Epistrophy

Key takeaways

Use these points to plan the mission without committing to a single order.

• Seven cabs, one mission Epistrophy is divided between seven district objectives rather than one continuous dungeon or combat arena. Check the Journal and map after each recovery so you do not assume that the current cab is the only remaining target. Seven cabs
• Follow instructions before firing The encounters do not all use the same solution. A cab may ask V to follow it, survive a hostile distraction, damage it until it stops, or deal with something nearby, so attacking immediately can waste time or turn a simple pursuit into a fight. Different solutions
• Driving is central Several objectives are easier if V stays in a vehicle and keeps enough distance to react to sudden turns. Avoid getting distracted by unrelated scanner events while a cab is still being followed. Driving
• The mission feeds a larger storyline The recoveries are part of Delamain's continuing storyline rather than isolated vehicle errands. Finishing them is important if you want to continue to the later Delamain mission. Storyline

Overview

Epistrophy is a multi-part Delamain mission in Cyberpunk 2077 that turns Night City itself into the search area.

After the events that disrupt V's vehicle and bring Delamain into the story, Delamain asks V to recover several autonomous cabs that have gone missing or stopped following the company's instructions. The mission is not a single linear route: its objectives appear across different districts, and V can generally approach the available search areas in a flexible order. Each cab has its own behavior, so the activity alternates between following a target, surviving an ambush, damaging a vehicle until it yields, or completing a small local task.

The seven search areas are Northside, the Badlands, Coastview, Wellsprings, North Oak, Rancho Coronado, and The Glen. Most encounters begin when V reaches the marked area and locates the Delamain cab. The safest general approach is to read the objective carefully before attacking: some cabs must be followed without losing them, while others deliberately provoke a fight or require V to interact with the surrounding environment.

Completing the recoveries advances Delamain's wider storyline and opens the way to the later mission Don't Lose Your Mind. Epistrophy is therefore useful both as an exploration mission and as a link between Delamain's early assistance to V and the later questions about the company's artificial intelligence, identity, and control. The mission can be completed through a mixture of driving, dialogue, and combat rather than through one fixed build or weapon choice.

Where this sits

Requirements

The mission becomes available through Delamain's storyline after the prerequisite events have taken place.

• RequiredComplete Human NatureThe Delamain-related events in Human Nature lead into the request to locate the rogue cabs.
• RequiredReach Delamain HQThe recovery assignment is introduced at Delamain HQ, where V receives the search objective.
• RecommendedHave access to a vehicleDriving makes the pursuit objectives much easier and is effectively part of the intended approach, although V can leave the vehicle when an encounter calls for combat or interaction.
• RecommendedCarry basic combat equipmentNot every cab requires fighting, but Coastview and some other encounters can become hostile. A normal combat-ready loadout is sufficient; no unique weapon is required.

Objectives

1. Meet Delamain at Delamain HQReturn to the company headquarters and receive the request to recover the autonomous cabs.
2. Search the marked districtsTravel to the seven marked areas and locate the Delamain cab associated with each objective.
3. Resolve each cab's behaviorFollow, defend against, disable, or otherwise assist each cab according to the local objective rather than applying one solution everywhere.
4. Return the rogue cabs to DelamainAfter all seven recoveries are complete, the mission chain moves back toward Delamain HQ and its later storyline.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Start Epistrophy and receive the cab locations.

   Return to Delamain HQ and accept the recovery assignment

   Travel to Delamain HQ after the relevant Delamain events have occurred and speak with Delamain to begin Epistrophy. The Journal then divides the work into district-based objectives, allowing you to leave the headquarters and tackle the marked areas in a flexible order.

   Location: Delamain HQ

   TipUse the Journal to select one district at a time; the cab objectives are easier to track when you avoid mixing them with unrelated map markers.

   Checkpoint
2. 02

   Locate and recover the Northside cab.

   Recover the cab in Northside

   Enter the Northside search area and look for the Delamain cab indicated by the objective marker. When the cab begins moving, stay behind it and keep it in sight rather than trying to ram it or pass it; the encounter resolves when the pursuit has been completed and the cab can communicate with V.

   Location: Northside

   TipKeep a moderate following distance. Staying too close makes sudden turns harder to read, while falling too far behind can interrupt the pursuit.

   Checkpoint
3. 03

   Locate and recover the Badlands cab.

   Recover the cab in the Badlands

   Drive out to the Badlands marker and locate the rogue cab in the open desert area. Follow its route and respond to the objective prompt when the cab stops or changes the encounter; the open terrain gives you room to recover if you overshoot, but unrelated combat or traffic can still make the pursuit harder to maintain.

   Location: Badlands

   TipApproach with a vehicle suited to rough roads and avoid stopping to investigate nearby activities until the cab objective is complete.

   Checkpoint
4. 04

   Deal with the Coastview cab's hostile setup and complete the recovery.

   Survive the Coastview encounter

   Find the Coastview cab and follow the encounter as it draws V toward a hostile situation. The objective can turn into combat against nearby enemies, so leave the vehicle when necessary, use cover, and clear the immediate threat before trying to resume the cab conversation.

   Location: Coastview

   Watch outDo not treat this marker as a simple drive-by interaction. Hostile enemies can interrupt the conversation and force V into a fight.

   Checkpoint
5. 05

   Stop the Wellsprings cab without losing the encounter.

   Force the Wellsprings cab to stop

   Locate the cab in Wellsprings and pursue it through the district. This recovery is resolved by damaging the vehicle enough to make it stop, but controlled bursts are preferable to indiscriminate explosives because the objective depends on the cab surviving long enough to surrender.

   Location: Wellsprings

   TipUse a weapon you can control while driving or pull alongside the cab for a clearer shot. Avoid overshooting corners and keep the target within the objective area.

   Watch outExcessive damage or losing the cab can interrupt the objective, requiring you to re-engage it or restart from the relevant checkpoint.

   Checkpoint
6. 06

   Follow and recover the North Oak cab.

   Complete the long North Oak pursuit

   Reach North Oak and find the cab moving through the district. Follow it patiently as it takes its route instead of trying to force it to stop; this section is primarily about staying with the vehicle and allowing the scripted conversation to reach its resolution.

   Location: North Oak

   TipDo not abandon the chase because the route appears repetitive. Maintain enough distance to react to traffic and sharp bends, and let the cab finish its intended drive.

   Checkpoint
7. 07

   Complete the Rancho Coronado cab's request and recover it.

   Handle the Rancho Coronado request

   In Rancho Coronado, locate the cab and listen for the local task it gives V. Complete the nearby environmental objective, which involves dealing with flamingos around the area, then return to the cab and interact with it to finish this recovery.

   Location: Rancho Coronado

   TipStay near the marked area while searching for the flamingos. Wandering too far into unrelated activities can make the objective marker less useful.

   Checkpoint
8. 08

   Locate and recover the cab in The Glen.

   Speak with the cab in The Glen

   Travel to The Glen and locate the Delamain cab at its marked position. This encounter is handled primarily through interaction and dialogue rather than a standard chase, so approach the vehicle and follow the conversation prompts instead of attacking it.

   Location: The Glen

   TipIf the cab is not immediately visible, check the elevation and nearby overlook rather than searching only at street level.

   Checkpoint
9. 09

   Complete Epistrophy and unlock the next Delamain storyline step.

   Finish the final recovery and wait for Delamain's next instruction

   Once all seven district objectives are complete, follow the updated Journal objective and any call from Delamain. The mission's immediate recovery work is complete when the cabs have been returned to the storyline, but the Delamain arc continues into a later mission rather than ending with a conventional boss fight.

   Location: Night City

   Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Epistrophy tests whether the player reads the active objective before choosing a tactic. A moving cab is usually a tracking problem, not a target to destroy, while a cab that asks V to intervene may require combat or a nearby interaction. The mission deliberately varies the rules between districts, so the correct response in Wellsprings is not automatically correct in North Oak or The Glen.

Vehicle control matters more than raw firepower in the pursuit sections. Keep the target visible, avoid taking shortcuts that leave the objective area, and use the map only as a supplement to the cab's movement. If the cab disappears, check the objective text and nearby roads before assuming the mission is broken; some routes make sudden turns or pass through spaces that are difficult to read at speed.

The combat portions are conventional Cyberpunk 2077 encounters rather than a dedicated boss battle. Use cover, separate nearby enemies from the cab, and return to the vehicle only after the local objective has updated. In the environmental section in Rancho Coronado, the important step is completing the cab's requested task, not treating the cab itself as an enemy.

What works and what does not

Choices and consequences

• Complete the cab recoveries in any available order

  The mission supports a flexible route through the seven search areas. The selected order changes travel efficiency but does not create a fundamentally different mission outcome.

• Follow a cab instead of attacking it when the objective calls for a pursuit

  The encounter proceeds as intended and eventually reaches its dialogue or recovery state. Firing on a cab that is meant to be followed can disrupt the pursuit and force a reset or renewed chase.

• Resolve the hostile Coastview situation before returning to the cab

  Clearing the immediate threat allows the encounter to continue and prevents enemies from interrupting the interaction.

• Complete the Delamain recovery chain

  The mission contributes to unlocking the later Delamain mission Don't Lose Your Mind.

  Spoiler

Checklist

• Visit Delamain HQ and accept the recovery assignmentThis starts the district objectives.
• Recover the Northside cabFollow the cab when it begins moving.
• Recover the Badlands cabStay with the vehicle through the open terrain.
• Resolve the Coastview encounterBe prepared for hostile enemies.
• Stop the Wellsprings cabDamage it carefully until the objective resolves.
• Follow the North Oak cabDo not abandon the route because it takes time.
• Complete the Rancho Coronado requestDeal with the nearby flamingos before finishing the interaction.
• Recover the cab in The GlenApproach the marked cab and use the dialogue interaction.
• Check the Journal for the final Delamain objectiveThe follow-up storyline becomes available after the recoveries are complete.

Failure conditions

• Lose the cab during a pursuitIf V falls too far behind or leaves the objective area, the pursuit can fail or reset. Reloading the checkpoint or reacquiring the marked cab restores the encounter.
• Destroy the target cab when it must be recoveredSome objectives require the vehicle to remain available for dialogue or surrender. Use controlled damage only when the objective specifically instructs V to stop the cab.
• Die during a hostile encounterThe mission returns V to the latest checkpoint or save, so clear enemies from cover and avoid standing in the open beside the cab.
• Leave a local objective unfinishedIn encounters such as Rancho Coronado, interacting with the cab alone is not enough if it has assigned V a nearby task. Complete the requested environmental action before returning to the vehicle.

Rewards

• Delamain storyline progress
  Recovering the rogue cabs advances Delamain's mission arc and leads toward the later Don't Lose Your Mind mission.
• Access to the next Delamain mission
  Completing the recovery work is the key progression reward of Epistrophy.
• Standard encounter loot
  Hostile encounters can provide ordinary ammunition, weapons, and other loot available from defeated enemies, but the mission is not defined by a unique boss drop.

Characters in this mission

• VThe player character who performs the cab recoveries.
• DelamainThe AI who assigns the mission and receives the recovered cabs.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• Epistrophy takes its name from a poetic term for a repeated phrase or refrain, fitting a mission built around recurring Delamain voices and vehicles.
• The mission is unusual among Cyberpunk 2077 side missions because its objectives are spread across multiple districts and can be approached in a flexible order.
• The seven cab recoveries showcase different kinds of interaction instead of requiring one universal combat solution.
• Delamain's presence links Epistrophy to the game's broader questions about artificial intelligence, autonomy, and identity.

Relationships