Summary

• Phantom Liberty DLC includes hidden details and Easter eggs, enriching the content and rewarding players for exploring beyond the main quests.
• The DLC features subtle references to other CD Projekt RED's franchises and projects.
• Other Easter eggs include nods to Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, and Star Wars.

Cyberpunk 2077's DLC Phantom Liberty continues the trend of CD Projekt RED, including a number of Hidden Easter eggs in its releases. Hidden details, subtle references, and Easter Eggs are an excellent way for developers to secretly communicate with audience and reward them for experimenting and exploring the world beyond the beaten path of main, side and miscellaneous quest lines. Whether self-referential or alluding to other pieces of media, hunting for Easter eggs is one of the most entertaining ways to explore and engage with any game — even if it does not typically offer the player any tangible rewards.

The Phantom Liberty DLC revolves around an unpredictable spy-thriller story full of jaw-dropping moments; although its story, quests, and new features justify a playthrough on their own merits, the inclusion of a number of hidden details and Easter eggs ensures that the city of Dogtown has a depth and richness of content that many DLCs simply fail to deliver. Although discovering Phantom Liberty's Easter eggs won't result in V receiving any physical rewards, the experience of encountering them is reward enough. Furthermore, though some of the DLC's hidden details can be easily overlooked, others require a substantial amount of effort.

8 The Witcher 3 Theme

Although Cyberpunk 2077 and its DLC Phantom Liberty have been remarkably successful and, despite early hurdles, mostly well received, developer CD Projekt RED's most critically and commercially acclaimed franchise is arguably still The Witcher. It is not a surprise, therefore, that a number of subtle references to the fantasy ARPG classic are made throughout Night City and Dogtown. Though these include posters, collectible items, and even an arcade game (Roach Race), the greatest The Witcher franchise Easter egg in Phantom Liberty is the ability to receive a rendition of the game's main theme by dialing (574) 555-2377 at any phone booth.

7 The Wire

The fixer El Capitan plays a significant role in the excellent side quest "Push it to the Limit"; however, his significance is not limited to quests; he is also a part of an interesting and well-hidden Easter egg that references an incredibly popular HBO series from the 2000s — The Wire. This Easter egg is specifically a reference to the second season of the show. V can find an email between El Capitan and a character named Mike Sobotka — a reference to the character Frank Sobotka (played by Chris Bauer). Although its inclusion is a little random, it is nevertheless cool.

6 CD Projekt RED Milestones

Perhaps the ultimate self-referential Easter egg in Phantom Liberty concerns developer CD Projekt RED and their most significant milestones as a company. Located in Dogtown, V can stumble upon CD Projekt Red's co-founders Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. The pair are selling Braindances, each representing a significant milestone in the company's history — furthermore, they are all priced at a certain amount to allude to significant years. Braindances parodying The Witcher, Thronebreaker, Cyberpunk 2077, and others can be bought from the pair for a price corresponding with their release date. Furthermore, each Braindance comes with an interesting description.

5 DJ:007%

An interesting Easter egg in the ment for Phantom Liberty was the stock market sign behind Solomon Reed — the character portrayed by actor Idris Elba. The sign at one point read "DJ:007%." Although this may appear to represent a fairly stable stock, it is, in fact, a subtle nod to two elements of Idris' career — DJ referring to his humble career origins as a DJ, and 007 alluding to the ever-persistent, yet debunked, rumor that Idris Elba is set to be the next actor to take up the mantle of James Bond (007 is famously James Bond's MI6 codename).

4 For Mr. Wick

Though the inclusion of actor Idris Elba into the cast of Phantom Liberty is impressive, the biggest star in the game is still undeniably the actor Keanu Reeves. Although Keanu has had an illustrious career with a number of blockbuster movies, arguably his most recent crowing cinematic achievement is his portrait of the titular reluctant assassin in the John Wick series. One of the best Easter eggs included in Phantom Liberty pays homage to Keanu's role through a reference to the assassin in the EBM Petrochem Stadium's weapon shop — a gun case with a nameplate that reads "For Mr. Wick."

3 Star Wars Names

One of the most subtle Easter eggs in Phantom Liberty is a pop culture reference to the Star Wars franchise. During the mission "The Spider and the Fly," V can stumble upon an email chain between two characters, Biggs and Wedge. Although to non-Star Wars fanatics, this will appear to be meaningless, for those familiar with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, the names and conversation echo those of two X-wing Starfighter aces — Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles. Although easy to miss, this homage to two relatively obscure Star Wars characters is an excellent Easter egg.

2 The Matrix Reference

While portraying John Wick revitalized Keanu Reeve's action credentials, his legacy in the genre was formed as Neo in The Matrix franchise. It is not surprising, therefore, that CD Projekt RED included a subtle reference to the science fiction and action classic. Although the base game features a number of references to The Matrix, Phantom Liberty's tribute to the franchise is far more subtle. Across from the pyramid, V discovers what initially appears to be a nondescript room; however, this room is an almost exact replica of the room in which Morpheus asks Neo to choose the red or blue pill.

1 Memorials to the Edgerunners

Although many of the Easter eggs in Phantom Liberty are exciting, interesting, and generally evoke positive emotions, there are a number of somber references, most notably the memorial to the fallen Edgerunners. Located in North Oak, Westbrook, these touching tributes to Kiwi, David Martinez, Gloria Martinez, Rebecca, Pilar, Dorio, and Maine are a bittersweet reminder of the many beloved NPCs that helped shape the player's experience in Night City during the Cyberpunk 2077 base game.