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What to Do Before Starting Phantom Liberty in Cyberpunk 2077

Finish Transmission to unlock Phantom Liberty on an existing save, or choose the new-game skip-ahead for faster access. Here’s what to check first.
WorldCyberpunk 2077 Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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For the normal story route, finish the main job Transmission. Afterward, Songbird contacts V and the first Phantom Liberty quest, Dog Eat Dog, becomes available. If you own the expansion and want to reach it sooner, you can instead start a new game with the skip-ahead option—but that creates a new character and skips the earlier story.

Before you start: use this checklist

  1. Confirm you own and installed Phantom Liberty. It is a separate expansion set in Dogtown. CD PROJEKT RED announced it for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S; check availability and installation for your specific platform. CD PROJEKT RED’s platform announcement.
  2. Choose a route into the expansion. Continue an existing playthrough through Transmission, or choose the new-game skip-ahead if you prioritize speed over keeping your current character and story context.
  3. Don’t grind for a supposed entry-level requirement. The official sources cited here do not specify a mandatory level for entering Phantom Liberty or require a checklist of side jobs before Dogtown.
  4. Save manually before major decisions. CD PROJEKT RED advises players to save often. Keep a separate save if you want to preserve the option to explore another route; after completing The Tower ending, you cannot return to that playthrough’s point of no return, by design. CD PROJEKT RED Support’s Tower-ending guidance.
  5. Check updates and mods on your platform. In its 2023 Update 2.0 announcement, CD PROJEKT RED said existing saves could continue, while recommending a new playthrough to get the best experience with the changes. It also recommended uninstalling pre-2.0 mods until their creators had updated them. Its PC update guidance said an SSD was required. These were 2023 instructions, so check the current requirements and mod compatibility for your platform and patch. CD PROJEKT RED’s Update 2.0 announcement.

How to start Phantom Liberty on an existing save

Complete Transmission, then answer Songbird’s call

Play through the Voodoo Boys storyline in Pacifica until you complete Transmission. Songbird then contacts V, and Dog Eat Dog—the first job in Dogtown—becomes available. This is the route to take if you want Phantom Liberty to follow your existing character’s story. Game8’s start guide corroborates the quest sequence.

You do not need to finish every side job or complete the base game first, based on the cited sources. If the expansion is installed but the invitation or quest does not appear, check that Transmission is complete and that the game is updated. CD PROJEKT RED’s Patch 2.02 notes included fixes for skip-ahead quest-journal visibility and Dogtown access. CD PROJEKT RED’s Patch 2.02 notes.

Should you use the new-game skip-ahead?

The skip-ahead is an alternate way for expansion owners to begin Phantom Liberty: it starts a new game with a new character, rather than moving your existing character and quest history directly into Dogtown. CD PROJEKT RED described the preset character as “adequately leveled up.” The Epic Games Store guide reports that its preset starts at Level 20; treat that as a guide-specific detail, not a universal recommended or required level. CD PROJEKT RED’s Update 2.0 announcement; Epic Games Store’s starter guide.

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Route Story continuity Access and readiness Best fit
Existing save through Transmission Keeps your character and prior story context. Songbird’s invitation follows Transmission; no mandatory entry level is established by the cited official sources. Players who want to continue their run and experience the story in sequence.
New-game skip-ahead Starts a new character and skips preceding story context. CD PROJEKT RED calls the character adequately leveled; the Epic Games Store guide reports Level 20 for its preset. Returning players who prioritize faster access and are comfortable with a preset character.

In short, choose based on whether preserving continuity or reaching the expansion sooner matters more to you. Neither route makes a particular level or a full set of side quests a proven entry requirement.

Do you need to finish side quests or the base game first?

No requirement to complete all side content or finish the base game is established by the sources cited here. The normal unlock point is Transmission; the skip-ahead is a separate new-game option. If you are deciding whether to delay Dogtown for optional content, that is a preference about pacing and story context—not a confirmed prerequisite.

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Should you reach the point of no return before going to Dogtown?

You do not need to reach the base game’s point of no return to unlock the expansion by the normal route. Save often, particularly before major late-game decisions. CD PROJEKT RED’s support guidance specifically notes that completing The Tower ending prevents returning to the point of no return in that playthrough, by design. The sources cited here do not establish which earlier choices affect individual Phantom Liberty outcomes, so there is no reliable pre-expansion choice checklist to give.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What Update 2.0 means for an older save

CD PROJEKT RED said in September 2023 that players could continue existing saves after Update 2.0, while recommending a new playthrough for the best experience with its extensive game-system changes. The publisher also wrote: “Because changes to crucial game systems are extensive, we strongly recommend uninstalling pre-2.0 mods until the modding community has a chance to update them.” That is the publisher’s advice from 2023, not a statement about every mod’s compatibility today. For PC, the same update guidance said an SSD was required; verify current platform requirements before troubleshooting installation or performance.

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