How to Unlock the Secret Ending in Cyberpunk 2077
Build up Johnny’s affinity for V. To get the secret “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” ending, you’ll need V and Johnny Silverhand to have a good relationship. The affinity threshold to unlock the ending is 70%, meaning you’ll need to accrue at least that much affinity with Johnny throughout the game. Luckily, you’ll get some affinity from the steps below. Other ways to gain affinity include: Support Johnny’s anti-corporate goals and ideals. Make choices that Johnny advocates for or agrees with. Help Johnny on missions that concern him (some of which are covered below). Avoid being too hostile toward Johnny or dismissing his opinions.
Complete the Side Jobs Tapeworm and Chippin’ In. These three Side Jobs are closely related to Johnny Silverhand, whose affinity you’ll need to unlock the game’s secret ending. The first job you’ll come across is Tapeworm, which takes place during the late stages of the game’s main storyline. Completing this job will lead to Chippin’ In, which is the quest you really need to complete. Completing these missions will result in a big affinity boost with Johnny, but you’ll still need to build his affinity in other places. For example, you can gain more affinity by completing Rogue’s Blistering Love quest, which is triggered after Chippin’ In.
Choose specific dialogue options during Chippin’ In. Of all the Johnny missions, Chippin’ In is the most critical to unlocking the secret ending! During this mission, you’ll visit Johnny’s grave with him, and the dialogue choices you make in this scene will heavily impact your relationship with Johnny going forward. To ensure you get the secret ending, pick the following dialogue options: [Inscribe Johnny’s Initials] “Let’s do something about that.” “The Guy who Saved My Life” “Nah, fucked that up too.” “What do you want from me?” “Ok. But as second chances go, this is your last.” “You were a real dick in the beginning.” “When you said you let down your friends…” “Yeah, I’ll call Rogue.”
Begin the final mission, Nocturne Op55N1, when you’re ready. This is the last mission in the game, so you don’t have to do it right after Chippin’ In. Keep playing the game and wrap up any other quests you have; then, when you feel ready, play Nocturne Op55N1 until you reach the final part of the mission (on the rooftop with Johnny). That’s where your choices will matter, so make sure you do the following: Choose the dialogue option that lets Johnny go with Rogue (“Think you and Rogue should go.”) When you arrive at the next dialogue options (to “put this all to rest,” take the pseudoendotrizine, or say you “need a minute”), don’t pick any of them. Instead, just wait. Continue looking between Johnny, the gun, and the pills without saying anything. After about five minutes, Johnny will speak up and offer an alternative option. This option—a suicide run in which V and Johnny will take down Arasaka alone—is the one you’ll need to agree to. With that, you’ll unlock Cyberpunk 2077’s secret ending!
Storm Arasaka Tower with Johnny to complete (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. This is V and Johnny’s solo mission to take down Arasaka Tower (and the corporation). It’s a long, grueling series of battles, with the upside being nobody except V and Johnny put themselves at risk (meaning V’s allies are safe). In the end, after the final battle, you’ll see the whole secret ending, complete with exclusive in-game content! That said, V must survive the entire mission to get the secret ending; if they die at any point, the credits will roll, and you’ll have to try the mission all over again.
Advice for Completing “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”
Level up before the mission and stock up on useful items. This ending is harder than the others to play because V and Johnny are going it alone, so make sure you’re ready! You should be at least level 40 before attempting it; feel free to do some extra grinding before the mission to get your level up even higher and boost your combat-specific skills, including athletics and reflexes. You’ll also need: Consumables - Healing items are absolutely key during V’s solo attack on Arasaka. You should also bring plenty of buffs and grenades (and boost your grenade-throwing skills). Cyberware - Use cyberware that upgrades V’s combat-focused abilities, like movement speed or reaction time. Cyberware such as Sandevistan and Kerenzikov can be especially effective. Top-tier equipment - V’s armor and weapons should be combat-ready and among the best available.
Take Johnny’s help and advice throughout (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. Johnny is V’s only companion (and source of aid) when playing the secret ending, so use him! He’ll give advice, make comments, and even do things that can affect the fight, so be sure to listen and interact with him throughout the mission. When you have Johnny distracting enemies, you can also use the opportunity to heal V (or get them into cover or a better position on the battlefield).
Play strategically while storming Arasaka Tower to ensure your survival. Arasaka Tower is a long, hard slog, so don’t use up all of your energy and consumables in the first few minutes. It’s a high-intensity battle from start to finish, so don’t rush yourself. Take your time and focus on keeping V alive! Effective survival strategies include: Use cover and stealth to your advantage. Try not to get into firefights when you’re out in the open; it’s easier to get hurt that way. Stay in cover, and try to take enemies down undetected when you can. Use Johnny as a diversion. Johnny can provide covering fire or a distraction when you’re fighting bigger groups of opponents. Target enemies’ weak spots. If you target enemies’ tech, you can disable their cyberware; otherwise, aim for the head to take them out faster. Use the environment to gain the upper hand. Look for potential hazards to use against enemies, like sentry guns or explosive barrels. The more you use environmental hazards, the less you have to deal with enemies yourself.
Prepare for a brutal final battle with multiple waves of elite forces. The main rule of thumb here is to save some of your healing items for this battle since it’s going to be a doozy. Arasaka’s strongest operatives will attack you during the final battle—and, once again, V must survive the entire battle to get the secret ending. Once this battle is over, you’ll reach the end of the game and see the secret ending for yourself.
Other Endings in Cyberpunk 2077
The Sun The secret ending is actually a possible variant of the Sun ending! In “The Sun,” V becomes a “legend of the Afterlife” by storming the Arasaka Tower with the help of Rogue Amendiares. In the end, V remains in Night City in their own body, determined to live out whatever time they have left there. Requirements: Completion of Rogue’s quest line through “Blistering Love” and calling Rogue for help during Nocturne Op55N1.
The Star In “The Star,” V ultimately opts to leave Night City with the Aldecaldos (and Panam). The Aldecaldos will help V storm Arasaka Tower, and if V decides to return to their own body, they depart the city. Panam also mentions having a friend who might be able to help V with their condition, making this one of the more uplifting endings in the game. Requirements: Finish Panam’s “Queen of the Highway” quest and call Panam for help during Op55N1.
The Devil In this ending, V chooses to side with Takemura and help him avenge Saburo Arasaka’s death, ultimately capturing Yorinobu Arasaka. Although V gets the bio-chip removed, they’re eventually faced with the decision of signing a contract to have their consciousness merged with Mikoshi or returning to Earth to live out their final six months. This is considered one of the bleaker endings in the game. Requirements: None
Temperance In the Temperance ending, V decides not to go back to their body and lets Johnny take over their body instead. Johnny prepares to leave Night City, visits V’s grave, and then departs for good, off to get a fresh start somewhere else. V’s consciousness is entirely erased. You can also get this ending when doing the secret ending, depending on your choice in Mikoshi. Requirements: Complete Panam or Rogue’s series of side quests and get help from either of them during Nocturne Op55N1.
The Tower This ending was added with the Phantom Liberty DLC; some players consider it the “bad” ending for V, while others think it could be one of the better endings. In “The Tower,” V gets a fresh start—but at the cost of a 2-year coma, during which most of their friends and family have left and moved on, and the loss of all of V’s cyberware, rendering them a regular person, nothing more and nothing less. Requirements: Complete the Phantom Liberty DLC, helping Songbird escape or surrendering her to Reed. Then, call Reed in “Who Wants to Live Forever” or Nocturne Op55N1.
The Path of Least Resistance In the Path of Least Resistance ending, V gives up and decides to end their own life rather than put anyone else in danger or cause more bloodshed. V and Johnny have one final conversation in which Johnny disagrees with V’s decision but expresses understanding; then, V sacrifices their life. Requirements: None
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