Can You Play Phantom Liberty After Beating Cyberpunk 2077?

So you’ve finished Cyberpunk 2077. The credits roll, Johnny Silverhand mutters a few last words, and Night City fades to black. You sit there wondering, is that really it? Then you remember there’s the Phantom Liberty expansion and think can I actually play it after finishing the game?

Let’s clear that up right away: yes, you can. But like everything in Cyberpunk 2077, it’s not that simple. The DLC doesn’t slot neatly after the main ending. Instead, it folds itself into the middle of the story, and how you reach it depends entirely on your save file.

Here’s what matters and how to make it work.

Cyberpunk 2077’s Ending Isn’t the End

Finishing the base game doesn’t lock you out of Night City. After the credits, the game politely rewinds you to the moment before the final mission, “Nocturne OP55N1.” That’s where every post-game activity lives side quests, gigs, NCPD events, and now, the Phantom Liberty expansion.

So technically, you’re not replaying after the end; you’re rewinding to before it. This design lets CD Projekt Red drop new content into that pre-ending sandbox without breaking story continuity. It’s clever, but it means you won’t find Phantom Liberty waiting after the credits. You’ll have to load a save from before “Nocturne OP55N1.”

If you already overwrote your old saves, don’t panic you can still start a new playthrough or use the “New Game +”-style entry point added with update 2.0. Either way, you’ll experience the DLC naturally as part of V’s story rather than a detached epilogue.

Where Phantom Liberty Fits in the Timeline

The DLC takes place during the main campaign, roughly mid-to-late game when V’s biochip crisis is at its worst. That means it lives between major story beats, not after them.

Once you install the expansion and load your compatible save, you’ll get a call from Songbird, the netrunner who pulls you into the covert operation at Dogtown. Her message triggers a new questline titled “Dog Eat Dog.”

Timeline-wise, imagine it like this:

That placement helps maintain the emotional tension of the main plot. V’s dying, desperate for a cure, and the FIA mission feels like a last-ditch gamble that might buy more time. The writing, voice acting, and pacing reflect that urgency it wouldn’t make sense after the finale.

 

Do You Need to Start a New Game?

You don’t have to restart unless you want a fresh perspective or lost your pre-final save.
When you install Phantom Liberty, the game adds an option on the main menu: “Start Expansion.” Selecting it launches you straight into Dogtown with a level-appropriate build and pre-set gear.

Still, there’s something special about playing it with your own V the one you’ve spent hours customising, modding, and arguing with Johnny Silverhand through. Your decisions carry more emotional weight when it’s your save.

Here’s how to decide:

• Use your main save if you’re midway through Act 2 or earlier. You’ll get the full buildup and context.
• Start fresh if you finished long ago and want to experience the new combat, police AI, and skill tree introduced in update 2.0 from scratch.
• Use the expansion shortcut if you only care about Dogtown and don’t want to replay 30 hours first.

Either route gives you a level 20–25 V equipped with decent cyberware and quickhacks, perfect for diving in without grinding.

How to Access Phantom Liberty After Beating Cyberpunk 2077

Let’s walk through it step by step.

1. Update to version 2.0 or higher.
   The expansion only works on patch 2.0+, which overhauled everything from perks to police behaviour.
2. Load a pre-final save.
   Pick any save before “Nocturne OP55N1.” If you beat the game, this is the “point of no return” autosave the game creates.
3. Wait for the call from Songbird.
   After a few in-game minutes, your holo rings. Songbird whispers, “V, I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.” That starts “Dog Eat Dog.”
4. Head to Dogtown.
   The map expands south to Pacifica’s walled-off district. A new checkpoint opens at the border. Approach, show your pass, and boom you’re in.
5. Follow the questline.
   From there, you meet Solomon Reed (Idris Elba), uncover political conspiracies, and decide who to trust. Expect roughly 25–30 hours of missions, gigs, and hidden lore.

It’s seamless. You don’t need to manually activate anything. The DLC behaves like any high-level quest arc integrated into the world.

What Happens to Your Character Progress

Everything you’ve unlocked street cred, cyberware, skills, vehicles comes with you.
What changes is how you use them. Phantom Liberty introduces a rebuilt perk tree that focuses on defined playstyles (Netrunner, Solo, Techie, etc.) and gives combat a faster rhythm.

If you jump in with an old save, the game resets your perks so you can re-spec under the new system. Think of it as a free rebuild, not a punishment.

New perks matter, especially in Dogtown where enemy AI is smarter and more aggressive.
Expect:

• New Relic tree abilities tied to the biochip’s evolution.
• Legendary gear locked behind covert missions.
• Vehicle combat upgrades you can shoot from behind the wheel now.

And yes, you can still keep your apartment, stash, and vehicles. The DLC feels like an extension, not a reset.

Should You Finish the Main Story First?

That’s the big question players keep asking. There’s no wrong choice, but the experience differs.

If you play before finishing the main story:

• You stay within canonical flow the DLC was written for this slot.
• Choices in Phantom Liberty slightly influence V’s mindset later.
• You experience smoother difficulty scaling.

If you play after finishing:

• It feels like a powerful flashback or alternate arc.
• You can test end-game builds and explore freely.
• Emotionally, it’s bittersweet V knows the clock’s ticking.

Rachel’s take? Finish a few major side quests first (Panam’s, River’s, Judy’s). Then head into Dogtown. The expansion’s tone spy thriller mixed with moral exhaustion hits harder when you’ve already lived through those connections.

Can You Keep Playing After Phantom Liberty?

Yes, and that’s where things get interesting.
Once you complete the DLC, you unlock a brand-new ending for Cyberpunk 2077 one that can completely replace the original. Without spoiling, it offers closure that feels both mature and haunting.

After that, the game again rewinds you to before “Nocturne OP55N1,” letting you keep exploring with your new gear and choices intact. You can:

• Continue open-world gigs with new rewards.
• Experiment with end-game builds using Dogtown loot.
• Replay key missions through the “Replay Mission” mod or PC console commands.

In short: Phantom Liberty doesn’t finish Cyberpunk 2077; it reshapes it.

Performance, Updates, and Version Compatibility (2025 Update)

As of early 2025, the most stable version sits around patch 2.12, and it’s night-and-day compared to launch week chaos.
Here’s the quick rundown:

The new police system and vehicular combat mechanics flow seamlessly across all platforms.
For returning players, update 2.0 also overhauled UI readability, quickhack balance, and crowd AI Night City finally feels alive, not decorative.

If you last played in 2020, reinstalling today feels like stepping into an entirely new game. That’s the beauty of Phantom Liberty: it’s not just an add-on; it’s a full-scale redemption.

The World of Dogtown

Dogtown deserves its own shout-out. This district, carved from Pacifica’s bones, looks nothing like the neon glamour of the city centre. It’s oppressive, military-controlled, full of black-market tech and desperation.

CD Projekt Red turned it into a vertical labyrinth of half-collapsed towers, abandoned concert halls, and smuggler tunnels. The density is absurd every alley hides something worth scanning.

Highlights include:

• Black Sapphire Casino, a lavish fortress hiding the DLC’s most pivotal mission.
• Ebon Tower, the ruins of a corporate skyscraper swallowed by sand.
• The Stadium Market, your hub for black-market mods and illegal gigs.

And yes, you can roam Dogtown freely after finishing the main storyline. It stays fully open once unlocked.

Story Themes and Tone

Where Cyberpunk 2077 focused on identity and survival, Phantom Liberty goes political. It’s espionage, trust, and sacrifice wrapped in chrome. Solomon Reed (Idris Elba) and Songbird (Minji Chang) both test V’s loyalty, and every decision cuts deep.

The writing matured. Gone are the clunky side gigs of 2020; every mission has layered motives and cinematic framing. Think Blade Runner meets Zero Dark Thirty.

And the soundtrack oh man, that soundtrack. Dawid Podsiadło’s “Phantom Liberty” theme might be one of the best pieces CDPR ever released. It turns Dogtown from just another map into an emotional battlefield.

Gameplay Upgrades That Change Everything

Even outside the new missions, the update revolutionised gameplay.

1. Combat Flow:
   Weapons feel snappier, recoil balanced, and melee combat no longer feels like flailing underwater.
2. Vehicle Combat:
   Drive-by shootings, mounted weapons, and police chases finally work. V’s cars aren’t just decor they’re extensions of your arsenal.
3. Skill System:
   No more confusing spiderweb trees. Now you have streamlined, class-based paths that actually reward specialisation.
4. AI & Police Response:
   The NCPD now behaves like they’ve watched Heat one too many times. Commit a crime, and they’ll pursue intelligently across districts.

All of this makes returning after the main story genuinely fun. You’re not just replaying old content you’re rediscovering a better version of the same world.

Tips Before Diving In

• Back up your saves.
  The DLC is stable but long. Keep backups in case you want to revisit key choices.
• Re-spec before Dogtown.
  Enemies hit hard. Invest in health, cyberware defence, and quickhack damage.
• Try vehicle builds.
  Vehicle combat’s underrated. A smart-gun car setup turns street chases into cinematic chaos.
• Listen to Songbird carefully.
  Her dialogue changes subtly depending on your background (Street Kid, Nomad, Corpo). Small details, big payoffs.
• Take your time.
  Dogtown isn’t meant to be rushed. The atmosphere, side quests, and data shards reveal the real story.

Should You Replay Cyberpunk 2077 Just for Phantom Liberty?

If you’re on the fence about reinstalling, here’s the honest breakdown:

For many, Phantom Liberty became the reason to forgive Cyberpunk’s rough past. It’s the redemption arc both the developers and fans wanted.

The Secret Ending Everyone Talks About

Without spoiling details: completing Phantom Liberty unlocks a new epilogue path for the main story. It reframes V’s fate in a quieter, more reflective way something the original endings lacked.

If you crave closure, play it after finishing the base game. If you want tension and urgency, weave it mid-story. Either way, you’ll understand why fans call it CDPR’s best writing since The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine.

The Bottom Line

You can play Phantom Liberty after beating Cyberpunk 2077, but it’s more powerful when treated as part of the journey, not an afterthought. The DLC doesn’t tack on “more missions.” It reshapes the soul of the game.

Whether you load a pre-final save or start fresh, Dogtown’s story feels like a second chance for V, for CD Projekt Red, and maybe for players who gave up back in 2020.

So dust off your smart pistol, crank that synthwave playlist, and step back into Night City. The lights never really go out they just flicker until you come back.