It’s been two years since CD Projekt Red released Phantom Liberty, the spy-thriller expansion that salvaged Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled reputation. With Patch 2.3 bringing final polish and the announcement of a Cyberpunk sequel (Project Orion), now is the perfect time to revisit Night City’s most ambitious DLC.
The Spy Who Saved Night City
Phantom Liberty drops you into Dogtown — a lawless district inside Night City, run by a rogue military colonel named Kurt Hansen. When the space station Soaring Ace crashes in Dogtown’s territory, you’re recruited by NUSA sleeper agent Solomon Reed (played brilliantly by Idris Elba) to rescue the president and recover critical data.
The expansion’s narrative is a taut, espionage-focused storyline that feels distinct from the base game’s street-level gang politics. Choices matter in ways the base game only hinted at — two endings, each with devastating consequences, ensure replayability.
What Patch 2.3 Changed
CDPR’s final major update for Cyberpunk 2077 brings:
- Revamped skill trees — The Relic tree now integrates Phantom Liberty abilities into the base game progression
- Vehicle combat — Shoot from vehicles, with mounted weapons on select cars
- Portable jacuzzi — A joke feature that became real: V can relax in a portable hot tub at safehouses
- Performance mode — 60fps on PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, with improved ray tracing on Pro models
- Red Engine optimizations — Load times reduced by 40% on SSD systems
The Relic Skill Tree
Phantom Liberty’s biggest mechanical addition is the Relic skill tree, which lets V augment their body with Militech tech. Key abilities include:
- Mantis Leap — Air dash that enables new combat approaches and exploration paths
- Forcefield — A temporary shield that absorbs damage and reflects projectiles
- Sense Through Walls — See enemies through walls for 5 seconds, with a cooldown
These abilities fundamentally change how you approach combat encounters. A build focused on Mantis Leap and melee weapons plays like a ninja simulator, while Forcefield enables a tank-style approach that the base game never offered.
Two Years Later: Does It Hold Up?
Phantom Liberty remains one of the best RPG expansions of the last decade. The level design — Dogtown’s vertical slums, hidden bunkers, and secret data terminals — rewards exploration. The writing, particularly the relationship between V and Reed, is CDPR at their best. And the performance, two years of patches later, is rock-solid across all platforms.
If you played Cyberpunk 2077 at launch and bounced off it, now is the time to return. The base game is better, the expansion is essential, and the redemption arc is complete. CD Projekt Red didn’t just fix Cyberpunk — they made it great.
Score: 9/10 — A masterclass in DLC design and a redemption story for the ages.