Cyberpunk 2077's paid expansion is looming ever closer on the horizon. Titled Phantom Liberty, the DLC represents a second chance for developer CD Projekt Red to make a strong first impression following the infamous launch of the base game, which was riddled with bugs and performance issues. The expansion is a result of CD Projekt Red's continued commitment to the project and comes after Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone several fixes and patches over the past couple of years, which have largely improved the game in many ways. Returning Hollywood A-Lister Keanu Reeves heads up the cast, reprising his role as the charismatic maverick Johnny Silverhand, and he will be joined by a few more famous faces.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will mostly take place in Dogtown, a brand-new section of Night City that was not featured in the base game. Controlled by Colonel Kurt Hansen, Dogtown is walled off from the rest of Night City and is separated into three subdistricts. After becoming embroiled in Dogtown's conflicts, the protagonist V must partner with FIA agent Solomon Reed, played by British actor Idris Elba, in order to complete a dangerous mission. Elba joining the cast is another coup for Cyberpunk 2077 and has seen renewed interest in the IP from fans.
Cyberpunk 2077 Features Some Recognizable Names
Despite Cyberpunk 2077 being panned at launch due to the myriad of issues accompanying it, most fans and critics were in agreement that Keanu Reeves turned in a stellar performance as Johnny Silverhand. As Silverhand's unhinged consciousness was slowly let loose inside the mind of protagonist V, watching the two's strange and unique relationship blossom was one of the highlights of the game. Silverhand's role in Phantom Liberty is likely to be similarly entertaining.
Joining Keanu Reeves this time around will be Idris Elba. The Fast and Furious presents: Hobbs and Shaw star is playing the mysterious Solomon Reed, an experienced FIA agent with a keen sense of duty. He is a highly skilled in several key areas, including extracting information, breaking into secure locations, and uncovering spies and netrunners. While trailers indicate that he will be working with V, many have speculated there's more to his character than meets the eye. This won't be Elba's first involvement with the video game industry, with his successful portrayal of Knuckles in the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2 winning him praise from many critics, which has led to him reprising the role in an upcoming TV series.
Canadian singer Grimes, whose real name is Claire Elise Boucher, is also returning to the cast of Cyberpunk 2077 as Lizzy Wizzy, one of Night City's most famous celebrities. Lizzy Wizzy's striking cybermodified form gives her a unique look which makes her incredibly easy to recognize. She crosses paths with V in the base game after hiring them to investigate whether her boyfriend is having an affair, and V has the option to lie to her for a bribe from her cheating boyfriend, or tell the truth. Doing the latter results in Lizzy brutally killing her boyfriend, before thanking V for his honesty and disappearing. Her exact role in Phantom Liberty is not known, but it will be interesting to see how she fits in.
CD Projekt Red is going to be incredibly busy over the next couple of years. As well as a number of new Witcher projects in development, Phantom Liberty isn't the only Cyberpunk 2077 project the Polish developer is working on, with a proper sequel, mysteriously titled Project Orion, also announced. Nothing but the project's codename has been revealed yet, and the game is likely to be a number of years away from launching, but Phantom Liberty's imminent launch should provide fans with an immediate opportunity to dive back into the world of Night City.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty launches on September 26, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.