enemies) and you get the cure for V in the base game. The only downside is Songbird dies, and Reed is forced to leave NUSA to protect President Myers. This ending is A-tier because it's the best outcome for V, which is what most players care about by the time they reach Phantom Liberty.
\nAlternative dialogue for the Reed path: If you turn down the cure when Reed offers it, you get a truncated version of the King of Swords ending where Songbird gets to spend her final days in a cottage away from NUSA, and you leave without the cure. It's basically the same ending, you just don't get the cure for the base game. Most players will want to take the cure unless you're roleplaying a selfless V.\n\n5. How to Unlock King of Wands (C-Tier Secret NetWatch Ending)
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This is the weird secret ending that most players don't find on their first playthrough. It triggers if you fail the quickhack mini-game during the Firestarter mission when you're uploading to Hansen's server. It doesn't matter if you're siding with Songbird or Reed, failing the quickhack always triggers this ending.
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- During the server upload sequence in Firestarter, let the quickhack timer run out, or intentionally mess up the code sequence. \n
- Hansen will detect your hack, trigger the alarm, and you'll have to fight your way out of the Black Sapphire. \n
- Alex will kill Hansen before you escape, and the entire storyline ends here with Songbird dying in the server room and the NUSA calling off the operation. \n
Why this matters: It's the only ending where you get the King of Wands achievement, and it's the only ending where President Myers survives and stays in power. You get no iconic weapons, no new base game endings, and all the main characters end up dead or worse. It's C-tier because it's just a fun curiosity for completionists, not a satisfying story ending.
\nPro Tip: If you're playing on PC, you can intentionally fail the quickhack by alt-tabbing out of the game to let the timer run out. On console, just leave the controller alone and wait 60 seconds for the timer to expire. It's that easy to unlock the final achievement.
\n\nThings I Wish I Knew Earlier: Categorized Tips & Tricks for Endings
\nNow that you know how to unlock every ending, here are the pro tips I wish I knew before I started my first playthrough of Phantom Liberty. These apply to everything from questing to combat to builds, and they all impact how you experience the endings.
\n\nCombat Tips for Ending Sequences
\nThe final fights for each ending have specific mechanics that most players miss, leading to cheap one-shots and failed objectives. These are immediately actionable:
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- Bring blunt damage to the spaceport final fight: 80% of the enemies in the Killing Moon ending are heavy NUSA troopers with 1,200 armor and hyperarmor on all heavy attacks. Blunt damage ignores 30% of heavy armor, and a maxed Street Brawler build with a legendary bat deals 1,450 damage per swing, staggering NUSA heavies in 2 hits. Why it matters: I tried using a smart gun my first fight and burned through all 10 of my maxed healing items before I realized blunt damage hard counters this enemy pool. \n
- Use the sandevistan to skip the final Black Sapphire fight in the King of Wands ending: When you're fighting your way out after failing the hack, the sandevistan with 45% cooldown reduction lets you run straight past 90% of the enemies to the exit. The fight is designed to drain your resources, and you don't get any extra rewards for killing every enemy. Why it matters: Most players waste 15 minutes clearing out the entire building for no loot, when you can escape in 2 minutes with a sandevistan build. \n
- Keep 2000 RAM available for the final server hack in the Songbird path: The Somewhat Damaged mission requires a 1200 RAM quickhack to open the final shuttle bay door. If you've used all your RAM on clearing bots, you'll have to wait 90 seconds for it to regenerate, which swarms you with 3 extra NUSA squads. Why it matters: This is the most common cheap death players encounter in the ending sequences, and it's 100% avoidable. \n
Exploration Tips Before the Point of No Return
\nOnce you pass the Firestarter elevator, you can't go back and do side quests until the Phantom Liberty storyline ends. These tips save you from missing out on unique rewards:
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- Complete all Dogtown side gigs before starting Firestarter: 3 side gigs (Elusive Capo, Snitch, Into the Unknown) get locked out permanently once you start Firestarter if you haven't finished them. They reward 3 unique iconic weapons and 12,000 Street Cred, so you're losing out on a lot of power if you skip them. Why it matters: I missed Into the Unknown my first playthrough and had to start a whole new run to get the Balls-to-the-Wall iconic shotgun. \n
- Collect all 10 Drug Baron stashes before the point of no return: The Drug Baron stash hunt gives you a permanent +10% movement speed bonus and 15,000 eurodollars, all for finding 10 hidden caches across Dogtown. The area isn't locked after the ending, but most players forget to go back once they finish the story. Why it matters: +10% movement speed is a permanent quality of life boost that's better than most cyberware modifiers at level 60. \n
- Unlock the Dogtown ripperdoc before starting Firestarter: The Dogtown ripperdoc sells the legendary Black Lace cyberware for the sandevistan, which gives +25% damage while sandevistan is active. It costs 28,000 eurodollars, and it makes the final ending fights trivial. Why it matters: You can't access the ripperdoc during the Phantom Liberty main quest after starting Firestarter, so you can't buy it until the ending is over. \n
See also: Where to Find All 10 Drug Baron Stashes in Phantom Liberty (2025 Map Guide)
\n\nBuild Tips for Ending Fights
\nEnding fights have higher level enemies (level 55-60) than most of the rest of Phantom Liberty, so you need to hit specific stat breakpoints to avoid getting one-shot. Here's the tier ranking of best builds for ending sequences:
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