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Help Songbird or Reed in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty?

Here's the consequences of agreeing or refusing to help Songbird.

reed scowling in a bullet proof vest and songbird in a formal dress with the skyline of dogtown in the background and the characters have white outlines
Image credit: Eurogamer/CD Projekt RED
Jessica Orr avatar
Guide by Jessica Orr Senior Guides Writer
Published on

There are a number of small choices you make during the Phantom Liberty DLC for Cyberpunk 2077, but none are as important as deciding whether to help Songbird or Reed during the 'Firestarter', 'Somewhat Damaged', and 'The Killing Moon' main missions.

Who you side with in each mission has a number of consequences that alter which ending you get, and even what base game endings are available to you after completeting the DLC's story!

To help you decide if you should side with Reed or Songbird in the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC, we've went over the consequences of each decision below.

We've tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible in the first section so the story isn't ruined for you, but we do have to provide some details to help you make your decision. There are full spoilers in the 'consequences' sections though, so beware!

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Should you help Songbird or Reed in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty?

Without spoiling exactly what happens in each scenario, who you side with during the 'Firestarter' main mission changes what the final missions are in Phantom Liberty, and locks out two potential endings.

So if you help Songbird escape, you get access to 'The Killing Moon' main mission, and if you help Reed try to capture Songbird, you play through 'Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos', 'Somewhat Damaged', and 'Leave in Silence' instead. Siding with Reed looks like it has more content, but it's actually only slightly longer, as the final mission acts more like a short epilogue.

first person view of talking with songbird through the relic and with songbird in person
Image credit: CD Projekt RED/Eurogamer

The next big decision you make comes in either 'The Killing Moon' or 'Somewhat Damaged', depending on who you sided with in 'Firestarter'.

Without spoiling anything, if you still side with Songbird during 'The Killing Moon', you don't get access to the new base game ending, but if you switch allegiances and side with Reed at the end, you do get access to the new ending.

In the alternate path during 'Somewhat Damaged', accessed by siding with Reed in 'Firestarter, you have to make a huge decision on whether a certain character should live or die. If they die, you don't get access to the new base game ending. If you refuse to kill them, then you do get access to the new base game ending.

With all that explained, deciding between helping Songbird or Reed comes down to two things: how much you care about getting the new base game ending, and how you want your Phantom Liberty ending to play out. There is no 'best' ending to Phantom Liberty if that's what you're worried about missing , as all have upsides and downsides for V, Songbird, Reed, and Alex.

We've gone over the Songbird or Reed choice consequences in more detail below, but beware of major spoilers past this point!

reed songbird and alex character poses above a blurred red background of phantom liberty main promotional artwork with female v
Image credit: Eurogamer/CD Projekt RED

Help Songbird consequences in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

During the 'Firestarter' main mission, here's the consequences or helping Songbird in Phantom Liberty:

  • Alex lives.
  • The next (and final) mission will be 'The Killing Moon'.
  • Songbird reveals that there was only ever one cure meant for her.

If you decide to continue helping Songbird at the end of 'The Killing Moon', here's the consequences:

As you can see, siding with Songbird throughout Phantom Liberty is deadly for Reed, and for V's hope for a cure from the FIA.

Songbird, however, gets launched in a shuttle to the moon in hopes of finding a cure for herself, so this might be the best ending for her character. The Blackwall still has its grasp on her, though, so there's no guarantee she'll be okay in the future.

songbird dressed in formal wear at a party in the black diamond
Image credit: CD Projekt RED

Help Reed consequences in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

During the 'Firestarter' main mission, here's the consequences or helping Reed in Phantom Liberty:

  • Alex dies.
  • The next missions will be 'Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos', 'Somewhat Damaged', and 'Leave in Silence'.
  • You get to see past events in Songbird's life.
  • Songbird is either dead or in FIA custody by the end of the story.

If you decide to kill Songbird during 'Somewhat Damaged', you don't get access to the new base game ending, but Reed isn't happy with you. He does eventually agree that it might have been the best decision during a later conversation in the same basketball court you met him in.

If you refuse to kill Songbird, she tells V that being held by the FIA is a fate worse than death, but Reed isn't angry at V, and you get access to the new base game ending.

Nobody gets a truly happy ending in Phantom Liberty, so it can be a tough time deciding who to side with during the final missions, even if you know what's coming up.

promotional image of idris elbas solomon reed character leaning on his hand
Image credit: CD Projekt RED

All the best deciding between Songbird and Reed!

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