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Decoding Night City: What Influences Your Cyberpunk 2077 Ending?

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The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is a sprawling, neon-drenched dystopia where choices matter. Unlike some RPGs with a simple good/evil morality system, Cyberpunk 2077’s endings are nuanced and heavily influenced by the decisions you make throughout your playthrough. From the romantic relationships you forge to the side quests you undertake and even your relationship with the ghost in your head, Johnny Silverhand, almost every action has a ripple effect that can dramatically alter V’s final fate. Your choices made during the main story missions and side quest chains will impact your character’s future. To unlock the two other ‘regular’ endings, you must complete optional questlines involving Panam and Johnny / Rogue.

Understanding the Web of Consequences

Several factors contribute to determining which ending(s) are available to you:

Main Story Choices: Naturally, the key decisions you make during the main questline significantly influence the narrative’s climax. These are the most obvious, but often not the only determiners.
Side Quests Completion: This is where the true depth of Cyberpunk 2077’s narrative unfolds. Completing side quests, especially those associated with key characters like Panam Palmer, Judy Alvarez, Rogue Amendiares, and River Ward, unlocks unique dialogue options and story paths that lead to specific endings. Ignoring these side quests will severely limit your options.
Johnny Silverhand’s Affinity: Your relationship with Johnny is a pivotal factor. Throughout the game, you’ll have opportunities to shape your bond with him. Choices that show empathy, understanding, and a willingness to listen to his perspective will increase your affinity. A higher affinity unlocks unique dialogue options during crucial moments and is essential for unlocking certain endings, most notably the secret Don’t Fear the Reaper ending. To reach the 70% affinity requirement, engage with him in dialogue options with Johnny during Automatic Love, Transmission, Life During Wartime, Tapeworm, Search and Destroy, Blistering Love, Holdin’ On, and A Like Supreme.
Romance Options: Building a romantic relationship with certain characters can affect which endings you can access and the overall tone of your chosen ending. Judy Alvarez (if V is female or has a feminine voice) and Panam Palmer (if V is male) have the most direct influence on the ending you experience, offering emotional depth and potential avenues for a hopeful outcome.
Specific Questline Choices: Within each side questline, individual choices can have cascading effects. For example, how you handle certain situations in Panam’s questline will determine whether you can rely on the Aldecaldos for assistance in one of the endings.
Hidden Requirements and Timed Events: Cyberpunk 2077 likes to keep secrets. Some endings require specific actions or dialogue choices at particular moments, and missing these opportunities can lock you out of that ending permanently. The Don’t Fear the Reaper ending is the most notable example of this.

A Deep Dive into the Major Endings

Cyberpunk 2077 offers a variety of endings, each with its own unique narrative and consequences for V and the other characters you’ve encountered.

The Devil (Arasaka Ending): This ending involves siding with Arasaka and trusting them to “cure” V. It is generally considered one of the more bleak endings, highlighting the ruthlessness of the corporate world. The requirement for this path is simply choosing to trust Hanako Arasaka during the final conversation.
The Star (Aldecaldos Ending): If you’ve built a strong relationship with Panam and completed her questline, you can call upon the Aldecaldos for help. This ending sees V leaving Night City with the nomads, seeking a potential cure outside the city.
The Sun (Rogue Ending): This ending requires completing Rogue’s questline and asking her for assistance. V takes on Arasaka Tower with Rogue’s help, aiming to become a legend in Night City. This ending is a bittersweet ending, where V becomes an NC legend and decides to live out final days in Night City.
The Temperance Ending: With the temperance ending, V’s fate is in the hands of Johnny Silverhand and is unlocked through the side questline with Rogue.
Don’t Fear the Reaper (Secret Ending): This is the most challenging ending to unlock and complete. To access it, you must have a high affinity with Johnny Silverhand (usually around 70%) and hesitate for a few moments during the final decision-making sequence. This triggers a dialogue option where Johnny suggests a solo assault on Arasaka Tower.
Suicide Ending: If you chose to throw away the pills on the rooftop with Johnny in the suicide ending, Johnny shows disapproval but also does nothing to interfere, understanding it is V’s choice. It is easily the saddest ending, not giving V or Johnny any hope.

Digging Deeper: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)