When was the Phantom Liberty release date? The Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, dubbed a “spy-thriller” by developer CD Projekt Red, promises to drop you in a brand-new district of Night City. As V, a Cyberpunk for hire, we’ll be spying around and fighting military forces alongside our new buddy, FIA Agent Solomon Reed, played by Idris Elba.
We first saw the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion during The Game Awards 2022, and we’ve learned so much about the RPG game since that initial announcement. As our Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review attests, the long-awaited DLC has redeemed Cyberpunk 2077 after its rather shaky start, with the potential for the game to end up on our best PC games list by the end of the year. If you’re planning to hit the mean streets of Night City, here’s everything you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty.
Phantom Liberty release date
The Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty release date was September 26, 2023. Phantom Liberty is exclusive to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S players.
Unlike Cyberpunk 2077, this expansion is not available on PS4 and Xbox One. Furthermore, Phantom Liberty is sold as DLC, not as a free update, so you must purchase it if you wish to play it.
Cyberpunk 2077 was a top seller on Steam shortly after the deployment of the 2.0 update, with the DLC hot on its heels following the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty release times.
Phantom Liberty trailers
In the first Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty trailer, we hear V repeating an oath to “faithfully serve the New United States of America”, suggesting that V is about to start a new gig as a government agent under the command of the President of the NUSA, Rosalind Myers. Near the end of the trailer, we see an Engram standing atop a stadium while a plane comes crashing down.
Interestingly, not everyone on Team V seems to be on board with the NUSA alliance. Near the end of the first Phantom Liberty trailer, a male voice warns V that taking the oath is “a bad idea.” Wait a minute… doesn’t that voice sound familiar? That’s right; Keanu Reeves returns as our favorite Engram Rockerboy, Johnny Silverhand. In the second Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty trailer, we hear him complaining about politicians and the military while the camera reveals a colorful new district called ‘Dogtown.’
Reeves won’t be the only famous actor appearing in Phantom Liberty, as the second teaser also introduces us to Solomon Reed, an FIA Agent played by Idris Elba. Given that ‘FIA’ stands for ‘Federal Intelligence Agency,’ it’s safe to assume that Solomon is a professional secret agent. In this brief teaser, Solomon suggests his goal is to establish peace. His method of operation? Burning Dogtown to the ground.
In the official trailer released during Summer Games Fest 2023, the developers broke down some elements you may have missed the first time. In this 15-minute video, you can grab a taste of some of the new mechanics in the game, as well as some of the new weapons you can expect to use in Dogtown.
Phantom Liberty setting and story
The first Phantom Liberty trailer depicted a massive stadium, the earliest indicator that part of the DLC takes place in the Pacifica District, located in the southwestern corner of the Cyberpunk 2077 map. It also shows a glimpse of a greenhouse, a brief tease of the Biotechnica Flats. Don’t expect too many familiar locations, though, since the majority of the Phantom Liberty DLC takes place in a brand-new section of Night City. As shown in the second teaser, Dogtown is a key location.
The previews at Summer Games Fest finally confirmed that Phantom Liberty begins right as Cyberpunk 2077 ends, with V wondering how to get Johnny Silverhand out of their brain. Just as they’re working out a solution, an opportunity appears to bring V to Dogtown.
There’s no doubt that Phantom Liberty will take V to a number of locations as part of the main story, but neglect the side quests at your peril. Phantom Liberty’s best side gig involves espionage and moral choice – the two great tastes that make the cyberpunk genre taste great.
Phantom Liberty gameplay
Phantom Liberty provides player with the opportunity to dive back into Night City for a second time, to discover a fresh arsenal of weapons and Cyberware. This includes a new whip, shotgun, and katana.
We’ve collected the best Cyberpunk 2077 builds as chosen by the developers for the 2.0 update, which you can take into the expansion. Alternatively, you can check out the official Phantom Liberty build planner to assign your skill points ahead of time.
A CDPR spokesperson confirmed that “budget-wise, Phantom Liberty will be the biggest expansion in CDPR’s history” but said that “game-scope-related details will be revealed at a later time.”
Thankfully, Phantom Liberty comes with a skip option for those who’d like to start a new save but are itching to get straight into the action. CD Projekt Red advised players to start a new game for 2.0 given the free overhaul’s extensive changes, and in our experience, it’s the ideal way to get the best experience of Cyberpunk 2077 possible.
Phantom Liberty news
In July 2023, CD Projekt Red confirmed it’s laying off 100 staff members, equating to about 9% of its workforce. These structural changes were implemented March 2024, several months after the confirmed Phantom Liberty release date.
As part of a YouTube comment, CD Projekt Red confirmed that Phantom Liberty is the only major expansion planned for Cyberpunk 2077. Then again, if Phantom Liberty proves to be a major success, you never know what happens next.
The Phantom Liberty DLC adds a new radio station to the game, Growl FM, dedicated to music made by fans. As part of a community contest during Fall 2022, musically gifted players could enter their original Cyberpunk-inspired songs to be featured.
Eagle-eyed players have also discovered Arasaka Tower 3D, a secret boomer shooter located in an abandoned church in the Nighty City badlands. This retro throwback is a delightful spoof on Wolfenstein 3D, starring Johnny Silverhand.
In an effort to curb technical issues with the Phantom Liberty expansion, CD Projekt Red announced that it’s disabling mods around launch on both Steam and Epic Games Store. Of course, it’s still worth checking out our list of the best Cyberpunk mods so you can have them ready to go the moment mods are enabled again.
If you’re looking to give CDPR’s RPG a graphical edge on PC, you’ll be pleased to know Cyberpunk 2077 path tracing is coming. Not only will it bring film-like rendering to PC, but the publisher says it’s working with Nvidia to bring the tech to mainstream users.
That’s everything you need to know about Phantom Liberty. Be sure to check the Cyberpunk 2077 system requirements, as well as the best Cyberpunk 2077 PC settings to get Night City looking its best. We’ve also got the scoop on Cyberpunk 2077 Steam Deck compatibility if you’re planning to take the cyberpunk game on the go.