How to Start Phantom Liberty in Cyberpunk 2077

To start Phantom Liberty, finish the main job Transmission, the end of the Evelyn Parker storyline with the Voodoo Boys in Pacifica. Soon after, a netrunner named Songbird calls V and adds Dog Eat Dog, the expansion's first quest, to your journal. If you'd rather not play that far, you can start a new game with the Skip to Phantom Liberty option, or load an old save that's already past Transmission.

Last checked: November 9, 2026.

Three ways to start Phantom Liberty

You need to own and install the Phantom Liberty expansion, which is sold as DLC or included in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. It released on September 26, 2023 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it's also part of the Switch 2 and Mac versions.

Option 1: Start Phantom Liberty in a new game

1. Play through the prologue and Act 1, ending with The Heist.
2. In Act 2, follow the Evelyn Parker storyline. It leads to the Voodoo Boys in Pacifica through the jobs M'ap Tann Pelen and I Walk the Line.
3. Finish Transmission, the last job of that chain.
4. Songbird calls you and Dog Eat Dog starts.

The Phantom Liberty quest can show up in your journal at the start of Act 2, but you can't actually begin it until Transmission is done. Before that, Dogtown's gates stay shut, and you'll be turned away if you try to walk in.

You don't have to start the expansion the moment it unlocks. Like the main story's other jobs, it waits until you're ready. That said, Dogtown has strong weapons, cyberware and the Relic perk tree, so many players start it soon after it opens.

Option 2: Skip to Phantom Liberty

On the new game menu you can choose to skip straight to the expansion. Here's what that does:

• You still create V and pick a lifepath.
• You start at level 15 with a set of weapons and cyberware already equipped.
• Your Attribute and Perk points are already spent for you.
• Johnny Silverhand catches you up on the story so far during a loading screen, and you start in Pacifica.
• Main story jobs before this point are marked as completed and can't be replayed on that save.

CD PROJEKT RED recommends against skipping. You'd miss a large part of the main story, so the option makes the most sense for returning players who already know it.

Don't like the build you were given? Since update 2.0 you can refund perks one at a time for free, and every playthrough gets one Attribute reset. Our attributes and perks guide explains both.

Option 3: Continue an existing save

Phantom Liberty works with old saves. If your save is already past Transmission, Songbird gets in touch within a few minutes of loading, and Dog Eat Dog appears in your journal. If your save is earlier in the story, keep playing until you finish Transmission.

What happens in Dog Eat Dog

Songbird tells V she can deal with the Relic chip that's slowly killing them, if V helps her first. The job: the plane carrying Rosalind Myers, President of the New United States, is going down in Dogtown, and someone needs to get her out alive.

Songbird asks you to meet her near Dogtown's entrance, and from there you slip into the district past the guards of the Barghest, the militia run by Kurt Hansen. Dogtown is a walled-off district that corporations and the police can't enter, and it's where most of the expansion takes place.

The first main jobs come in this order:

1. Dog Eat Dog
2. Hole in the Sky
3. Spider and Fly
4. Lucretia My Reflection

Don't lock yourself out of the story

PC Gamer found a choice early on that can end the expansion's main story for good. Near the end of Lucretia My Reflection, you can tell Solomon Reed and President Myers "You're right, I'm out." If you then confirm with "Made my decision," the quest fails and the main Phantom Liberty questline stops. You can still explore Dogtown, but the spy story is over on that save.

If you want the full story, pick the option to stay. Save before that conversation either way.

What Phantom Liberty adds

• Dogtown, a dense new district packed with jobs, gigs and building interiors.
• A level cap of 60, up from 50.
• The Relic perk tree, with nine abilities you unlock through the story and Restricted Data Terminals in Dogtown.
• New weapons, cyberware, vehicles and vehicle combat.
• New characters, including Songbird, Solomon Reed (played by Idris Elba), Rosalind Myers and Alex.
• Several expansion endings, and a new ending for the main game that some of them unlock. See our endings guide (spoilers).

Frequently asked questions

When does Phantom Liberty start in Cyberpunk 2077?

After you finish the main job Transmission, which ends the Evelyn Parker and Voodoo Boys storyline in Act 2. Songbird then calls V and the first quest, Dog Eat Dog, begins.

Can you skip to Phantom Liberty?

Yes. Choose Skip to Phantom Liberty when you start a new game. You create V as usual, then start at level 15 with your gear and points already set, and earlier main jobs count as completed.

Can I play Phantom Liberty with my old save?

Yes. If the save is past Transmission, Songbird contacts you within a few minutes of loading. If it isn't, finish Transmission first.

What level should you be for Phantom Liberty?

There's no level requirement beyond finishing Transmission, so you can start it whenever it unlocks. For comparison, the Skip to Phantom Liberty option starts new characters at level 15.

Why can't I get into Dogtown?

Dogtown stays locked until you've finished Transmission and Songbird has called. If it's still locked, check that Phantom Liberty is installed and that Dog Eat Dog is in your journal.

Can you fail Phantom Liberty?

Yes. If you walk out during Lucretia My Reflection by choosing "You're right, I'm out" and then "Made my decision," the main questline ends. Save before that scene.

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