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MissionmajorMain story

Birds with Broken Wings

A main-story mission in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty that advances V’s work with Solomon Reed and Songbird during the conflict surrounding Dogtown.

RoleMain-story mission
Statusreleased
Importancemajor
  • GameCyberpunk 2077
  • ExpansionPhantom Liberty
  • Mission typeMain story
  • SettingDogtown
  • Primary focusInvestigation and dialogue
  • Boss fightNo standalone boss encounter confirmed

This summary uses model-derived information and has not been checked against an editorial walkthrough.

Key takeaways

Use these points to place the mission in the wider Phantom Liberty campaign without revealing its later resolutions.

  • Main-story progression This is a required-feeling story chapter within the central Phantom Liberty sequence, not a repeatable gig or ordinary fixer contract.
  • Dialogue matters Pay attention during conversations with the operation’s principal characters. The mission’s most important information is delivered through dialogue and objective changes rather than a large loot reward.
  • Save before starting A manual save is useful before entering the mission because later Phantom Liberty missions can divide the story into different routes.
  • Expect connected objectives The mission is designed to be played alongside nearby main jobs in the expansion, so objective markers and calls may refer to events or people introduced earlier.

Overview

Birds with Broken Wings is a story-focused mission in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. It continues V’s involvement in the dangerous operation surrounding Songbird, Solomon Reed and the NUSA presence in Dogtown.

Birds with Broken Wings belongs to the central Phantom Liberty storyline rather than the expansion’s optional side content. Its purpose is primarily narrative: V is drawn further into the competing plans of Songbird, Reed and the authorities operating around Dogtown, where personal loyalties and political objectives rarely point in the same direction. The mission is best approached as part of the connected sequence of main jobs surrounding Reed’s investigation.

The mission emphasizes conversation, investigation and controlled movement through hostile territory instead of presenting a self-contained contract with a simple target-and-reward structure. Dialogue choices shape the tone of V’s exchanges and can change what information is emphasized, but the broader story continues through the main Phantom Liberty path. Players who want the surrounding context should complete the preceding main jobs before treating this mission as an isolated assignment.

As with other Phantom Liberty main jobs, the safest way to play is to make a manual save before beginning, read objective updates carefully and avoid assuming that every suspicious conversation is optional. The mission can contain story information about the relationships and competing agendas at the heart of the expansion, so players seeking a spoiler-light experience should stop at the overview and use the later sections only when they need guidance.

Where this sits

Dogtown operationV becomes involved in the expansion’s central conflict
Reed’s investigationThe NUSA operation develops through linked main jobs
Birds with Broken WingsCurrent mission
Later Phantom Liberty decisionsSubsequent missions develop the competing routes
  1. 1Phantom Liberty
  2. 2The Damned
  3. 3Get It Together
  4. ●Birds with Broken Wings
  5. 5I've Seen That Face Before

The exact order of nearby main jobs can depend on how the player progresses through Phantom Liberty; confirm the active objective in the in-game journal.

Requirements

Progress through the Phantom Liberty main storyline until Birds with Broken Wings is added to V’s journal.

  • RequiredAccess to Phantom LibertyThe mission belongs to the Phantom Liberty campaign and is not part of the base-game-only mission sequence.
  • RequiredPrevious main-story progressIt is presented as part of the connected Dogtown operation involving Solomon Reed and Songbird. The exact unlock trigger should be checked against the current journal state.
  • RecommendedA prepared loadoutCarry a weapon and cyberware setup suited to both conversation-led exploration and possible combat interruptions. No special item is confirmed as mandatory.
  • RecommendedManual saveSave before accepting or entering the mission so that dialogue and route decisions can be revisited without losing broader campaign progress.

Objectives

  1. Follow the active Phantom Liberty objectiveThe mission advances through journal objectives and calls. Read each update before leaving the current area because the next destination may not be marked until a conversation finishes.
  2. Meet and work with the operation’s key participantsV’s progress depends on exchanges with the people connected to the Dogtown operation. Exhausting optional dialogue can provide context, but not every line is required to continue.
  3. Investigate the immediate situationUse the objective marker, scan the environment when prompted and inspect conspicuous points of interest before assuming that the route is blocked.
  4. Complete the mission’s current assignmentThe final objective is supplied by the journal after the investigation and conversations conclude. Follow the updated marker rather than returning to an earlier location without an instruction.

Walkthrough

  1. 01

    Prepare for the mission

    Create a manual save and check the journal

    Before entering the mission area, make a manual save and read the current Phantom Liberty objective. This prevents confusion if a call, conversation or later route changes the marker shown on the map.

    TipDo not rely only on the map pin; the journal text usually identifies the person or location that must be approached first.

  2. 02

    Reach the mission location

    Travel to the marked Dogtown objective

    Use the active marker to reach the mission’s starting point in Dogtown. If the marker appears to pause, remain in the area and wait for the incoming call or dialogue trigger instead of fast-travelling away.

    Location: Dogtown

    Watch outLeaving the marked area during a trigger conversation can delay the next objective, even when it does not permanently fail the mission.

  3. 03

    Continue the operation

    Speak with the involved characters

    Follow the objective through the mission’s central conversations and allow each exchange to finish before moving on. Optional dialogue is useful for understanding the operation, while the required response is normally the one that advances the journal.

    TipUse a save before important conversations if you want to compare dialogue outcomes without replaying the whole preceding sequence.

    Checkpoint
  4. 04

    Investigate the situation

    Search the assigned area for the next lead

    When the mission changes from conversation to investigation, stay inside the highlighted search area and interact with marked objects or prompts. If no interaction appears, check for a nearby doorway, stairway or passage and wait for the objective text to update.

    Location: Mission-marked Dogtown interior or exterior area

    Watch outRushing past the investigation zone can make the next trigger difficult to find; use the scanner and objective marker before opening unrelated routes.

  5. 05

    Secure the route

    Deal with any combat interruption

    If hostiles appear while V is moving between objectives, use available cover and clear only the enemies required to make the route safe. The mission is not built around a confirmed named boss, so conserve ammunition and healing items for the next story section.

    TipKeep the active objective visible after combat; the correct exit may not be the direction from which the enemies entered.

    Checkpoint
  6. 06

    Finish Birds with Broken Wings

    Follow the final updated marker

    After the investigation and related conversations, the journal assigns the mission’s closing movement or meeting. Follow that new marker and avoid abandoning the area until the completion notification or next main-job prompt appears.

    Watch outDo not assume the mission is complete merely because the last conversation ends; wait for the journal to update before fast-travelling.

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Birds with Broken Wings is structured around the hybrid pacing used by Phantom Liberty’s main jobs. V moves between directed conversations, short investigation segments and possible combat interruptions, so the most important resource is attention to the objective text rather than a particular weapon or build. The game may not reveal the next interaction until a conversation has fully concluded.

Dialogue is the mission’s primary delivery system. Optional lines can clarify motivations and relationships, while required responses move the story forward. A high Cyberpunk 2077 skill build is not known to be mandatory for completing the mission, and players should not assume that a locked dialogue option is the only way through an objective.

Exploration remains useful even in a tightly directed mission. Scan marked areas, check nearby doors and follow the highlighted route before concluding that an objective is broken. If a trigger does not fire, return to the last speaker or objective zone, finish any outstanding conversation and wait for the journal to refresh.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • Advances the central Phantom Liberty conflict without requiring a separate contract chain.
  • Uses character conversations and investigation to provide context for the Dogtown operation.
  • Supports different play styles because no single combat build is confirmed as mandatory.

Weaknesses

  • The mission’s objective flow can feel unclear if the player leaves during a conversation trigger.
  • Its story-led structure offers less conventional loot and combat variety than a dedicated gig or assault.
  • The significance of some exchanges is easier to appreciate after playing the surrounding Phantom Liberty missions.

Best uses

  • Play it as part of the main expansion sequence rather than as an isolated activity.
  • Save before major conversations and review the journal after each objective update.
  • Use scanning and environmental observation when the next interaction is not immediately obvious.

Checklist

  • Unlock Phantom Liberty and reach Birds with Broken Wings in the journalThe mission is part of the expansion’s main storyline.
  • Make a manual save before entering the missionUseful before story conversations and subsequent route changes.
  • Read every updated objectiveThe next destination may not be obvious from the map alone.
  • Complete optional dialogue with the mission’s key charactersRecommended for additional context, but not confirmed as required.Optional
  • Scan the marked investigation areaEnvironmental prompts can be easy to overlook when moving quickly.
  • Confirm the completion notification before leaving DogtownThis avoids travelling away before the final journal update.

Failure conditions

  • V dies during a combat sectionReload the latest checkpoint or manual save and repeat the encounter with more attention to cover and the active route.
  • V abandons the active objective areaReturning to the marked zone and allowing the relevant call or conversation to finish may restore progression. If it does not, reload the latest checkpoint.
  • A story trigger does not activateCheck the journal, return to the last conversation partner, complete nearby prompts and wait for the objective to refresh before attempting a reload.

On failure

The exact checkpoint placement and any route-specific fail states should be verified in the current game version; no unique permanent failure condition is confirmed here.

Characters in this mission

AftermathSpoilers

Story routes continue after this mission

Birds with Broken Wings feeds into the wider Phantom Liberty storyline, where the interests of V, Solomon Reed, Songbird and the NUSA do not remain aligned. For a spoiler-light playthrough, make a manual save before continuing into the next major story sequence and avoid reading route-specific guides until you are ready for the consequences.

Trivia

  • The mission title uses bird imagery that fits Phantom Liberty’s recurring themes of confinement, escape and damaged personal loyalties.
  • Birds with Broken Wings is a main-story mission rather than a fixer gig, so its value is primarily in campaign progression and narrative context.
  • The mission is associated with Dogtown’s central operation and the characters introduced as part of Phantom Liberty’s NUSA conflict.

Relationships