Should I Finish Cyberpunk 2077 Before Phantom Liberty?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You are already near the end of the base game and want to experience Cyberpunk 2077 as it was originally structured before adding expansion content. Completing the main story first gives you a clear sense of the base narrative, characters, and endings, making Phantom Liberty feel like a distinct next chapter rather than an interruption.
• Good fit: You care about avoiding story spoilers or tonal confusion and want to reach the base-game endings before any expansion plotlines reshape your understanding of certain characters. This path works well if you value chronological narrative clarity and do not mind loading an earlier save or starting a new run to access Phantom Liberty later.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You are only partway through the main story and still exploring Night City naturally. Phantom Liberty is designed to slot into the middle of the campaign, and waiting until the very end may require you to reload a save from before the point of no return or begin a new playthrough, which can feel like backtracking.
• Warning sign: You are eager to use the new weapons, cyberware, vehicles, and gameplay refinements during the bulk of your main playthrough. Delaying the expansion until after the credits means you miss the chance to let those upgrades influence your approach to remaining base-game missions and boss fights.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Preserves the original narrative arc: Finishing Cyberpunk 2077 first lets you see the base story, relationships, and endings on their own terms, without the expansion reframing events or introducing characters before you have full context.
• Cleaner emotional closure: If you prefer a traditional “base game then DLC” structure, completing the main story before moving on can give you a satisfying sense of closure before starting a new story thread.

Cons

• May require reloading or restarting: Because Phantom Liberty takes place before the base-game finale, finishing first often means returning to an older save or beginning a new game to play the expansion, which disrupts momentum.
• You miss integrated upgrades during the campaign: New abilities, gear, and quality-of-life changes introduced alongside Phantom Liberty can enhance the base-game experience, and waiting means you only get to use them after you have already finished most of the content.

Decision Checklist

• How close am I to the base-game ending, and am I willing to load a save from before the point of no return to access Phantom Liberty later?
• Do I want the expansion story to feel like a mid-game chapter that shapes my remaining playthrough, or a post-game epilogue I tackle after the credits?
• Am I more interested in new gameplay tools and abilities now, or in experiencing the original story without any expansion influence?

Alternatives to Consider

If you are unsure which path to take, a middle option is to play Phantom Liberty once you reach the appropriate point in the main story—typically when you receive the in-game call or mission that unlocks Dogtown—then return to finish the base game. This keeps the expansion integrated without rushing the ending. Another option is to finish the base game once on a quick run for story closure, then start a fresh playthrough with Phantom Liberty woven in from the appropriate level. Finally, you can treat Phantom Liberty as a separate self-contained story by loading an older save or using a new character built for the expansion.

Final Recommendation

If you are already deep into the finale of Cyberpunk 2077 and value a clean, chronological story experience, finishing the base game first is reasonable—just be prepared to revisit a save or start over to play Phantom Liberty afterward. If you are mid-campaign or want the expansion’s new gear and story to shape your main playthrough, start Phantom Liberty at the natural unlock point instead. For the smoothest experience, most players benefit from weaving the expansion into an ongoing playthrough rather than treating it strictly as post-game content. Because this is a low-stakes entertainment decision, choose the approach that best matches your preferred pacing and replay plans.