Cyberpunk 2077 improved tremendously since its rocky start back in late 2020. The game is finally bug-free for the most part and provides significantly more content than the launch version thanks to update 2.0 and especially Phantom Liberty. The expansion more than lives up to the hype by offering everything from new jobs and gear to new locations, NPCs, and more.
Like any good expansion, Phantom Liberty also features a brand-new storyline, complete with heart-pumping action and plenty of plot twists. The events of Phantom Liberty run somewhat parallel to the events of the main game, which can lead to some confusion among players who are trying to decide when to tackle the expansion. Don’t worry, though, because we’re here to make that decision easier by explaining where Phantom Liberty takes place on the larger timeline.
Phantom Liberty story spoilers ahead
Phantom Liberty Plot Summary
The story of Phantom Liberty is quite bombastic and revolves around saving Rosalind Myers, the President of the New United States of America, after her spaceplane gets hit by a missile and crash-lands in Dogtown. Dogtown is a brand-new location found in the southern part of Night City, and it’s where all the most important events of Phantom Liberty take place.
As V embarks on an epic quest to save Myers from the crash site, the protagonist will encounter several notable characters, including the Netrunner So Mi Song (better known as Songbird) and Solomon Reed, an FIA agent played by none other than Idris Elba. Along the way, V will gradually descend into a world of intrigue and espionage inspired by the likes of Escape From New York and Heart of Darkness.
Phantom Liberty Timeline
The timeline of Phantom Liberty is intentionally somewhat vague because the player can choose to delve into the events of the expansion at several points during the main campaign. At the earliest, players can enter Dogtown after completing Transmission, a main quest involving Maman Brigitte and the Voodoo Boys. This main quest takes place during Act 2, roughly around the halfway point of the game.
Completing the events of Phantom Liberty takes around one in-game week, though you can speed through it or take additional time depending on your playstyle. Canonically, these events take place sometime in May and/or June of 2077, much like the rest of Act 2. However, one of Phantom Liberty’s endings skips ahead a bit and takes place in 2079, two years after the main events of both the base game and the expansion. The other three endings take place in 2077.
When And How To Start Phantom Liberty
You can start Phantom Liberty anytime between Transmission and Nocturne Op55N1. There are only seven other main jobs between these two quests, so the window of opportunity is fairly small all things considered. Ideally, you’ll want to delve into Phantom Liberty as soon as it becomes available. Songbird will reach out to you shortly after you complete Transmission and you shouldn’t delay too long before pursuing her first quest, Dog Eat Dog.
If you’ve already finished the game, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to start a new playthrough in order to dive into the events of the expansion. Simply boot up your latest save and wait for Songbird to contact you.
Alternatively, you can start a new game and select Phantom Liberty from the main menu. That will allow you to jump straight into the expansion without having to go through the events of the main game. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend this, but by using this method you can start playing Phantom Liberty even if you’ve never played Cyberpunk 2077 before.