The Killing Moon is one of the single most important jobs in Cyberpunk 2077…and it isn’t even one you are guaranteed to get. This job is only playable if you side with Songbird during Firestarter—the job where V and Alex go undercover impersonating the twins.
This job is absolutely epic from start to finish, and depending on your choices, you can lock yourself out of a new Cyberpunk 2077 base game ending. That is not to say that locking yourself out is the “wrong” choice—this is Cyberpunk, and nothing is ever that simple.
This guide will walk you through all of the steps and objectives in The Killing Moon and explain the consequences of the major decision at the end of the job, both with and without spoilers. Phantom Liberty spoilers are included throughout this article—The Killing Moon is the final mission of the DLC, so this is unavoidable. However, the way this job can alter the base game ending is only be included in the final section and is clearly be marked.
So while you shouldn’t read this if you don’t want Phantom Liberty plot points spoiled, you can safely read all but the very last section without spoiling anything else—most notably, the possible base game ending added by Phantom Liberty.
Cyberpunk 2077: How to start The Killing Moon job in Phantom Liberty
Depending on the route you take, The Killing Moon is the last main job of Phantom Liberty. Starting this job is simple—you must side with Songbird during Firestarter. If you side with Songbird, after the two of you escape from the stadium, The Killing Moon automatically begins.
Alternatively, if you side with Reed, Alex is immediately killed by Hansen, you have to fight your way out of the stadium alone, and you’ll encounter Hansen as a boss. This route means Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos will be your next job.
Phantom Liberty: The Killing Moon Walkthrough
Step one of The Killing Moon is simply to wait for an update from Songbird, who is currently making arrangements to get you both cured. Before Songbird reaches out, Reed will call V for a lengthy lecture proceeded by a threat that the FIA will find and apprehend you both.
A couple hours afterwards, Songbird will text V and tell them to meet her in an alley near N54 News HQ. Head to the marked location, and you’ll find Songbird waiting in the back of a van. Get into the van, and Songbird will explain the plan as the van drives you to NCX—Night City’s Metropolitan Airport with lunar access.
Proceed to the airport
Along the way, Songbird will lose her remote control of the van, as she is pretty much on death’s door at this point. When this happens, you’ll have to assume manual control of the van and drive the rest of the way to NCX.
Get through airport security
Once you’re at the airport, head inside and go to the security checkpoint. The security agent will tell you to look into a camera, and Songbird will immediately tell you to kill time while she cooks up an an alias. You’ll have different dialogue options depending on your Attribute point distribution, but any option will work fine. Just make sure you say something, and you’ll get through.
Find a way into the Tycha Terminal
You have two options to get into the Tycha Terminal, which is the only way to get the shuttle headed for the moon, where V and Songbird can be cured. You can:
- Sneak your way in
- Use the Corp-Bud uniform stashed by a friend of Songbird
Of the two, the Corp-Bud uniform is the better choice by a mile. Wearing this uniform means you’re allowed to be in the Tycha Terminal, and you can move freely.
Retrieve the Corp-Bud uniform (optional)
After looking around the airport for a few moments, Songbird will explain that a contact stashed a Corp-Bud uniform for V in a checked bag. Go to the baggage retrieval terminal and input 930604, which will guide you to a yellow suitcase.
Inside the suitcase, you’ll find the Corp-Bud uniform, which you’ll need to head into the airport bathroom to equip. Otherwise, security will see you do it, and the disguise won’t work.
Also inside this suitcase, you’ll find a note called Last Time, written by whoever left this uniform and helped Songbird. It isn’t 100 percent confirmed that this person is Alex, but earlier in Phantom Liberty, you can look through Alex’s computer to learn that Songbird and Alex refer to each other as S and A, respectively—and this note refers to Songbird as S. I highly doubt that’s a coincidence.
Sneak into the Tycha Terminal (optional)
If you decide not to use the Corp-Bud uniform for some reason (there really isn’t a reason not to), you will have to sneak into Tycha Terminal. If you’re seen at all, you’ll be knocked unconscious and wake up in a jail cell that you’ll have to break out of to try again. Seriously, just use the uniform.
Take the elevator to the roof
If you’re using the Corp-Bud uniform, you can pretty much just stroll right through. Be wary of cameras and robots, however, as they will see through the disguise.
If you’re not using the uniform, be wary of everything and everyone. You’re going to have some innocent blood on your hands, most likely.
Either way, you simply need to reach the back end of the construction site in Tycha Terminal, where you’ll see the elevator that takes you straight to the roof of NCX.
Help Songbird onto the roof
Once you’ve reached the roof via the elevator, you’ll need to find a way to help Songbird up. Head to the catwalk with the railing on the edge of the roof, and follow it all the way to the east. Here, you’ll find a fire-hose to scan, which will prompt you to use the hose to help Songbird up.
The Relic will malfunction and give you a mini heart attack, but the plan will work. Songbird will also bring your gear that you had to leave in the van, so don’t forget to retrieve it from the duffel bag!
Follow Songbird to the spaceport
Once Songbird is on the roof, the two of you will set out to reach a second elevator—this one leads to the Spaceport of NCX. To get to this elevator, follow Songbird into a ventilation system.
As you’re moving through the vents, you’ll see Reed and President Myers arrive on via helicopter on the roof. You’ll have a couple of different opportunities to eavesdrop, during which you’ll learn that Reed doesn’t intend to help Songbird at all.
“Just try not to shoot her in the head.” Myers will tell Reed, who will confirm and acknowledge his duties. Reed does express frustration and guilt, but ultimately, the mission comes first for him. It’s tragic, but very in character.
At the end of the vents you’ll find the elevator leading to the spaceport. Follow Songbird into the elevator and continue on.
Proceed through the Tycha Terminal to the maglev station
This next part of the mission is simply a few rounds of killing and elevator riding. You’ll see that FIA agents are attacking the spaceport and actively killing innocent NCX Security Officers to avoid loose ends. Yikes.
Fight your way to the first elevator in the spaceport, and take it to departures. From departures, you’ll have to reach the other end of the terminal while a helicopter attacks you from the windows.
It is crucial that you wait behind cover and move while the helicopter is reloading to avoid getting absolutely pasted, even on Normal difficulty.
After you’re past the helicopter bit, you’ll reach the maglev station, which you’ll have to hunker down and fight FIA agents until a train to the space shuttle arrives.
Reach the control tower and survive until the train arrives
Once at the maglev station, you’ll need to fight your way to the circular glass control station in its center, where Songbird will call a train. Then, you’ll just have to fight and survive until the train arrives.
Just as the train is arriving, Songbird will collapse, so V will have to pick up Songbird and carry her to the train. While you’re carrying Songbird, you’ll have access to Blackwall pulses, which completely decimate every enemy in sight. It’s beautiful.
Get onto the train with Songbird. You’re almost there.
Carry Songbird to the shuttle
While you’re on the train to the shuttle, Songbird will reveal that she was lying about the cure—there is only one dose, and she knew all along. There is no arrangement for V to be cured and saved, only Songbird.
If you want, you can call Reed and hand over Songbird right here. You shouldn’t do that, however, as you’ll get the chance in just a few moments to decide if you want to change allegiances. When you’re about to reach the shuttle with Songbird, Reed will step out of the shadows. He has waiting here for the two of you all along.
Now, you’re faced with one of the most important decisions in all of Cyberpunk 2077—Will you stay loyal to Songbird and get her onto the shuttle to the moon, or will you hand Songbird over to Reed?
Cyberpunk 2077: The Killing Moon walkthrough—what happens if you side with Songbird?
You’ll have many chances to negotiate and attempt to reason with Reed, but they all end the same way—either you surrender Songbird to Reed and the NUSA, or you kill Reed. It’s heartbreaking, but that is it.
If you refuse to surrender Songbird, eventually, you’ll enter a shootout with Reed. Not combat, but a half cinematic encounter where everything is in slow motion, and one shot kills either Reed or V, depending on who shoots first.
If you do this, you’ll load Songbird onto the shuttle and later learn that the cure worked—Songbird is alive and well. V, on the other hand, is in deep water.
Siding with Songbird in The Killing Moon prevents you from reaching the new base game ending added by Phantom Liberty, which I’ll explain in the next section.
Cyberpunk 2077: The Killing Moon walkthrough—what happens if you side with Reed?
If you decide to hand Songbird to Reed at the end of The Killing Moon, you will never learn of her fate, but you know it isn’t good. Most likely, she is being kept alive in a maximum security prison and is being used as a tool by Meyers.
If you hand Songbird over, you can access the new ending added by Phantom Liberty, which sees V receiving a surgery to remove the Relic from their head.
