Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is the only planned expansion for the sci-fi RPG. It will be released on September 26. The expansion takes place in the middle of the game, unlike most expansions which take place after the main endings. It aims to address one of the game’s major criticisms: the police pursuit and wanted system.
Some of the new content will have to be purchased, but there will also be a free update to the base game. In the gameplay trailer, V uses a katana to force an enemy to their knees and then chops off their head with one swing. New character and story details have been revealed.
CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 seemed like it would be the big new thing when it released in 2020, and for the most part, it wasn’t to many. The developer’s spent the years since turning it into a truly solid first outing for a larger franchise, helped by the fact that the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners series was pretty dang good on its own. And further helping with the game’s rehabilitation efforts is the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion.
Earlier in the week, CDPR released a cinematic trailer for Phantom Liberty, which mirrors the base game in that it features a big celebrity to serve as the crux of the whole story. In this case, it’s Idris Elba playing a retired spy named Solomon Reed who, unlike Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand, isn’t a ghost that may take over your body.
The developers have previously said they wanted to channel a spy thriller feel with Phantom, and the cinematic succeeds in that regard as Reed tries to flee Night City with the help of his apprentice Song So Mi (aka Songbird). Like many spy stories, things don’t appear to go well for Reed, but years later, he’s forced out of hiding and finds himself working with the player character V.
Phantom Liberty will see V and Reed team up to rescue So Mi and the President of the New United States of America after their ship crashes over in the Dogtown district. In a video breaking down both Reed and Dogtown Elba’s described his character as a reluctant person who “loves his job,” and who players will gradually learn about throughout the expansion.
“You know what maybe he’s capable of,” said Elba, “but can you trust him? Spy stories make you think one thing, and you should actually be paying attention to someone else.” Whichever side Reed falls on, players will only be able to learn about him in a professional context, as he’s confirmed by Elba himself to not be a romance option.
