Every Major Death in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and…

Summary

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty introduces new characters and allows players to explore a new section of Night City. However, some characters can die based on player choices.
The most prominent deaths in Phantom Liberty occur based on whether players side with Songbird or Reed. Choosing one side means killing the other important character.
The deaths in Phantom Liberty have a greater impact compared to typical NPC deaths in the game, as players get to know the characters and their perspectives before making decisions that can lead to their deaths.

This article contains heavy spoilers for Cyperpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and its story. For those who have either beaten the main story of the base game or for players who just want something new to go alongside their first playthrough, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is out on next-gen consoles now. This paid DLC expansion will open a brand-new section of Night City up for players to explore, and saddle V the merc with an entirely new party of characters who come to life right before players' eyes.

Of course, with the nature of a Cyberpunk game and world, this also means they can die right in front of fans, too. While it isn't necessarily a staple of the franchise at large, Cyberpunk 2077 could be rather grim at times, and several NPCs were victims of the situation surrounding V. In Phantom Liberty, V at least is only a bystander dragged into a web of betrayal forged in CP 2077's Unification War, but there are still a few characters that pay the ultimate price.

Every Death in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Explained

Phantom Liberty does have a bit of a tonal shift in its story compared to Cyberpunk 2077 itself. However, it may still feel a bit strange that the DLC only allows roughly a handful of important characters to bite the bullet directly. The most prominent deaths are due to player choice, the options differing depending on who V sides with in the end; Songbird, or Reed. Naturally, this means that the given options deal with killing whoever they didn't side with, to begin with. It's understandable that choosing between the two most important characters in the expansion would cause shockwaves, but Phantom Liberty Cyberpunk 2077's deaths in the base campaign.

All the main story deaths during Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty are listed below.

Slider - Compromised by Blackwall AIs while trying to reconnect V with Songbird. He suddenly cries out in pain and dies while stuck behind the dangerous firewall.
Songbird - If players choose to side with Reed, they'll need to chase Songbird through a Cynosure facility and through the Blackwall. In the end, Songbird claims she is fading, and the only peaceful way out is death. Players can honor So Mi's request and kill her.
Alex - In the same route as Songbird's request to die, when So Mi goes rogue with power from beyond the Blackwall, Alex's fight with Kurt Hansen goes awry, and she's killed by Kurt with Songbird's help.
Kurt - If players side with Reed, Kurt stands in their way as they try to push out of the Black Sapphire. He's made into a "boss" of sorts, stopping V from chasing after Songbird. This means players have to kill him, to which Reed will thank V and say "that was for Alex."
Reed - If fans side with Songbird, they'll be made to carry her body throughout the facility in order to escape. Reed will cut them off in a tunnel, and ask that V hands over So Mi to him. Players can fight back by pulling out their weapon and can shoot him to death.

While there's a considerable lack of death in Phantom Liberty compared to the adventures in Night City, most of the deaths are core pieces of Phantom Liberty's cast, which means the impact of player actions will likely hit far harder than just the average side quest gone wrong or an NPC death during a questline revolving around them. It only strengthens the DLC's story as throughout it, players got to know these characters and their perspectives, which likely helps influence the decisions that may lead to these deaths. There's an ending where both Reed and Songbird stay alive, at the very least, so there is a way to finish the DLC with a good number of V's companions still alive.