No. You can play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty from an existing compatible save; CD PROJEKT RED does not say a restart is required. The studio’s recommendation to start a new playthrough was about getting the best experience from Update 2.0’s extensive changes, not a requirement for the expansion.
Can you use your current Cyberpunk 2077 save?
Yes. In its Update 2.0 announcement, published September 21, 2023, CD PROJEKT RED said players could continue from existing saves. The post recommended a new playthrough specifically to experience the update’s extensive changes—not because Phantom Liberty requires a new character or save.
Phantom Liberty is an expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, not a standalone game, and the base game is required to play it, according to the studio’s launch announcement from September 26, 2023.
When might you choose to start a new playthrough?
Restart if you want to experience the changes introduced in Update 2.0 from the beginning. That is a preference based on the studio’s recommendation, not a condition for accessing the expansion. If you would rather continue your existing character, the cited statement from CD PROJEKT RED supports doing so.
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What if you switch editions or installations?
There is a separate save-compatibility caveat when moving between versions with different content. CD PROJEKT RED’s cross-progression support article says the game content needs to match: a save made in the base game without the expansion can load in the Ultimate Edition, but a save made in the Ultimate Edition cannot load in a version without the expansion because required content is missing. This concerns loading a save across versions; it does not mean you must discard a base-game save to play Phantom Liberty.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the expansion unlock at a specific point?
The official statements cited here do not specify the precise quest trigger or progression point for starting Phantom Liberty’s story. They establish that an existing save can be continued, but do not support a specific quest-name or timing instruction.
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