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MissionsupportingSide missionModerate

Ex-Factor

A side mission in Cyberpunk 2077 in which V helps Judy Alvarez return to Clouds to recover Evelyn Parker’s belongings and deal with the consequences of Evelyn’s time there.

RoleJudy Alvarez side mission
StatusAvailable after Both Sides, Now
Importancesupporting
RewardProgress in Judy Alvarez’s side-mission storyline
  • Mission typeSide mission
  • Primary characterJudy Alvarez
  • Main locationClouds
  • Story positionAfter Both Sides, Now
  • Combat profileDialogue-led; possible hostile encounter
  • DifficultyModerate

The mission’s difficulty depends on whether V uses stealth and dialogue or engages Clouds personnel directly.

Key takeaways

These are the central points to know before starting Ex-Factor.

  • Follow Judy’s lead Judy is the emotional focus of the mission, and the objective is to support her while she retrieves Evelyn Parker’s belongings from Clouds.
  • Expect a return visit The mission revisits Clouds and assumes that V is familiar with the club from Automatic Love, although the immediate task is different.
  • Dialogue matters The major developments come from conversations with Judy Alvarez and Maiko Maeda, so avoid rushing through dialogue if you want the context behind the conflict.
  • Combat is avoidable in some situations The mission can involve hostile Clouds personnel, but approaching carefully and using the available dialogue opportunities can prevent the visit from becoming a straightforward assault.

Overview

Ex-Factor is a Judy Alvarez side mission about returning to Clouds after Evelyn Parker’s death.

Ex-Factor follows Both Sides, Now and continues V’s relationship with Judy Alvarez. Judy wants to return to Clouds, the braindance club where Evelyn Parker worked, to collect Evelyn’s personal belongings and confront the people connected to her exploitation. The mission is primarily investigative and conversational, although the club’s hostile security can turn the visit into a combat encounter.

The mission takes V back into Clouds in Megabuilding H8, a location previously visited during the Automatic Love storyline. Judy’s goals are personal rather than purely practical: she is grieving, angry at the way Evelyn was treated, and uncertain whether she can trust the people now running the club. V’s presence gives her support while also allowing the player to influence how the confrontation develops.

Ex-Factor is an important early step in Judy’s longer side-mission arc. It establishes the tension between Judy and , presents Clouds as a place shaped by corporate and criminal control, and sets up later missions involving Judy’s attempt to change the club’s situation. The mission’s most important content is found in its conversations and character relationships rather than in a conventional boss fight or a large material reward.

Where this sits

Evelyn’s aftermathJudy processes the loss of Evelyn Parker
Return to CloudsV accompanies Judy to the club
Clouds confrontationJudy’s conflict with the club’s management comes forward
  1. 1Both Sides, NowpreviousComplete the preceding Judy Alvarez mission.
  2. ●Ex-FactorcurrentThe current mission.
  3. 3Talkin' 'Bout a RevolutionnextA later Judy Alvarez mission connected to the Clouds storyline.

Ex-Factor is an early continuation of Judy Alvarez’s personal storyline and the Clouds plot.

Requirements

Finish the preceding Judy Alvarez mission and remain available for Judy’s follow-up contact.

  • RequiredComplete Both Sides, NowEx-Factor follows Judy Alvarez’s grief-focused mission and becomes available after its conclusion.
  • RequiredAnswer Judy’s call or messageJudy contacts V to ask for help. Responding and following the objective marker starts the mission’s active sequence.
  • RequiredReach CloudsTravel to Clouds in Megabuilding H8 when Judy arranges the meeting.
  • RecommendedBring a combat-ready loadoutCombat is not necessarily the only approach, but Clouds personnel may become hostile depending on how V handles the visit.

Objectives

  1. Meet Judy Alvarez at CloudsTravel to the club and find Judy at the agreed meeting point.
  2. Enter Clouds with JudyFollow Judy into the club and proceed toward the area containing Evelyn Parker’s belongings.
  3. Retrieve Evelyn’s belongingsSearch the relevant room or booth and collect the personal items Judy came for.
  4. Deal with the Clouds staff and managementUse conversation, stealth, or combat as the situation develops.
  5. Leave Clouds with JudyComplete the immediate visit and speak with Judy after the confrontation.

Walkthrough

  1. 01

    Meet Judy Alvarez

    Respond to Judy Alvarez and travel to Clouds

    Wait for Judy Alvarez to contact V after Both Sides, Now, then follow the active objective to Clouds in Megabuilding H8. The mission does not begin by sending V into a new district; it deliberately returns to the club from Automatic Love, so use the map marker rather than searching the surrounding buildings.

    Location: Megabuilding H8, outside Clouds

    TipMake sure the mission is selected in the Journal before entering the building, because Clouds has several nearby doors and interior spaces.

  2. 02

    Talk to Judy Alvarez

    Meet Judy at the club

    Find Judy Alvarez at the meeting point outside or near the entrance to Clouds and listen to why she has come back. She explains that she wants to recover Evelyn Parker’s belongings, and the conversation establishes that this is a personal visit rather than an ordinary job.

    Location: Clouds entrance area

    Watch outDo not treat Judy’s request as a generic loot objective; the dialogue determines when the next interaction becomes available.

  3. 03

    Follow Judy Alvarez

    Enter Clouds with Judy

    Follow Judy into Clouds and proceed through the club toward the area connected with Evelyn’s former room. Depending on the state of the location and V’s approach, staff or security can restrict movement, so keep the objective marker active and avoid wandering into unrelated rooms.

    Location: Clouds interior

  4. 04

    Go to Evelyn’s room

    Reach Evelyn’s former room

    Continue through the club until Judy identifies the room or booth associated with Evelyn Parker. The important clue is Judy’s direction and the mission marker, not a random container elsewhere in Clouds; search the indicated space before moving on.

    Location: Evelyn Parker’s former room at Clouds

  5. 05

    Retrieve Evelyn’s belongings

    Recover Evelyn’s belongings

    Interact with the marked belongings in Evelyn’s former room and allow Judy to take possession of them. This is easy to overlook if V immediately follows a hostile target or leaves the room, so confirm that the collection objective updates before returning to the corridor.

    Location: Evelyn Parker’s former room at Clouds

    TipUse the objective marker and scan the room for the interaction prompt rather than assuming every piece of scenery is collectible.

  6. 06

    Deal with the Clouds staff

    Handle the confrontation at Clouds

    A confrontation with Clouds personnel and Maiko Maeda follows the recovery of Evelyn’s belongings. V can attempt to keep the exchange verbal, remain cautious and use the environment, or fight if the situation becomes hostile; the safest approach is to exhaust available dialogue before drawing a weapon.

    Location: Clouds interior

    Watch outStarting combat can change the tone of the scene and may close off dialogue, so save beforehand if you want to compare approaches.

  7. 07

    Talk to Maiko Maeda

    Speak with Maiko Maeda

    Maiko Maeda becomes the key person in the discussion about Clouds and its treatment of the dolls. Listen to her explanation before choosing a response, because the conversation gives context for the later conflict between Judy and Maiko and reveals that their goals are not identical.

    Location: Clouds management area

    TipJudy’s anger is directed at the system around Clouds as much as at any individual, so read the dialogue carefully before deciding whether to support Maiko’s position.

  8. 08

    Talk to Judy Alvarez

    Leave Clouds and talk with Judy

    After the discussion or fight is resolved, leave the relevant interior area with Judy Alvarez and speak with her outside or at the mission’s departure point. This final conversation closes the immediate recovery task and advances Judy’s broader storyline.

    Location: Outside Clouds

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Ex-Factor is structured around a guided return to a familiar location. The map objective leads V to Judy Alvarez, and Judy then supplies most of the navigation through Clouds. The mission is less about solving a large environmental puzzle than about staying with Judy, reaching Evelyn Parker’s former room, and completing the marked interaction there.

The main mechanical variation is how V handles access and opposition inside the club. A player who pauses to follow Judy’s instructions and use dialogue can keep the encounter controlled, while an aggressive approach can turn the same visit into a firefight. Stealth and careful movement are useful because Clouds is an occupied business rather than an open combat arena.

The mission also uses conversation as its principal form of progression. Maiko Maeda’s appearance changes the immediate objective from recovering Evelyn’s belongings to deciding how V responds to the club’s management. There is no conventional boss arena, special puzzle item, or mandatory loot route that needs to be mastered to finish the mission.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • Keeps Judy Alvarez and Evelyn Parker’s aftermath at the center of the mission instead of treating it as background lore.
  • Revisits Clouds from a different emotional and narrative perspective than Automatic Love.
  • Allows the player to approach the club’s opposition through dialogue, stealth, or combat.
  • Builds the conflict between Judy Alvarez and Maiko Maeda without requiring a large combat set piece.

Weaknesses

  • The mission can feel short on conventional action because its most significant progress happens through dialogue.
  • Clouds can be confusing to navigate when the objective changes between the room, the management area, and the exit.
  • Players looking for a large equipment reward may find the narrative progression more significant than the material payoff.

Best uses

  • Play it as soon as Judy’s follow-up becomes available if you want her storyline to retain its continuity.
  • Use a manual save before the Clouds confrontation when testing different dialogue or combat approaches.
  • Listen to the conversations with Judy and Maiko to understand the setup for later Judy missions.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

  • Try to resolve the Clouds confrontation through dialogue

    V preserves the possibility of a calmer exchange and hears more of Maiko Maeda’s position before the mission ends.

  • Escalate the encounter into combat

    Clouds personnel can become hostile, changing the immediate route through the club and replacing the conversation with a fight.

    Spoiler
  • Support or challenge Maiko Maeda during the discussion

    V’s responses shape Judy Alvarez’s reaction to the situation and establish the tone of their relationship going into later missions.

    Spoiler

Mission checklist

  • Complete Both Sides, NowRequired progression for Judy Alvarez’s next contact.
  • Answer Judy Alvarez’s follow-up contactThe mission is introduced through Judy’s request for help.
  • Meet Judy at CloudsTravel to the marked meeting point at Megabuilding H8.
  • Follow Judy into the clubStay with Judy instead of exploring unrelated areas of Clouds.
  • Find Evelyn Parker’s former roomUse the mission marker and Judy’s directions.
  • Collect Evelyn’s belongingsConfirm that the objective updates before leaving the room.
  • Speak with Maiko MaedaThe management discussion is central to the mission’s aftermath.
  • Resolve the Clouds encounterChoose dialogue, stealth, or combat according to the desired approach.
  • Talk to Judy after leavingThe final conversation completes the immediate mission sequence.
  • Create a save before the confrontationRecommended if you want to test different approaches without replaying the whole mission.Optional

Failure conditions

  • V is killed during a hostile Clouds encounterIf combat begins, normal combat failure applies. Reload the latest checkpoint or manual save and use cover, stealth, or dialogue to try another approach.
  • V leaves the active mission areaMoving too far away from Judy Alvarez or abandoning the marked objective can interrupt the sequence. Return to the objective marker or reload if the mission does not resume.
  • V delays Judy’s contactThe mission depends on Judy’s follow-up after Both Sides, Now. It may not be immediately available, so continue playing until the contact arrives rather than assuming the quest has disappeared.

On failure

The game can restart V from a recent checkpoint after combat or a failed sequence. A manual save before entering the confrontation is the safest way to preserve alternate dialogue options.

Rewards and drops

  • Judy Alvarez storyline progress
    Completing Ex-Factor advances Judy Alvarez’s side-mission chain and contributes to later missions involving Clouds.
  • Experience and ordinary mission loot
    The mission provides the normal progression and loot opportunities associated with completing a Cyberpunk 2077 side mission; no unique reward is confirmed here.

Characters in this mission

AftermathSpoilers

The visit changes Judy’s view of Clouds

Ex-Factor does more than recover Evelyn Parker’s belongings. The encounter forces Judy Alvarez to confront the limits of Maiko Maeda’s approach to managing Clouds, and it lays the groundwork for Judy’s later efforts to challenge the people controlling the club.

Trivia

  • The title Ex-Factor reflects the mission’s focus on a former relationship and on the unresolved consequences of Evelyn Parker’s work at Clouds.
  • The mission returns V to Clouds, but its purpose differs from Automatic Love: the emphasis is on Judy Alvarez’s grief and agency rather than on investigating Evelyn’s disappearance.
  • Maiko Maeda’s role in this mission helps establish her as a continuing figure in Judy Alvarez’s storyline.

Relationships