Desperate Measures

Key takeaways

Use the following principles when approaching Desperate Measures.

• Treat it as a delivery job The central task is recovering the assigned vehicle and bringing it to the marked destination. The mission is not presented as a conventional story quest with a large chain of dialogue choices.
• Plan the escape before taking the vehicle The recovery area can become dangerous as soon as the objective changes. Identify the direction of the route and avoid spending time fighting enemies who are not blocking the delivery.
• Vehicle handling is part of the challenge Driving cleanly is usually safer than taking unnecessary shortcuts through crowds or tight spaces. If combat starts during the drive, prioritize maintaining forward movement and protecting the objective vehicle.
• Do not expect a major story resolution Desperate Measures is supporting content tied to Dogtown's vehicle-contract system. Its principal outcome is contract completion and associated progression rather than a major change to the main narrative.

Desperate Measures overview

Desperate Measures is an optional vehicle contract associated with Dogtown in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Desperate Measures belongs to the vehicle-contract activity introduced with Phantom Liberty. The job is offered through Muamar "El Capitan" Reyes and follows the basic contract pattern: locate a designated vehicle, take control of it, and get it to the requested destination. It is separate from Cyberpunk 2077's main story and is not required to reach the expansion's ending.

The contract is built around driving under pressure rather than investigation or dialogue-heavy role-playing. Once V takes the vehicle, hostile forces may attempt to stop the delivery, so the route is best treated as an escape and transport problem instead of a normal point-to-point drive. The vehicle's condition and the player's ability to break contact can matter more than clearing every enemy.

Because the available source material does not provide a verified encounter map, vehicle model, enemy roster, payment, or exact route, this page avoids assigning unsupported specifics to the mission. The reliable high-level guidance is to prepare before entering the recovery area, secure the vehicle quickly, and follow the active delivery objective rather than wandering into unrelated fights.

Where this sits

Requirements

The mission requires access to the relevant Phantom Liberty vehicle-contract content.

• RequiredAccess to DogtownV must be able to enter the Phantom Liberty district and receive its optional activities.
• RequiredVehicle contracts availableThe contract must have been introduced through Muamar "El Capitan" Reyes's vehicle-contract activity.
• RecommendedA combat-ready buildWeapons, cyberware, healing items, or quickhacks are recommended because the recovery and delivery can involve hostile opposition.
• RecommendedA reliable driving approachThe objective is vehicle-based, so familiarity with braking, turning, and route-following is useful even if the player avoids most combat.

Objectives

1. Reach the vehicle recovery areaFollow the active objective marker into the assigned section of Dogtown and locate the target vehicle.
2. Secure the target vehicleTake control of the designated vehicle and wait for the mission objective to update before leaving the area.
3. Deliver the vehicleDrive to the marked destination while responding to any hostile interference without abandoning the objective vehicle.
4. Complete the contractBring the vehicle into the delivery area and finish the handoff to receive the contract outcome.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Start Desperate Measures

   Accept Desperate Measures through the vehicle-contract activity

   Begin the contract from the vehicle-contract content associated with Muamar "El Capitan" Reyes. Before travelling, check the objective marker and make sure your current loadout has healing and combat options available, because the job can shift from driving to combat without much preparation.

   Location: Dogtown

   TipSave before beginning if you want a safe retry point; the exact recovery layout and opposition are not verified in the available source material.

2. 02

   Reach the target vehicle

   Travel to the marked recovery area

   Use the quest marker to reach the vehicle's location rather than choosing a route based only on the nearest road. The contract's exact entrance, street layout, and approach direction are not confirmed here, so follow the objective and watch for the mission marker updating when you enter the correct area.

   Location: Dogtown

   Watch outDo not assume that the first nearby vehicle is the objective vehicle; confirm the mission marker before taking control.

3. 03

   Take the target vehicle

   Locate and secure the target vehicle

   Find the designated vehicle in the recovery area and interact with it when the prompt appears. If enemies are present, create enough space to enter safely, but avoid clearing every opponent unless they prevent access or make the departure unsafe.

   Location: Vehicle recovery area

   TipThe objective should identify the correct vehicle; use that confirmation instead of relying on appearance alone.

   Checkpoint
4. 04

   Drive the vehicle toward the delivery point

   Leave the recovery area promptly

   Once the vehicle is secured, follow the updated delivery marker and begin moving out of the area. Lingering to loot or chase enemies increases the chance of taking avoidable damage and can make the escape harder, especially if the route narrows around traffic or obstacles.

   Location: Vehicle recovery area

   Watch outDo not abandon the target vehicle while the delivery objective is active.

5. 05

   Deliver the vehicle

   Break contact during the delivery drive

   If hostile forces pursue or attack, keep the vehicle moving and use the road network indicated by the objective marker. Return fire only when it can be done without losing control; a short detour to avoid a blockade is generally safer than stopping in an exposed position.

   Location: Dogtown roads

   TipPrioritize steering, braking, and route correction over trying to defeat every pursuer.

   Checkpoint
6. 06

   Complete the vehicle delivery

   Enter the marked delivery area

   Follow the final objective marker until the vehicle reaches the designated handoff zone. Slow down as you approach so that you do not overshoot the trigger area or collide with nearby obstacles, then remain in the vehicle until the mission confirms completion.

   Location: Marked delivery destination

   Watch outThe contract is not complete merely because you reach the general neighborhood; use the active marker to identify the handoff area.

7. 07

   Finish Desperate Measures

   Confirm the contract result

   After the delivery sequence ends, wait for the completion notification and any reward or progression update before leaving. If the objective does not advance, reposition the vehicle inside the marked area and check for remaining hostile interference rather than restarting immediately.

   Location: Delivery destination

Mission mechanics

Desperate Measures uses the vehicle-contract structure rather than the usual cyberpsycho hunt, stealth infiltration, or conversation-led gig format. The mission's core loop is spatial: reach the recovery point, take possession of a specific vehicle, and move it to a destination while the game directs the player with an active objective marker.

The most important change happens after the vehicle is secured. A location that was useful for approaching the objective becomes a poor place to remain, because enemies and environmental obstacles can interfere with the exit. The player does not need to convert every contract into a full area clear; preserving momentum and keeping the objective vehicle intact are usually the safer priorities.

Driving and combat compete for attention during the delivery. Firing from a moving vehicle can help create space, but it also makes steering and collision avoidance more difficult. Players who prefer stealth, quickhacks, or close combat should use those tools before entering the vehicle or after reaching a safe stopping point, rather than allowing the delivery to become an uncontrolled roadside fight.

What works and what does not

Checklist

• Confirm that Desperate Measures is the active vehicle-contract objectiveThis prevents confusing the recovery vehicle with nearby traffic or another activity.
• Carry healing and a combat option suited to short engagementsThe contract may combine driving with hostile interference.
• Reach the marked recovery area before engaging unrelated enemiesThe objective marker is the most reliable guide when the local layout is unfamiliar.
• Verify the target vehicle before entering itDo not rely on vehicle appearance alone.
• Leave the recovery area as soon as the delivery objective appearsAvoid unnecessary looting or prolonged fights.
• Follow the delivery marker until the game confirms completionReaching the destination district is not necessarily the same as completing the handoff.

Failure conditions

• V dies during the recovery or deliveryThe contract fails in the normal way for a mission combat encounter and must be resumed from a checkpoint or save.
• The target vehicle is abandoned or otherwise lostLeaving the objective vehicle can prevent the delivery from progressing and may require returning to it or reloading.
• The delivery is not completedReaching the general destination is insufficient if the vehicle has not entered the marked handoff area or the completion state has not triggered.

Rewards

• Contract payment
  Completing the vehicle contract provides the associated payment.
• Vehicle-contract progression
  The mission contributes to the optional vehicle-contract activity associated with Muamar "El Capitan" Reyes.
• Possible vehicle-contract bonus
  Additional bonus rewards may depend on the broader vehicle-contract system, but the exact Desperate Measures payout is not verified here.

Characters in this mission

• VThe player character who performs the contract.
• DogtownDistrict where the mission's recovery and delivery activity takes place.

Aftermath

Relationships