How to Reach the Point of No Return in Cyberpunk 2077
The moment is finally here. In Cyberpunk 2077, after all the heists, betrayals, and chrome, the main story funnels you toward its final, decisive chapter. This guide will show you exactly where that point is, how to prepare for it, and—most importantly—how to ensure you can explore every ending the game has to offer without starting over.
Dialogue choices at the point of no return allow you to select your final mission.
Your journey culminates with the main mission Nocturne Op55N1. You’ll receive a call directing you to meet Hanako Arasaka at the Embers restaurant in the Glen area of City Center. This is the definitive Point of No Return.
Trust me, you’ll want to handle all your unfinished business—side gigs, romance quests, car collections—before you step into Embers. Once you start this mission, you’re locked into the ending sequence until the credits roll.
Here’s the crucial part: Cyberpunk 2077 is built for you to experience multiple endings. After the credits, you’ll be given the One More Gig option. Selecting this (with [A] on controller) will drop you back into Night City right before you began Nocturne Op55N1, letting you replay the finale with different choices.
To make the most of this, here’s the trick most guides miss. Right after you enter the club and speak with Misty, you’ll find yourself on a balcony with Johnny Silverhand. Before you start that conversation, create a manual save. This manual save point is your golden ticket. You can reload it instantly to explore every dialogue option and ending path without replaying any earlier content.
With your save secured and your mind made up, you’re ready to decide V’s fate. Let’s see what ending awaits.
How to Unlock The Devil Ending in Cyberpunk 2077
The Devil ending in Cyberpunk 2077 is a stark descent into corporate servitude, where V trades a shot at freedom for a cold, clinical chance at survival. This path, often considered the most cynical conclusion, is always available, but unlocking its associated achievement requires a single, crucial act of mercy much earlier in the story.
Choosing to trust Arasaka is the primary requirement for this ending.
To secure the The Devil trophy/achievement, you must ensure Goro Takemura survives the main mission Search and Destroy. When the floor collapses during your escape from Arasaka Tower, don't follow the on-screen prompts to escape. Instead, use [LS] to move back upstairs through the smoke and debris to find and rescue Takemura from the attacking Arasaka guards. If you've missed this, the achievement is locked for that playthrough.
⚠️ Watch out: This is the single most missable requirement for any ending in Cyberpunk 2077. If you're aiming for 100% completion, create a manual save at the very start of Search and Destroy.
When you reach the point of no return at Embers in the City Center and begin the mission Nocturne Op55N1, speak with Hanako Arasaka, Saburo's daughter, who proposes a deal to help V remove the Relic using Arasaka's exclusive resources. To walk the Devil's path, you must choose the dialogue option 'Think trusting Arasaka is risky but worth it'. This commits you to her plan, sidelining Johnny Silverhand and placing your fate entirely in the corporation's hands.
The ensuing missions, Last Caress and Totalimmortal, see you aiding Hanako in a corporate coup. During Totalimmortal, be sure to loot the Iconic Weapon Genjiroh from the Arasaka Estate—a powerful smart pistol that's a unique reward for this path. The finale unfolds on the Arasaka Orbital Station in the Where is My Mind? epilogue. Here, after undergoing experimental surgery, V is presented with a final, haunting choice: join the 'Secure Your Soul' digital engram program for a form of eternal life as corporate property, or return to Earth with only months to live.
Completing this ending rewards you with the Arasaka Spacesuit outfit in your inventory, a cosmetic reminder of your allegiance. It's a complex, morally ambiguous conclusion that offers a "cure" at the ultimate price, perfectly encapsulating Cyberpunk 2077's themes of sacrifice and corporate control.
How to Unlock The Star and Temperance Endings via Panam
Forget the corporate towers and mercenary legends—sometimes the best ending is the one that leads you out of Night City entirely. In Cyberpunk 2077, that path belongs to Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos, offering two of the game's most emotionally resonant conclusions: the hopeful The Star and the selfless Temperance.
Enlisting Panam's help leads to the Star or Temperance endings.
To even see these options, you must prove yourself to the nomad family. This means completing Panam's entire side quest chain before the point of no return. You'll need to finish 'Riders on the Storm', help her settle a score in 'With a Little Help from My Friends', and cement your bond in the pivotal 'Queen of the Highway'. If you’ve skipped these, the option to call her simply won't appear.
When you reach the balcony during Nocturne Op55N1 and speak with Johnny, look for the dialogue choice 'Gonna ask Panam for help'. This triggers the Aldecaldos' daring plan. You'll meet the clan at their camp, where Saul Bright, the group's leader, reluctantly agrees to lead a full-scale assault on Arasaka Tower using a stolen military Basilisk. Trust me, this raid is one of the game's most epic set-pieces, though it comes at a cost—Saul is killed by Adam Smasher during the assault.
The critical branching point comes after you reach Mikoshi. Here, you'll face a final, quiet choice that determines your entire epilogue.
- If you choose to enter the well, V returns to their body. This leads to the All Along The Watchtower epilogue (The Star achievement). You wake up, weakened but alive, and leave Night City with Panam and the Aldecaldos to seek a cure, embracing a future of freedom and found family.
- If you choose to cross the bridge, you let Johnny keep V's body permanently. This leads to the New Dawn Fades epilogue (Temperance achievement). Johnny, humbled by the experience, leaves Night City to start a new life, while V's consciousness remains in cyberspace with Alt.
Before the final assault, don't rush through the camp. Complete Cassidy's Challenge during the mission 'We Gotta Live Together' to win the Iconic Weapon Amnesty revolver. You'll also be officially welcomed into the clan and receive the Aldecaldos Rally Bolero Jacket for your inventory.
This path is about trading the glittering, hollow promise of Night City for something real. Whether you choose a future with your new family or grant a second chance to an old ghost, you're guaranteed an ending that feels earned.
How to Unlock The Sun Ending via Rogue
This is the path of the legend—the one that sees you storm Arasaka Tower with the queen of the Afterlife herself and claim your place among Night City’s immortals. In Cyberpunk 2077, The Sun ending is for V’s who want to go out in a blaze of glory, not fade away. But to walk this road, you need to earn the help of a living legend first.
Johnny Silverhand and Rogue during the final mission setup.
Your ticket is completing Rogue Amendiares’ side quests. This chain kicks off with ‘Chippin’ In’ and concludes with the date-night mission ‘Blistering Love’. Finishing these is non-negotiable; they prove to Rogue that you and Johnny are serious, and they unlock the critical dialogue option when the time comes. If you’ve wiped here before because the option wasn't there, you're not alone—this prerequisite trips everyone up.
When you reach the balcony during ‘Nocturne Op55N1’ and have that final talk with Johnny, you must select the dialogue choice, ‘Think you and Rogue should go’. This puts Johnny in the driver’s seat for the assault. He’ll take V’s body to the Afterlife, recruit Rogue, and plan the raid with mercenary support from Weyland. The mission that follows, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls,’ is a wild ride—you’ll play as Johnny storming Arasaka Tower in an AV, with Weyland providing crucial fire support.
⚠️ Watch out: This path comes at a heavy cost. Rogue sacrifices herself during the assault to give you a shot at Adam Smasher. It’s the price of becoming a legend.
After the dust settles and you reach Mikoshi, you’ll face the final choice that determines your epilogue. To achieve The Sun and its ‘Path of Glory’ epilogue, you must direct Johnny to enter the well in Mikoshi. V then returns to their own body, now a celebrated icon who has taken over the Afterlife. The epilogue shows V preparing for one last impossible heist: a mission to the orbiting Crystal Palace casino, securing your legend with a final, high-stakes gig.
Trust me, this ending delivers the ultimate Night City power fantasy—you become the myth you set out to be. With Rogue’s backing secured and the right choice in Mikoshi, you’re ready to claim your place in the Afterlife and stare down the Crystal Palace.
How to Unlock the Secret Ending: (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Forget calling in the cavalry. In Cyberpunk 2077, the most legendary and punishing path is the one you walk alone. The secret ending, (Don't Fear) The Reaper, is a brutal solo assault on Arasaka Tower, a true test of your build, your skill, and your bond with Johnny Silverhand. This is the ultimate "suicide run," and unlocking it requires a perfect storm of past choices and a moment of silence at the game's most critical juncture.
Unlocking the secret ending requires specific dialogue choices with Johnny.
First, you must have forged a true partnership with Johnny. This is locked behind his side quest, Chippin' In. During the pivotal conversation at his grave in the oil fields, you must choose the following dialogue options in sequence: 'The Guy who Saved My Life', then 'No, fucked that up too', followed by 'What do you want from me?', and finally, 'OK. As far as second chances go, this is your last'. This critical exchange is the foundation of the mutual respect needed for him to propose the solo run.
When you reach the rooftop decision point in Nocturne Op55N1—after Misty leaves you with Johnny and the gun—the real trick begins. Do not select any of the dialogue options presented. Instead, you must wait. Sit in silence, looking between Johnny and the pistol, for approximately five minutes. If your relationship is high enough, Johnny will break the silence with a new, daring plan: storm Arasaka Tower by yourselves, with zero outside help. Accept his offer to trigger the mission.
⚠️ Watch out: The (Don't Fear) The Reaper mission has no checkpoints. If you die during the solo assault on Arasaka Tower, the game immediately rolls credits—it's a straight game over. There are no second chances mid-fight.
The payoff for this immense challenge is a uniquely defiant conclusion. By going in alone, you prevent any of your allies from dying in the crossfire. Most notably, Rogue remains alive in the epilogue because she never joins the assault. Surviving the gauntlet leads you to the same final choice in Mikoshi as other paths, but with the satisfaction of knowing you saved your friends and became a legend entirely on your own terms. It’s Cyberpunk 2077’s purest expression of mercenary might.
How to Unlock The Tower Ending in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
This is the ultimate gamble—trading everything you know about Night City for a clean slate. In Cyberpunk 2077, The Tower ending, added by the Phantom Liberty expansion, offers V a definitive cure for the Relic, but at a cost that redefines the meaning of survival. It’s not an ending you stumble into; it’s a calculated path requiring specific loyalty and ruthless pragmatism within the DLC’s story.
Phantom Liberty adds a significant new path to the game's existing ending roster.
Your journey to The Tower begins with a pivotal choice in the DLC mission Firestarter. Here, you must side with Solomon Reed, the NUSA agent, by selecting the dialogue option 'I'll help you take down Songbird'. This commits you to his path, setting the stage for a political thriller focused on capture rather than escape.
⚠️ Watch out: Choosing Reed locks you into his mission chain. If you want to experience Songbird’s side of the story, create a manual save before the Firestarter mission.
Following Reed’s lead, you’ll eventually find yourself in the depths of the Cynosure facility during the mission Somewhat Damaged. Here, a broken Songbird will plead for a mercy killing. To keep The Tower ending accessible, you must spare Songbird by choosing the dialogue option 'Spare So Mi' at the Cynosure core. Handing her over alive to the NUSA is the key that unlocks President Myers's promise of a cure.
Alternatively, you can also reach this ending by initially siding with Songbird in Firestarter and then betraying her at the last moment. In the mission The Killing Moon, when confronted by Reed at the spaceport, you must choose to hand Songbird to NUSA. This is done by selecting 'Call Reed' from the train or, during the standoff, choosing a 'Holster Weapon' dialogue option to strike a deal. This betrayal functionally converts your path to Reed’s outcome.
The Road to Langley and the Final Choice
If you’ve secured Songbird for the NUSA (either by sparing or betraying her), Solomon Reed will eventually contact you. He’s your conduit to the cure, arranging for your extraction to a secure NUSA hospital in Langley. This leads to the quest 'Who Wants to Live Forever,' which culminates back at the rooftop of Misty's Esoterica in Night City—the same spot where you choose all other endings. Here, a new dialogue option appears to call Reed and accept the NUSA's deal.
Accepting triggers the epilogue 'Things Done Changed.' You undergo the surgery and wake up from a 2-year coma, finally cured of the Relic. The cost is staggering: the procedure has made your body reject all combat cyberware. You return to a Night City that has moved on without you.
Life After the Cure
The final scenes see V, now just another face in the crowd, visiting old haunts. At Vik's clinic in Little China, your ripperdoc confirms the cyberware is a permanent loss, ending your life as a merc. Outside, you’ll meet Misty. Now running her own shop, she offers you final, philosophical advice about finding your new path in a world where your legend has faded.
Complete all major companion quests (Judy, Panam, Kerry, River) before pursuing this ending. Their fates and messages in the epilogue add crucial, bittersweet context to V’s new life.
With The Tower, you secure a future, but surrender everything that defined V’s past. It’s the definitive close to one chapter, forcing you to walk quietly into Night City’s endless night.
Phantom Liberty DLC Endings: King of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles
Your journey through Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion culminates in a gut-wrenching web of choices, where every promise of salvation comes with a hidden price. The four DLC-specific endings—named after tarot court cards—are defined by who you trust and who you betray at two critical moments.
V's journey reaches its climax in the Dogtown district.
King of Wands: The Rebel's Path
This ending is for those who prioritize Songbird’s freedom above all else. To unlock it, side with her during the ‘Firestarter’ mission by choosing the dialogue ‘Betray Reed | I’m with you.’ Later, at the NCX Spaceport during ‘The Killing Moon’, you must stick to the plan. When Solomon Reed confronts you, choose a dialogue option that leads to drawing your weapon (like ‘Draw weapon | Enough o’ this.’) and kill him. Songbird escapes to the Moon, cured and free, while V is branded an enemy of the NUSA and receives no cure.
This is the only path where you can loot Reed’s iconic pistol, Pariah, from his body at the spaceport. It’s a powerful silenced tech weapon, so grab it before you leave.
King of Swords: The Pragmatic Betrayal
If you want V to secure the cure but started by helping Songbird, this is your path. Begin by siding with Songbird in ‘Firestarter’ (‘Betray Reed | I’m with you.’). Her crucial confession on the train in ‘The Killing Moon’ changes everything. When she admits the neural matrix cure is a single dose meant for her, you must betray her. Choose ‘Call Reed | Reed’ll take care of you.’ and agree to his deal. You hand Songbird over to the NUSA, and in return, V is promised the cure, unlocking access to the new base game ending, ‘The Tower’.
King of Cups: The Mercy Kill
This tragic path starts by aligning with duty. In ‘Firestarter’, choose ‘BETRAY SONGBIRD | One more second…’ to side with Solomon Reed. You’ll hunt Songbird through the Cynosure facility in the mission ‘Somewhat Damaged’. At the core, a broken Songbird will plead with you to end her suffering. Choose ‘End So Mi | OK. I’ll do it.’ to grant her a merciful death. President Myers is furious you didn’t deliver Songbird alive, and she reneges on her promise—V does not get the cure from this path.
King of Pentacles: The Duty-Bound Cure
For the most direct route to V’s survival, side with Solomon Reed in ‘Firestarter’ (‘BETRAY SONGBIRD | One more second…’). Again, you’ll pursue Songbird to the Cynosure facility in ‘Somewhat Damaged’. This time, when she begs for death, you must refuse. Choose ‘Spare So Mi | Won’t do it.’ You deliver a captured but alive Songbird to President Myers, who upholds her end of the bargain. This grants V the cure and unlocks ‘The Tower’ ending.
⚠️ Watch out: The Cynosure facility during Reed’s paths is where you find key rewards. Explore thoroughly to grab the crafting spec for the iconic Erebus SMG and the powerful Blackwall Gateway Quickhack from the core area.
Each of these four conclusions in Phantom Liberty reshapes the fates of Songbird, Reed, and V in profound ways, proving that in Dogtown, there are no clean victories—only different shades of sacrifice. Choose the ending that best fits your V’s loyalties, and steel yourself for the consequences.
The Path of Least Resistance: The Suicide Ending
When the weight of Night City becomes too much to bear and every path forward seems to lead to more suffering, Cyberpunk 2077 offers one final, stark choice. This isn't about fighting Arasaka or finding a cure—it's about choosing your own terms.
Selecting 'There is another way' triggers the Path of Least Resistance.
On the balcony during Nocturne Op55N1, after Johnny Silverhand lays out the pills representing your grim options, you can select the dialogue choice "Could also just put all this to rest." When prompted, press [F] to Throw away pills. V will toss the pills over the edge, discard their gun, and end their life. This is the Path of Least Resistance, the Suicide Ending.
⚠️ A somber warning: This is the bleakest conclusion in Cyberpunk 2077. It offers no closure, no final mission, and no epilogue. It skips directly to the credits.
The payoff is a series of unique, heartbreaking video messages from V's closest friends and allies—like Judy, Panam, or Vik—reacting to the news of your death with shock, anger, and profound grief. If you've struggled with the relentless darkness of V's journey, this choice can feel like a grimly logical conclusion, but it's one that leaves nothing but sorrow in its wake.
Final Takeaway: The Suicide Ending exists for narrative completeness and roleplaying depth, but it awards no achievements and provides no gameplay satisfaction. It’s a somber, definitive full stop to V's story, reminding you that in Night City, sometimes the only choice you truly control is how you leave it.
