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MissionsupportingSide missionModerate

Balls to the Wall

A Phantom Liberty side mission in which V helps BARGHEST soldiers Paco and Babs decide how to escape the consequences of Paco’s actions and leave Dogtown alive.

Roleside-mission
Statusavailable
Importancesupporting
  • Mission typeSide mission
  • Primary settingDogtown
  • Main focusDialogue and playable memories
  • Combat intensityLimited to moderate
  • DifficultyModerate
  • OutcomeChoice-dependent

The mission does not use a conventional boss fight as its central challenge. Its main variables are dialogue choices, memory sequences, and the final escape recommendation.

Key takeaways

The mission is built around Paco and Babs’s attempt to survive inside BARGHEST rather than around a single large combat encounter.

  • Talk to both soldiers Paco and Babs do not approach the situation in exactly the same way. Listen to each of them before committing to advice, because the mission’s emotional context is established through their disagreement and shared fear.
  • Play through the memories The flashback sequences reveal why Paco is in danger and place V in the role of Kurt Hansen. Their choices help clarify Paco’s position inside BARGHEST and lead into the decision at the end of the mission.
  • Plan the escape carefully The final decision determines how Paco and Babs try to leave their current situation. A choice that sounds immediately safe may not produce the same result as arranging outside help.
  • Do not rush the conclusion The mission can be resolved through conversation, but its important content is easy to miss if V walks away from Paco and Babs or ends the final discussion without considering the available alternatives.

Overview

Balls to the Wall is a character-focused side mission in Dogtown that follows Paco and Babs, two BARGHEST soldiers caught in a dangerous chain of events involving Kurt Hansen’s forces.

V encounters Paco and Babs while they are trying to work out what to do next. Paco is frightened of the consequences awaiting him inside BARGHEST, while Babs is more focused on finding a practical route out of Dogtown. Their request draws V into a series of memory sequences that explain how Paco reached this point and why Hansen’s organization is central to the problem.

The mission alternates between present-day conversations and playable recollections from Paco’s time under BARGHEST. These sequences are not simply exposition: they present V with opportunities to shape how Paco remembers the abuse of power around him and to understand the pressure placed on ordinary soldiers by Hansen’s command structure.

After the memories, V must advise Paco and Babs about their next move. The final section is shaped by the help V chooses to seek and by how directly V supports their escape. The quest is therefore less about a conventional combat objective than about weighing risk, loyalty, and the limited options available to people trapped in Dogtown.

Balls to the Wall is best approached as a dialogue-heavy mission with short interactive flashback sections and a potentially missable resolution. Saving before the final conversation is useful because different advice can lead to different follow-up outcomes for Paco and Babs.

Where this sits

Meet Paco and BabsFind the two BARGHEST soldiers in Dogtown.
Enter the memoriesExperience Paco’s account of what happened.
Decide their next moveChoose how V will help them escape.
Resolve the missionComplete the final conversation and collect the outcome.
  1. ●Balls to the Wallside-missionCurrent mission

Balls to the Wall is a supporting Dogtown mission connected to the BARGHEST storyline in Phantom Liberty.

Requirements

The mission requires access to Dogtown and enough Phantom Liberty progression for Paco and Babs to appear as available contacts.

  • RequiredReach DogtownV must have access to the Phantom Liberty area of Cyberpunk 2077. The mission is not available during the base-game opening before Dogtown can be entered.
  • RequiredFind Paco and BabsThe mission begins by approaching the pair in their BARGHEST surroundings. If their conversation is not available, continue the Phantom Liberty storyline and return to Dogtown later.
  • RecommendedBring a combat-ready buildMost of the mission is conversational, but the memory sections and the escape-related portion can still expose V to danger. Carrying a reliable weapon and healing items avoids turning a dialogue mission into an unnecessary reload.
  • RecommendedMake a manual saveSave before the final advice and escape discussion if you want to compare the available outcomes without replaying the entire mission.

Objectives

  1. Talk to Paco and BabsHear why the pair believes Paco is in danger and why they need V’s assistance.
  2. Experience Paco’s memoriesEnter the recollections and follow the interactive sequences connected to Kurt Hansen and BARGHEST.
  3. Help Paco and Babs choose a way outDiscuss their options and decide whether to recommend outside assistance or another escape plan.
  4. Complete the escape resolutionFollow the selected plan through its final conversation and collect any available reward.

Walkthrough

  1. 01

    Talk to Paco and Babs

    Approach Paco and Babs

    Locate Paco and Babs in Dogtown and speak with them to start the mission. Let the opening conversation play out rather than leaving after the first exchange, because the pair explains both Paco’s problem and the reason Babs is involved.

    Location: Dogtown

    TipIf the mission marker does not immediately stand out, look for the two BARGHEST soldiers together and follow the objective marker through their occupied area.

  2. 02

    Learn what happened to Paco

    Listen to Paco’s account

    Paco describes the incident that put him at risk inside BARGHEST, while Babs provides the practical perspective on their situation. Exhausting the available conversation gives V the context needed to understand why a normal transfer or appeal is unlikely to protect Paco.

    Location: Dogtown

    Watch outDo not treat the first dialogue exchange as the whole mission. The later memory sequence is required to reveal the circumstances behind Paco’s fear.

  3. 03

    Relive Paco’s memories

    Enter the memory sequence

    Agree to help Paco and enter the interactive recollection connected to his service under Kurt Hansen. The sequence places V in Hansen’s role, so follow the prompted actions and dialogue instead of expecting the usual V inventory or open-world controls.

    Location: Paco’s memories

    TipRead the prompts carefully during the flashback. The mission uses the sequence to show power dynamics and intimidation, not merely to provide another shooting gallery.

    Checkpoint
  4. 04

    Continue Paco’s recollection

    Complete the first flashback section

    Proceed through the memory and respond to Paco as the sequence presents its confrontational moments. The important goal is to reach the end of the recollection and understand how BARGHEST’s command structure affects Paco; the flashback does not require V to search the wider Dogtown map.

    Location: Paco’s memories

    Watch outBecause the controls and role are deliberately different from ordinary free-roam play, avoid abandoning the sequence when the game temporarily places V in Hansen’s position.

  5. 05

    Discuss the escape plan

    Return to Paco and Babs

    After the memory ends, speak with the pair again and compare what V has learned with their proposed escape. Paco is looking for a way to survive the immediate consequences, while Babs is concerned with the wider danger of remaining associated with him.

    Location: Dogtown

    TipUse the new dialogue options before selecting the final recommendation. This is the point where the mission’s background information becomes useful rather than merely descriptive.

    Checkpoint
  6. 06

    Help Paco and Babs decide what to do

    Choose how they should leave

    Advise Paco and Babs on their next move. The available route can involve seeking help outside BARGHEST, and the conversation determines which contacts or arrangements become part of the resolution.

    Location: Dogtown

    Watch outThis is the mission’s major decision point. Make a manual save before committing if you want to see a different outcome later.

  7. 07

    Resolve Paco and Babs’s escape

    Follow through on the chosen plan

    Complete the remaining dialogue and any short objective connected to the selected escape route. Stay with the mission marker until the pair’s immediate situation is resolved; leaving the area too early can interrupt the sequence and make the outcome unclear.

    Location: Dogtown

  8. 08

    Complete Balls to the Wall

    Collect the mission reward

    Finish the closing exchange and check the reward notification or nearby item pickup before leaving. The exact reward can depend on the outcome you reached, so inspect the result rather than assuming every resolution grants the same item.

    Location: Dogtown

    TipIf you are collecting iconic equipment, check your inventory after the conclusion and read any item descriptions before selling or dismantling the reward.

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Balls to the Wall mixes ordinary dialogue with a playable memory sequence. During the recollection, V temporarily experiences events through Paco’s account and is placed in the position of Kurt Hansen. This framing makes the flashback feel more like an examination of command and coercion than a conventional detective braindance.

The mission’s central mechanic is consequence through conversation. The most important gameplay skill is recognizing when a dialogue branch is moving from background discussion into a commitment. Read the full exchange with Paco and Babs, make a save before the final recommendation, and then stay nearby until the selected plan reaches its conclusion.

Combat is secondary. V should still be prepared for hostile encounters in Dogtown, but there is no need to build the entire mission around stealth, hacking, or a specific weapon archetype. The mission’s useful preparation is logistical: keep healing supplies available, avoid carrying a full inventory, and leave room to inspect a possible reward.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • Gives two relatively ordinary BARGHEST soldiers a personal story instead of treating the faction only as a combat obstacle.
  • Uses Paco’s memories to show how Hansen’s authority affects people below him in the chain of command.
  • Lets V shape the resolution through advice rather than reducing the conclusion to a single combat arena.
  • Provides a compact change of pace from the larger Phantom Liberty missions.

Weaknesses

  • The mission can be easy to miss if V does not stop to speak with Paco and Babs in Dogtown.
  • The transition into the memory sequence may be confusing because V’s role and available interactions temporarily change.
  • The final outcome is not always obvious from the wording of the dialogue, making a pre-choice save especially useful.
  • Players expecting a large boss encounter may find the mission’s combat content comparatively limited.

Best uses

  • Play it when you want additional context for BARGHEST and Dogtown’s internal power structure.
  • Complete it before moving on from the area if you want to see Paco and Babs’s story through to its conclusion.
  • Use the mission as a short narrative break between larger Phantom Liberty operations.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

  • Treat Paco’s memories as context and support his attempt to escape

    V receives additional dialogue about Paco’s position inside BARGHEST and can guide the pair toward a route that prioritizes getting away from Hansen’s organization.

    Spoiler
  • Recommend seeking help from an outside contact

    The mission can branch into an assisted escape rather than leaving Paco and Babs to solve the problem entirely on their own. The resulting follow-up is different from simply abandoning them to their original situation.

    Spoiler
  • End the conversation without fully helping

    Paco and Babs are left with fewer options, and the mission’s resolution is less favorable than the outcome reached by actively arranging a way out. This choice can also forfeit the best version of the reward.

    Spoiler
  • Commit to the final plan after making a save

    A manual save allows V to revisit the decision, but the consequences only become clear after the closing exchange is completed. Reloading before that point is safer than trying to reverse the outcome afterward.

    Spoiler

Checklist

  • Find Paco and Babs in DogtownThe mission begins through their conversation rather than a large set-piece encounter.
  • Hear both sides of the situationDo not leave after speaking only briefly with one of them.
  • Complete Paco’s memory sequenceThe flashback supplies the context for the later recommendation.
  • Make a manual save before the final escape discussionUseful if you want to compare outcomes.
  • Choose an escape planThe resolution is shaped by V’s advice.
  • Stay until the final objective clearsLeaving early can make it appear that the mission has ended before the story has resolved.
  • Check the inventory for the rewardInspect the result after the final conversation.

Failure conditions

  • Leaving before completing the active objectiveWalking away from Paco and Babs or moving too far from the mission area can interrupt the current conversation or delay the next objective. Return to the marked location and continue the dialogue.
  • Dying during a hostile sectionAs with other open-world missions, V must reload from the latest checkpoint after death. Keep healing items available even though the mission is primarily narrative.
  • Committing to an unwanted endingThe final recommendation is effectively irreversible during the current playthrough once the resolution is completed. Reload a save made before the decision if you want to select another route.
  • Missing the mission windowPaco and Babs are easy to overlook in Dogtown, and progressing away from the area without speaking to them can leave the mission unresolved.

On failure

The mission includes natural progression points around the memory sequence and the final conversation, but a manual save before the final choice is the most reliable way to preserve the available outcomes.

Rewards

  • Experience and eddies
    Completing the mission provides the normal quest completion benefits, with the precise amount depending on the game state.
  • Carmen
    A successful resolution can provide the iconic power assault rifle Carmen. Check the final outcome and inventory because reward availability is tied to how Paco and Babs’s situation is resolved.
  • Mission outcome
    The narrative result for Paco and Babs changes according to V’s advice and the escape route selected.

Characters in this mission

AftermathSpoilers

The escape has more than one possible result

Paco and Babs’s fate depends on the help V offers and the route selected during the final conversation. If you want to see the most favorable resolution and preserve the associated reward opportunity, keep a save from before V commits to the escape plan.

Trivia

  • The title refers to the mission’s rough, militarized subject matter and Paco’s attempt to survive inside BARGHEST.
  • The memory sequence deliberately places V in Kurt Hansen’s role, creating a contrast between the player character’s usual perspective and the authority Paco experienced.
  • The mission is one of the smaller stories in Phantom Liberty that expands BARGHEST beyond its function as an enemy faction.
  • Carmen is associated with the mission’s reward path and is one of the reasons completionists may want to resolve the quest rather than leaving Dogtown immediately.

Relationships

characters