Belly of the Beast

Key takeaways

Keep these points in mind before starting the assault.

• This is a late-game commitment Belly of the Beast belongs to the Aldecaldos ending route and follows V’s decision to accept Panam Palmer’s help. Complete optional exploration and preparation before beginning the final operation if you want to avoid pausing the ending sequence.
• Stay with the assault The mission’s route is organized around the Aldecaldos’ push into Arasaka’s facility. Follow the group’s advance, clear hostile positions methodically and check nearby side spaces before moving through obvious progression doors.
• Prepare for a major boss fight The operation culminates in a confrontation with Adam Smasher. Bring a build and equipment that can sustain a long combat encounter, and keep healing items, ammunition and cyberware resources ready before the final approach.
• Later scenes contain major spoilers The final portion leads directly into the story’s Mikoshi sequence and the consequences of the Aldecaldos choice. The walkthrough below avoids explaining the ending’s final resolution, but it does identify the major confrontation.

Belly of the Beast

Belly of the Beast is the Arasaka infiltration mission on Cyberpunk 2077’s Aldecaldos ending path.

Belly of the Beast takes place after V commits to Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos as allies for the final assault. The mission shifts the group’s campaign from preparation and open-road combat to a tightly focused operation against Arasaka’s underground defenses. V, Panam Palmer, Saul Bright and the clan push into hostile territory with the immediate goal of reaching the route that leads toward Mikoshi.

The mission is built around forward movement through a heavily defended Arasaka facility. V must stay with the assault, help the Aldecaldos break through resistance and deal with security systems and combat encounters in enclosed industrial spaces. The route is more direct than a typical open-world mission, but rushing ahead can separate V from the group or leave threats active behind the team.

Belly of the Beast also serves as the final major combat operation before the ending sequence associated with this choice. Its later encounters contain major story revelations, including the confrontation with Adam Smasher and the approach to Mikoshi. Players who want to explore Night City before committing should finish other activities before entering this late-game sequence.

Where this sits

Requirements

This mission is route-dependent rather than freely selectable from the general mission list.

• RequiredChoose Panam Palmer’s helpDuring Nocturne OP55N1, select the option that calls on Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos for assistance.
• RequiredComplete the preceding Aldecaldos missionsFinish We Gotta Live Together and Forward to Death so the story can progress to the Arasaka assault.
• RecommendedPrepare a combat buildThe mission contains sustained combat and a major boss encounter, so bring healing supplies and weapons suited to your preferred range.
• OptionalFinish optional activities firstBecause this is part of a late-game ending sequence, complete unrelated exploration, gigs and character content beforehand if you want to keep them available.

Objectives

1. Join the Aldecaldos’ assault on ArasakaFollow the clan’s operation into the corporation’s underground facility and support the advance.
2. Fight through Arasaka’s defensesClear hostile forces and continue through the facility while staying with the mission route.
3. Reach the route toward MikoshiPush deeper into the complex until the assault reaches its final objective.
4. Defeat Adam SmasherSurvive the major boss encounter blocking the way forward.
5. Enter the Mikoshi sequenceComplete the assault and proceed into the story material that follows.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Join the attack on Arasaka

   Begin the Aldecaldos assault

   Start the mission only after you are ready to continue the ending route, then move with Panam Palmer and the clan as the operation begins. The mission is linear from this point, so avoid wandering away from the assault group while the opening objectives are active.

   Location: Aldecaldos assault staging area

   TipUse this transition to check your weapons, healing items and quickhacks before the combat sequence becomes continuous.

   Watch outBeginning this late-game operation can limit access to unrelated activities until the ending sequence is resolved.

   Checkpoint
2. 02

   Enter Arasaka’s facility

   Follow the clan into the facility

   Advance behind the Aldecaldos through the approach to Arasaka’s underground complex. Let the allied push establish the direction of travel, then move from cover to cover rather than crossing exposed ground ahead of the group.

   Location: Arasaka underground approach

   TipKeep an eye on the minimap for hostile markers that remain behind the main formation; clearing them prevents crossfire during the next push.

3. 03

   Defeat Arasaka forces

   Clear the first defensive positions

   Engage the Arasaka forces guarding the entry route and use the surrounding cover to break their firing lines. Prioritize enemies with strong ranged pressure or elevated positions before advancing through the newly opened route.

   Location: Facility entrance and defensive perimeter

   TipStealth, hacking and direct gunfire can all work here, but a loud approach is safer when allied combatants are already drawing attention.

4. 04

   Push deeper into Arasaka’s defenses

   Advance through the underground complex

   Continue through the industrial interior after the initial defenders are down. Search side rooms for usable supplies when the area is secure, but return to the marked route once the group moves on because the operation depends on maintaining forward momentum.

   Location: Arasaka underground facility

   Watch outDo not treat every locked or side passage as a required route; some spaces are optional and spending too long away from the objective can leave the assault group behind.

5. 05

   Help the clan break through

   Support the Aldecaldos’ breakthrough

   Fight alongside Panam Palmer, Saul Bright and the other clan members as the assault reaches heavier resistance. Use the environment to separate targets and avoid standing in open corridors where several defenders can focus V at once.

   Location: Facility combat sectors

   TipExploit enemy vulnerabilities with your strongest crowd-control or armor-piercing options, then advance only after the immediate room is safe.

6. 06

   Reach the final objective area

   Reach the final defensive area

   Follow the route deeper into the complex until the mission begins directing V toward its decisive encounter. This is the last useful opportunity to reorganize weapons and consumables before the major fight, so use any quiet transition to prepare.

   Location: Arasaka facility interior

   Checkpoint
7. 07

   Defeat Adam Smasher

   Defeat Adam Smasher

   Adam Smasher blocks the final advance and must be defeated before V can continue. Keep moving around the arena, use cover when his attacks fill open sightlines, and damage him during the openings created after his heavier attacks rather than remaining exposed.

   Location: Arasaka facility boss arena

   TipA flexible loadout is valuable because the encounter combines pressure from the boss with additional battlefield threats. Reposition instead of trying to win the fight from one exposed angle.

   Watch outThe encounter is a major difficulty spike; spending all healing resources before the fight can make the final phase much harder.

8. 08

   Reach Mikoshi

   Proceed toward Mikoshi

   After the boss encounter, follow the objective marker through the newly accessible route instead of returning to earlier areas. The mission then transitions from the assault into the Mikoshi-related story sequence, where major character and ending outcomes are revealed.

   Location: Arasaka facility, post-boss route

   Watch outThis transition contains major ending spoilers and continues the chosen Aldecaldos conclusion.

   Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The mission’s central mechanic is coordinated advancement. The Aldecaldos provide pressure during the assault, but they do not remove the need for V to identify priority targets, use cover and clear the space immediately ahead. The safest rhythm is to let the group make contact, eliminate threats that can flank or pin the team, and then move when the next section is secure.

Arasaka’s underground setting favors weapons and abilities that work at short and medium range. Hacking can disable or distract isolated defenders, while stealth can reduce the number of enemies active during an opening exchange; once the alarmed fight is underway, mobility and target selection matter more than preserving a perfect stealth state.

The final arena changes the mission’s pace. Adam Smasher requires V to read attack tells, avoid predictable positioning and use damage windows instead of standing in one place. Because the battle is followed by story progression rather than a return to ordinary free-roam play, resource management before the encounter is more important than collecting every possible item during the approach.

What works and what does not

PhasesSpoilers

1. 1

   Facility assault

   Starts: The Aldecaldos enter Arasaka’s underground defenses.

   V fights alongside the clan through the opening defensive positions and advances into the facility.

   • Arasaka ranged fireTell Hostile shooters maintain pressure from cover or elevated positions.Answer Break line of sight, remove elevated threats and advance between cover points.
   • CrossfireTell Multiple enemy markers remain active on opposite sides of the route.Answer Clear flanking positions before pushing into the next room.
   • Stay near the assault group so allied pressure remains useful.
   • Use the facility’s cover instead of crossing long exposed lanes.
2. 2

   Deep-facility resistance

   Starts: The assault reaches the interior combat sectors.

   The route narrows and sustained resistance makes resource use and target priority more important.

   • 集中ed defensive fireTell Several defenders focus the same corridor or approach.Answer Use crowd control, quickhacks or grenades to create a safe opening.
   • Search secure side spaces for supplies, then return promptly to the objective route.
   • Avoid spending all healing items before the final arena.
3. 3

   Adam Smasher confrontation

   Starts: V reaches the final objective area.

   Adam Smasher becomes the mission’s decisive combat obstacle.

   • Heavy boss pressureTell Adam Smasher’s large attacks force V out of a fixed position.Answer Keep moving, use cover and attack after his heavier actions finish.
   • Arena threatsTell Additional hazards or enemies can divide V’s attention during the fight.Answer Reposition frequently and remove secondary threats when they create an immediate flank.
   • Keep a reserve of healing resources for the later part of the fight.
   • Use the weapon or ability combination your build handles most reliably rather than changing tactics mid-fight without a reason.

Boss encounterSpoilers

• Location
  Arasaka facility boss arena
• Health
  Not specified

Adam Smasher is best handled through movement, cover and disciplined damage windows. Avoid anchoring V to one position, watch for his heavier attacks, use the arena to break line of sight and deal damage during recovery openings. Keep enough healing and ammunition for the latter part of the encounter, since the fight is followed by the mission’s final progression toward Mikoshi.

Choices and consequencesEnding spoilers

• Choose Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos during Nocturne OP55N1

  Unlocks the sequence of missions that leads to Belly of the Beast and the Aldecaldos ending route.

  Spoiler
• Begin Belly of the Beast after completing the route’s preparation missions

  Commits V to a late-game assault sequence that proceeds through Arasaka’s facility toward Mikoshi.

  Spoiler
• Complete the mission and continue through Mikoshi

  Leads into the ending material associated with this route and its major character outcomes.

  Spoiler

Checklist

• Finish unrelated gigs and character missions before starting the assaultThe mission is part of a late-game ending sequence.Optional
• Confirm that Panam Palmer’s route is the ending path you wantThe preceding choice determines access to the mission.
• Equip a reliable primary weapon and a backup optionThe mission includes both facility combat and a major boss encounter.
• Restock healing items and ammunitionResource access is less convenient once the assault is underway.
• Keep a mobility or defensive option readyMovement and cover are important against Adam Smasher.
• Search safe side areas for supplies without abandoning the objective routeOptional exploration is safest after nearby threats are cleared.Optional
• Create a manual save before beginning the missionThis preserves a pre-ending point for players who want to explore other routes later.Optional

RewardsSpoilers

• Aldecaldos ending progression
  Completing the mission advances the ending route tied to Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos.
• Mikoshi story access
  The final objective opens the next story sequence connected to Mikoshi.
• Boss encounter loot
  The Adam Smasher encounter can provide combat rewards or loot, but specific item drops are not confirmed here.

Characters in this missionSpoilers

• VThe player character and mission protagonist.
• Panam PalmerKey ally in the Aldecaldos assault.
• Saul BrightAldecaldos leader involved in the route’s operation.
• Adam SmasherThe mission’s major boss opponent.

AftermathEnding spoilers

Trivia

• The mission’s title references the assault’s movement into the interior of Arasaka’s heavily defended infrastructure.
• Belly of the Beast is one of Cyberpunk 2077’s route-specific late-game missions rather than a mission available on every ending path.
• Its structure contrasts the preceding nomad-focused preparation with a direct attack on Arasaka and a major boss confrontation.

Relationships