Cyberpunk 2077: How To Unlock The Secret Ending, "Don't Fear The Reaper"

Update: We've managed to investigate the requirements for the Cyberpunk 2077 secret ending further and have a better handle on what actually triggers it. The mission isn't related to your total relationship standing with Johnny, as previously believed, but rather to some dialogue choices you make in the mission Chippin' In. Check out the full details below--props to YouTuber KVNG IX for figuring it out.

Note: It might be obvious, but this post contains significant spoilers for the story and ending of Cyberpunk 2077--even though we've tried to limit them.

There are a bunch of different endings available in Cyberpunk 2077 depending on your choices, your relationships, and how you've interacted with Johnny Silverhand over the course of the game before you reach it. Triggering them all requires some work, but if you've met the prerequisites, you'll see how to access each one in a pretty straightforward way when the time comes. That's true of all but one separate, secret ending that you might not ever know you have access to--and which will put you through one of Cyberpunk's toughest challenges.

To get the secret ending, you need to make some specific dialogue choices with Johnny in a particular mission: Chippin' In. There are other side missions you should do along the way, but this one is essential. Check out our rundown of everything you should do before reaching Cyberpunk 2077's endgame for a complete picture of what other quests you can do and how to unlock them.

After that, you need to progress the story to the Point of No Return at the start of the story mission Nocturne Op55N1. Taking on that mission starts the endgame and locks you out of any additional side missions, while also putting you on track to the choices that unlock the various endings.

How To Unlock Cyberpunk 2077's Secret Ending

• Take on the Johnny-focused side mission Chippin' In.

You'll get access to this side mission after you've completed all of the paths of the main story mission--tracking down Evelyn Parker, finding and interrogating Anders Hellman, and meeting with Hanako Arasaka. Once you've done that, you'll complete the Tapeworm story mission. That should unlock Chippin' In with Johnny. When you get to the mission, you'll have to make some specific dialogue choices before it's over.

• Head to the oil fields with Johnny after Rogue leaves and make these choices:
  • When Johnny asks you what should be on his headstone, say, "The Guy Who Saved My Life."
  • When Johnny says that he messed up everything but his relationship with V, say, "No, you f**ked that up too."
  • When Johnny asks for a second chance, ask, "What do you want from me?"
  • When Johnny says V is the only person who didn't seem to hate his guts, until now, say, "OK. But as second chances go, this is your last."

From here, it's not clear if the dialogue you pick is essential to trigger the ending. These are the choices we made, which unlocked Blistering Love with Rogue and worked for unlocking the secret ending, so we recommend following through on all of them.

• • Next, say "You were a real d**k in the beginning."
  • When Johnny says, "Never thought we'd make it this far," respond with, "When you said you let down your friends...."
  • When discussing Rogue, say, "Smasher biz really got to her."
  • When Johnny asks if he can use V's body to take Rogue out, say, "Yeah, I'll call Rogue."

After that, you'll unlock the side mission Blistering Love. You have to complete that mission--it opens up a key choice in the endgame that you can't access without it.

• Complete Blistering Love with Rogue. Your choices there shouldn't make a difference. (Save here. That'll allow you to complete other missions and handle other business before taking on the ending, if you so choose.)
• Continue through Nocturne Op55N1 until you reach the rooftop conversation with Johnny.
• Choose to let Johnny take on Arasaka Tower with Rogue. When Johnny asks if you're sure, just wait--it'll be about five minutes.
• After a while, Johnny will offer you a new option: The two of you take on Arasaka Tower alone. Choose this option to access the Don't Fear The Reaper ending.

The thing about his ending is that it's extremely difficult. You're walking right into Arasaka Tower's lobby, where you'll face a mess of top-tier enemies without anyone to help you. That makes this one of the toughest missions in the game. What's more, if you die, the credits will roll. You only get one shot at the Don't Fear The Reaper quest (at least, unless you load a save to before Nocturne Op55N1), so make sure you're very ready. We recommend you craft top-tier equipment and complete as many side quests as you can in order to increase V's level and make yourself as resilient as possible.

Finishing the Secret Ending unlocks content you can't get any other way, so it's worth doing if you're especially hardcore about the game.

We've got a whole lot more Cyberpunk 2077 coverage to help you through the game as well--be sure to read our Cyberpunk 2077 review, and check out our essential tips, character attributes and build guide, romance guide, life path guide, endings guide, and where to find Iconic weapons and the best cyberware.