How to Get the Secret Ending in Cyberpunk

Unlock the secret ending in Cyberpunk 2077 with these steps. Get tips on choices and dialogue options to achieve this elusive conclusion.

One of our favorite parts about CR Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is the seemingly endless pathways you can take in the game to reach a certain end. Specifically, there are six well-known endings in the game; however, there’s one additional ending that’s the most coveted of them all.

The Don’t Fear the Reaper ending, also referred to as the secret ending, offers a thrilling, high-stakes conclusion in your journey with V and Johnny Silverhand. However, it’s also the hardest one to achieve, requiring careful and specific actions to reach it. To unlock this heart-pounding ending to our main characters’ stories, keep reading this guide to get you there so you and Johnny can go out with a bang.

Disclaimer: This guide is to be read at your own risk. Know that there will be spoilers – and plenty of them – within this article.

Johnny and V’s Relationship

One major aspect of unlocking the secret ending is your relationship with Johnny. Your affinity with Johnny is determined by your previous interactions with him throughout the game as well as choices V makes during the game that Johnny is aware of.

To build your affinity with Johnny, consistently make choices that align with his rebellious and anti-corporate ideals. Supporting him, helping him on missions, and generally siding with his values will increase your relationship.

Remember that the required affinity threshold is 70% or higher, so if you’ve been too hostile or dismissive toward Johnny, this will lock you out of the secret ending. Instead, you’ll get one of the endings we’ve listed later in this article.

Phase One: Chippin’ In

To unlock the secret ending, you have to complete the mission "Tapeworm," which happens during the latter stages of the main storyline. After completing Tapeworm, you’ll get access to the side mission “Chippin’ In.” This mission is critical for triggering the secret ending, so don’t skip this part!

During the Chippin' In mission, Johnny asks for your help in taking down some of his enemies, and this mission is a pivotal point in Johnny’s storyline because it helps solidify Johnny and V’s relationship. A key moment here is during your conversation with Johnny, where you discuss his plans and whether you're willing to take things to the next level with him.

To prompt the conversation in this next scene that unlocks the secret ending, you have to wait five minutes on the rooftop in silence with Johnny as he deliberates attacking Arasaka Tower before you’ll get the additional dialogue options.

It’s also important to know that CD Projekt Red is notorious for seemingly innocuous conversations having a major impact on the ending. To ensure you get the secret ending you want, here’s the dialogue you should select when speaking with Johnny at his gravesite:

V: "Let's do something about that." At this point, you must inscribe Johnny's initials when prompted to do so.
V: "The Guy who Saved My Life" V: "Nah, fucked that up too."
V: "What do you want from me?"
V: "OK. But as second chances go, this is your last."
V: "You were a real dick in the beginning."
V: "When you said you let down your friends..."
V: "Yeah, I'll call Rogue."

Keep in mind that missing even one of these responses will keep you from unlocking the secret ending, so ensure you select these exact dialogue options.

Phase Two: Don’t Fear the Reaper

Once you’ve established your relationship with Johnny and agreed to help him during the Chippin’ In quest, you’ll trigger the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” mission. This is the secret ending, and it's a highly dangerous one. It’s also a solo mission, and your decisions during the mission affect how the story unfolds.

In this mission, you (V) and Johnny team up to storm Arasaka Tower to take down the corporation together. It's a high-risk, high-reward ending that includes several intense combat sequences and significant consequences.

Character Prep

Before starting this ending, we cannot over-emphasize how important it is to prep. Here’s what we recommend so you can defeat Arasaka and make your way through the enemies you’ll face:

Weaponry: Ensure you have top-tier weapons and armor that are optimized for combat.
Cyberware: Consider cyberware that improves your combat abilities, such as Sandevistan for increased movement speed and reaction time and Kerenzikov for slowed time during combat.
Consumables: Stock up on healing items and buffs as well as upgrade your grenade-throwing abilities. Having enough quick hacks and healing options can be a lifesaver during fire fights.
Level Up: By this point in the game, you should be at a high enough level to tackle the difficult enemies in Arasaka Tower. Ideally, you should be at least level 40. Additionally, it’s helpful to upgrade combat-related skills like athletics and reflexes.

Johnny’s Help

While this mission is technically solo, Johnny still plays a key role. As you progress through the mission, Johnny will make comments and perform actions that impact how the fight progresses. Be sure to interact with him during moments when his commentary or advice might guide you toward better decisions. He also can be a good distraction during tough combat situations, so use him strategically to pull enemy attention away from you so you can heal or reposition V.

Combat Strategy

Combat in "Don't Fear the Reaper" is a constant, high-intensity battle against Arasaka forces, so it’s helpful to go in with a plan. Here's how to maximize your chances:

Avoid Open Fire Fights: While it's tempting to engage head-on, using cover and stealth is the smarter option. Use cover to avoid exposure to enemy gunfire and don’t rush into battles unless you absolutely have to.
Use Quickhacks: If you have Intelligence skills and can hack enemies, use quickhacks like Overheat, Short Circuit, or Synapse Burnout to disable or kill enemies from a distance without risking direct confrontation.
Focus on Weak Points: Focus on weak points in Arasaka forces. Go for headshots or target your enemy’s tech, like disabling their cyberware.
Use Your Environment: As you make your way through Arasaka Tower, there are plenty of environmental factors you can use to your advantage. Explosive barrels, sentry guns, and other environmental hazards can be used to kill groups of enemies or gain an advantage in tough spots.
Covering Fire: If you’re dealing with larger groups of enemies, try to use Johnny as a diversion while you move forward.

Remember, this final mission is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time and pace yourself. The more you rush, the more likely you are to run out of healing items or encounter more enemies than you can handle at once.

The Final Battle

At the climax of the mission, you’ll face Arasaka's elite forces, including some of their strongest operatives. When you reach the final area, prepare for heavy resistance. You’ll encounter multiple waves of enemies, so make sure to keep some healing items handy during this last part.

If you meet the requirements we’ve outlined here, you’ll unlock the secret ending, which leads to a crucial decision about Johnny and V’s future. This choice will determine whether V pursues a high-risk, high-reward path that could change their fate dramatically. The outcome of this secret ending is entirely in your hands and differs from the main narrative conclusions.

Cyberpunk 2077 Main Endings Overview

The Path of Least Resistance

This is known as the easiest and least confrontational ending in the game. Here, V ultimately chooses to side with the Arasaka corporation without taking any aggressive or rebellious action against it.

To get this ending, V needs to take a passive approach during key story moments, avoiding major conflicts and not siding with Johnny Silverhand's radical anti-corporate stance. You don’t form any strong alliances with other factions like the Nomads or the Aldecaldos. Instead, you allow Arasaka to absorb you into their fold.

While it's not necessarily about being a corporate stooge, it is about taking the "safe" route, avoiding major confrontations, and taking what seems like the least risky choice. In the end, V ends up in a deal with Arasaka and is promised a future within the corporation, potentially with a chance for recovery.

The Devil

The Devil is the corporate ending, also requiring you to ally with the Arasaka Corporation. Here, V chooses to fully ally with Arasaka, but it's a more active choice to work with the corporation rather than simply avoiding conflict.

With this version of the ending, V sides with the Arasaka Corporation, and after a series of decisions, gets the opportunity to re-enter the corporate world. It’s the ending where you work under the Arasaka umbrella, with a chance to restore your life and future.

V’s active engagement with Arasaka and embrace of the corporate world ties their future to the corporation, requiring a high degree of personal sacrifice involved in maintaining the deal.

The Star

Also referred to as the Nomad ending, The Star requires V to side with the Nomads and help them in their quests.

After developing a strong bond with Panam, the Nomad faction becomes central to this path. During this ending, V chooses to leave Night City and start a new life with the Nomads. In return, Panam and her crew will help V escape the corporate or city conflicts.

This ending grants V a fresh start, and is often seen as the most hopeful and freeing version. It allows you to escape the overwhelming power struggles of Night City and join the Nomads for a chance at a new, simpler life.

Temperance

The Temperance ending, which ensures Johnny Silverhand’s Legacy, requires you to follow the right steps, like ensuring Johnny and V build a close relationship and then choosing to let Johnny take over V's body in the final mission.

Johnny takes control of V’s body, living out a life that he never got the chance to fully experience. V’s consciousness might fade or find peace, depending on the exact choices you make throughout the game.

This ending is about V potentially sacrificing their physical existence for the greater cause or legacy of the character.

The Sun

The Sun ending is solo, and to achieve it, you need to maintain a high level of trust with Johnny Silverhand. You also need to choose the option to confront Hanako Arasaka during the final mission.

During this ending, V decides to go it alone, taking on Arasaka and the larger corporate forces without Johnny or anyone else by their side. You will end up in a power struggle within Arasaka, and V can either survive or die due to the digital ghost of Johnny within them.

V's survival or death depends on your choices during the finale, but the main outcome is a rather solitary one with a focus on achieving personal goals.

The Tower

The Tower ending came with the introduction of the DLC, Phantom Liberty, and occurs if you fail to unlock the secret ending or make specific choices during the final moments of the game that result in a tragic outcome for V and Johnny. In this version, V confronts Arasaka in the final mission but ultimately ends up trapped or lost, with no successful resolution to the situation.

Depending on the decisions you make, it will ultimately lead to V's death or inability to escape Night City. This ending is considered the “bad ending” because it’s the most bleak of the possible outcomes.

Here are some factors that contribute to getting the bad ending:

If you don’t do the necessary side quests like “Chippin’ In,” you’ll be locked out of the secret ending. If you complete the DLC Phantom Liberty, and make the right choices (saving Songbird), you’ll have the option to choose the Tower here.
You make the wrong dialogue choices during Johnny’s side quests.
You don’t side with Johnny, or you fail to agree to take the risk of storming Arasaka Tower with him in the "Chippin' In" side job. This would result in Johnny’s ghost taking a backseat and potentially leaving V to fight their own battles with the corporation.

Reaching the Secret Ending

Unlocking the secret ending in Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most exciting and rewarding ways to experience the game. It’s a chance to take the ultimate risk, teaming up with Johnny Silverhand for an explosive finale that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

With the right choices, gear, and combat strategy, you can conquer the odds and make a lasting impact on Night City. So, follow the steps carefully, prepare yourself for a wild ride, and enjoy the unique and intense journey that only the Don't Fear the Reaper ending can deliver.

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