Heaviest of Hearts

Key takeaways

The mission rewards careful conversation more than a combat-first approach.

• Start at Heavy Hearts Follow Mr. Hands’ instructions and meet Michael Maldonado inside Heavy Hearts. The opening conversation explains why the case matters and identifies the legal contact V must deal with next.
• Treat dialogue as the main mechanic The most important progress is made by talking to the people connected to the case. Read the available responses before committing to a threat, payment, or more cooperative approach.
• Save before the decisive meeting A manual save is useful before V confronts the person controlling the case. Different dialogue approaches can change the tone and result of the resolution.
• Do not expect a conventional boss fight Heaviest of Hearts is structured around investigation and negotiation rather than a named combat encounter. Weapons and cyberware are secondary to the choices made during the meetings.

Heaviest of Hearts

Heaviest of Hearts is a Phantom Liberty side mission set in Dogtown and arranged through Mr. Hands. Instead of sending V after a conventional combat target, the job centers on a legal crisis and the leverage needed to influence the people handling it.

The mission begins when Mr. Hands directs V to meet Michael Maldonado at Heavy Hearts. Michael needs help with a case involving his son, and the conversation establishes the job’s central problem: V must find a way to move the case in Michael’s favor while dealing with a client who cannot solve the situation through ordinary legal channels.

Much of the mission’s tension comes from the contrast between Dogtown’s criminal power structure and the formal language of the legal process. V is not simply asked to clear a location or eliminate an enemy; the important progress comes from gathering the right context, speaking to the relevant people, and deciding how aggressively to use money, threats, or dialogue options.

The mission is best approached as a negotiation-focused side story. Combat may be possible around the surrounding area, but the decisive moments are conversations, and the final outcome reflects how V handles the people connected to the case. Because the mission contains consequence-bearing dialogue, players who want to compare outcomes should make a manual save before the key meeting.

Where this sits

Requirements

The mission belongs to the Phantom Liberty content set and takes place in Dogtown.

• RequiredAccess to Phantom LibertyHeaviest of Hearts is associated with the Phantom Liberty expansion rather than the base-game Night City questline.
• RequiredReach DogtownThe mission’s principal locations are in Dogtown, including Heavy Hearts.
• RequiredFollow Mr. Hands’ contactWait for or respond to the fixer’s instruction to meet Michael Maldonado and begin the job.
• RecommendedA dialogue-ready buildNo particular weapon, cyberware setup, or attribute allocation is required, but conversation options are more important than combat preparation.

Objectives

1. Meet Michael Maldonado at Heavy Hearts.Go to the Dogtown venue named in Mr. Hands’ instructions and speak with the client.
2. Learn what is at stake in Michael’s son’s case.The briefing explains why Michael needs outside help and frames the legal problem V has been hired to address.
3. Find and speak with Georgina Zembinsky.The next stage takes V to the person connected to the prosecution and the decision affecting the case.
4. Negotiate a way forward.Choose how V applies pressure or cooperation during the key conversation.
5. Complete the arrangement and report back through the mission’s resolution.The job concludes once the case has been addressed and the relevant characters have reacted to V’s approach.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Meet Michael Maldonado

   Go to Heavy Hearts

   Follow the marker to Heavy Hearts in Dogtown and enter the venue. The mission’s first meaningful conversation is inside, so do not treat the exterior as the main objective or leave after arriving at the district.

   Location: Heavy Hearts, Dogtown

   TipUse the mission marker rather than searching unrelated Dogtown interiors.

2. 02

   Speak with Michael Maldonado

   Find Michael Maldonado inside the venue

   Move through Heavy Hearts until you reach Michael Maldonado and start the conversation. Let the briefing play out before deciding how to respond, because it establishes the personal stakes behind the job and the legal contact V must approach.

   Location: Heavy Hearts

   Watch outThe mission’s context is delivered through dialogue; skipping or rushing the conversation can make the next objective less clear.

3. 03

   Understand the legal crisis

   Listen to Michael’s account of the case

   Michael explains that his son’s situation is the reason he contacted Mr. Hands. The practical goal is not to investigate a random crime scene but to influence the legal process surrounding the case.

   Location: Heavy Hearts

   TipExhausting the available conversation can clarify who has authority over the case before V leaves the venue.

4. 04

   Meet Georgina Zembinsky

   Travel to the legal meeting

   After the briefing, follow the updated objective toward the meeting with Georgina Zembinsky. Keep the quest selected while crossing Dogtown so that the correct destination remains active instead of an unrelated fixer or side activity.

   Location: Dogtown

   Checkpoint
5. 05

   Discuss the case

   Speak with Georgina Zembinsky

   The central negotiation takes place during V’s conversation with Georgina Zembinsky. Pay attention to the wording of the responses and decide whether V should rely on persuasion, leverage, or a more direct approach.

   Location: Georgina Zembinsky’s meeting location

   Watch outThis is the mission’s important choice point; create a manual save beforehand if you want to compare the available resolutions.

6. 06

   Resolve the dispute

   Choose how V handles the negotiation

   Select the dialogue route that best matches the outcome you want for Michael and his son. The mission supports a negotiation-first resolution, so do not assume that drawing a weapon is required simply because the situation is tense.

   Location: Legal meeting

   TipMoney, intimidation, and contextual dialogue can lead to different tones and consequences; the exact options depend on V’s available responses.

7. 07

   Complete Heaviest of Hearts

   Finish the job

   Complete the remaining conversation and allow the mission update to register before leaving the area. The conclusion is tied to the arrangement made during the negotiation, so a premature departure can leave the active objective unresolved.

   Location: Dogtown

   Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Heaviest of Hearts uses dialogue as its primary progression system. The mission is structured around a client briefing followed by a meeting with a person who can affect the legal case, making information and tone more valuable than a particular weapon loadout.

The negotiation can be approached in different ways. Depending on the responses available to V, the conversation may allow a more conciliatory solution, financial leverage, or intimidation. These routes should be treated as meaningful role-playing options rather than interchangeable combat substitutes.

There is no need to build the entire mission around stealth, quickhacks, or heavy weapons. Those tools remain useful for general Dogtown travel, but the decisive section is controlled by dialogue and by whether V recognizes the consequences attached to the chosen approach.

What works and what does not

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Take a cooperative or persuasive approach during the meeting.

  V attempts to resolve the case through discussion and negotiation, preserving the mission’s legal-drama focus.

• Use financial leverage if the dialogue option is available.

  V can treat the dispute as a transaction, changing the tone of the arrangement and its aftermath.

• Threaten or intimidate the person handling the case.

  V applies direct pressure, producing a more hostile resolution and potentially changing how the participants regard the deal.

• Leave the negotiation without settling the matter.

  The job remains unresolved until V returns to the active objective and completes the conversation.

Mission checklist

• Accept or follow Mr. Hands’ instruction for Heaviest of Hearts.The mission is presented as fixer work in Dogtown.
• Enter Heavy Hearts.The venue is the opening location.
• Speak with Michael Maldonado.Hear the client’s explanation before moving on.
• Read the updated objective after the briefing.The next destination concerns the legal side of the case.
• Meet Georgina Zembinsky.This conversation is the mission’s central negotiation.
• Make a manual save before the decisive dialogue.Useful for players comparing outcomes.Optional
• Choose a negotiation style.Persuasion, payment, or intimidation may be available depending on V’s responses.
• Complete the final conversation.Remain in the mission flow until the completion update appears.

Failure conditions

• Failing or abandoning the central negotiationLeaving before the case is resolved can prevent the mission from completing until V returns and finishes the active objective.
• Choosing an aggressive route without considering its consequencesA threatening response may still advance the mission, but it can produce a harsher outcome than a cooperative or financial solution.
• Ignoring the active objectiveDogtown contains many competing activities. Travelling to the wrong marker or leaving the required meeting area can delay progress without advancing Heaviest of Hearts.

Rewards and drops

• Mission payment
  Completing the fixer job provides a payment associated with Mr. Hands’ client.
• Mission completion progress
  Finishing Heaviest of Hearts records the side mission as complete and contributes to the player’s Dogtown activity progress.

Characters in this mission

• Mr. HandsFixer who connects V with the job

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The title reflects the mission’s emphasis on a serious personal and legal burden rather than a conventional combat contract.
• The mission is one of Mr. Hands’ Dogtown jobs that places V in a social and negotiating role instead of focusing solely on infiltration or elimination.
• Heavy Hearts serves as the mission’s opening venue and gives the job an immediately public, high-pressure setting.

Relationships