With a fresh mix of interesting references, cool easter eggs, mysteries and secrets, Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty does not disappoint. The Expansion is full of them!
Easter eggs, references, and all kinds of fun facts are some of my favorite things to look for in a game. CD Projekt Red has some very cool things with the Phantom Liberty Expansion, here’s everything we’ve found so far!
Some of the locations and events described below may be considered minor story spoilers.
Interesting phone calls
The Capitan Caliente has more secrets than you might think. By paying close attention, you’ll see some paper notes on the wall with phone numbers. If you dial these numbers on the phone, you’ll get some interesting interactions.
Dialing 5745552377 will play The Witcher theme.
If you call 911 no one answers and eventually Johnny insults them.
Never Fade Away is a song by Samurai (Johhny Silvehand’s band). Dial 6175556277 to hear the cover made by P. T. Adamczyk and Olga Jankowska.
Roach Race Review
Speaking of Capitan Caliente, inside it you can find this message from someone talking about the Roach Race arcade game. Roach is the horse of Geralt of Rivia, the main character of The Witcher.
A haunting creature: the Barghest has a history with CDPR
Kurt Hansen leads the Barghest, a private army that controls everything in Dogtown. This private army’s name and logo are based on a creature of the Northern English Mythology.
A beast of the same name appears in The Witcher. These dog-like creatures are specters that are deadlier than any common dog or wolf.
Star Wars Namedrops
During the mission called “The Spider and the Fly”, you can find this email stored on the Expo computer. The conversation inside it is between Wedge and Biggs, a clear reference to Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter. Two Rebel Alliance Pilots and friends of Luke Skywalker.
More Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunners references
This entertaining anime introduced thousands of people to the universe of Cyberpunk 2077. A tribute to some of the characters of the show has been added to Phantom Liberty. Head to the Columbarium, in North Oak, Westbrook.
There are five memorials related to David Martinez, Gloria Martinez, Kiwi, Rebecca, Pilar, Dorio, and Maine. We have a large collection of content covering the relationship between Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077.
Click on an image below to see it in full size on full screen.
Games inside the game
Arcade Machines in Cyberpunk 2077 allow you to play mini-games that can be very entertaining and sometimes even grant nice rewards. One of the new additions is inside Yoko’s shop.
It is called “Trauma Drama”, you have to rescue people as a member of the Trauma Team. Getting the highest score will grant you the Trauma Team outfit and a mini AV to decorate your apartment.
The next one is located all the way down in the Badlands.
This game is called “Arasaka Tower” and you play as Johnny Silverhand during his most legendary (and final) endeavor.
There is an ongoing investigation and attempts by many players to resolve the mystery of the Magenta Code (FF:06:B5) and those weird statues found in several places in Night City. There are theories that this new mini-game is directly related to the mystery of the code. This mystery connects to The Witcher 3 as well.
For Mr. Wick
John Wick is one of Keanu Reeves’ most beloved characters. It would be crazy not to have an easter egg related to the one-man army. To find it, look for the weapons vendor inside the Petrochem Stadium.
There’s a case next to a stash of boxes that has an engraved gold plate with the message “For Mr. Wick”. How cool is that?
Celebrating CDPR
These two vendors are CD Projekt Red founders, Michal Kicinsky and Marcin Iwinski. They sell braindances inspired by some of the company’s important moments. The cost of each braindance is equal to the year in which each release happened.
Games like The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, Thronebreaker, and Gwent are referenced in these brain dances.
NCPIGS
If you try to enter Dogtown with an NCPD vehicle not only the gates won’t open, but you’ll also see a sign that says “FUCK OFF NCPIGS”.
Pet the cats!
After three years the players now have the chance to pet every cat in Night City. This doesn’t affect gameplay in any form but it’s nice for those who love animals.
The most relaxing spot in Night City
There is a girl playing a Handpan near the Heavy Hearts Club. While this isn’t a reference to anything, I think it’s something super unique and can confidently say that standing next to her is the most relaxing experience in the game.
She’s not at floor level so even if you’re walking nearby it won’t be easy to spot without paying attention. Come close to the construction site and look up at the scaffolds until you see this talented player.
A tribute to Ken Block
Ken Block was a rally driver who sadly passed away in January of 2023. CD Projekt Red made a tribute to the pilot in the form of an awesome weaponized car that is completely free and has the number 43 on it, just like Block’s ride. To get this car, head to the location on the map below. It is located in Northside Watson.
You will see the car there but it’s impossible to get inside without the keys. The good news is that they are just a few feet away inside a box.
This is a great opportunity to get your first weaponized car without spending any eddies.
What used car salesman would tell you
There is an old and still popular story that many car salespersons would tell you when offering you a secondhand vehicle. They would tell you that the previous elderly owner of the vehicle used it only to go for groceries.
In Dogtown, at the open street market in the middle of the zone, you can sometimes witness a random conversation between two NPCs (they are not always there) where one complains about such sleazy used cars salesman, who told her that the previous owner only used the vehicle to occasionally cruise around North Oak and nothing else.
The “Peter Pan” Reference
Farida, the ripperdoc Reed sends you to in Dogtown as part of one the main mission “Birds with Broken Wings” from Phantom Liberty, is reading a news article about the infamous “Meatman”, Anthony Harris, also known to NCPD as “Peter Pan”.
The character “Peter Pan” is involved in a side job in Cyberpunk 2077, called “The Hunt”. It is given to you by River Ward after you complete “I Fought the Law“.
I captured this on a save where I had already completed everything from the base game. This means that the news article Farida is reading must be old and outdated as the Meatman is still free and on the hunt.
That girl from the trailer…
One of the early trailers of Cyberpunk features a girl using the Mantis Blades. She’s in a Cyberpsychosis state and as a result, the MaxTac team is deployed to deal with the threat.
Unlike other people, she’s taken alive and in the final part of the trailer, she’s seen as a new member of the MaxTac squad. Her name is Melissa Rory and you can actually find her in-game.
This hidden quest is located at the Jinguji store in Downtown. A Cyberpsycho will kill two guards and attack you, shortly after the MaxTac team will arrive and help you defeat him.
The Lieutenant of this MaxTac unit is Melissa Rory. You can talk to her, despite being “treated” it’s very obvious that she hasn’t fully recovered.
Rory even explains that she kept her Higurashi blades as a reminder of the things she did, making it evident that she still struggles.
Attacking Melissa and her MaxTac team will initiate a boss fight. Defeat Melissa to acquire her Mantis Blades. This boss fight was added in the 2.0 update.
Giffy or Jiffy?
The old joke about the correct pronunciation of gif vs jif is embedded in a conversation via text messages between V and Alex. During one of the main missions from Phantom LIberty in Dogtown, Alex invites you for a drink in her bar The Moth in Longshore Stacks. You have to accept her invitation to see this message.
Blade, The Vampire Slayer
The Anatomicon is a place used to throw some crazy parties. Illegal substances, loud music, and vampires! Upon arriving, you’ll see multiple people victims lying on the floor.
Scanning them reveals that they died after getting stabbed multiple times in the chest. The responsible for this is none other than Marvel’s Vampire Slayer, Blade. He’ll be dancing on the roof but don’t let this fool you, he will attack as soon as you enter the Anatomicon.
He fights with a katana and is very fast. He can also become almost invisible, making it very hard to hit him with any kind of weapon. I suggest that you use a melee weapon and/or quickhacks to make everything easier.
Once defeated, he’ll drop the iconic weapon mod “Haemocide”. You can also see that his name is Wesley Hunt, a reference to Wesley Snipes, the actor who played Blade in the 1998 movie.
There are more easter eggs, references and secrets to be shared and even more that we have yet to discover. Come back later and check this article from time to time for new additions. If you spot something funny you think should be listed here, leave a comment and I will add it.
