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MissionsupportingOptionalModerate

Kold Mirage

Kold Mirage is a hidden Cyberpunk 2077 mission encounter in the Badlands that leads V to the remains of legendary netrunner Rache Bartmoss and his distinctive cyberdeck.

RoleOptional exploration mission and lore discovery centered on Rache Bartmoss.
StatusAvailable in Cyberpunk 2077
Importancesupporting
  • Mission typeOptional
  • Primary regionBadlands
  • FocusExploration and lore
  • Combat requirementNot the main focus
  • Key discoveryRache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck
  • Follow-up contactNix

Mission classification and availability details are model-derived and should be checked against the current game version.

Key takeaways

Kold Mirage rewards exploration and lore awareness rather than a long sequence of conventional objectives.

  • Search the Badlands The encounter is found in a remote Badlands landfill area, away from the main urban quest hubs. Its isolated placement means that players following only obvious mission markers can miss it. Location
  • Inspect the refrigerated container The central discovery is a refrigerated container holding the remains of Rache Bartmoss. The important interaction is easy to miss if the area is treated as ordinary scenery. Discovery
  • Recover the cyberdeck V can obtain Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck from the site. This item provides the practical link between Kold Mirage and the later Nix-related follow-up. Cyberdeck
  • Follow up with Nix Taking the cyberdeck to Nix connects this hidden discovery to Spellbound. The follow-up is where the find gains additional quest context. Follow-up

Kold Mirage overview

Kold Mirage is a hidden Badlands encounter tied to Rache Bartmoss, one of Cyberpunk’s most important historical netrunners.

Kold Mirage takes V away from Night City’s usual streets and into the Badlands, where an isolated find turns a routine piece of exploration into a piece of Cyberpunk history. The encounter is associated with the remains of Rache Bartmoss, the netrunner whose actions are closely connected to the DataKrash and the fractured state of cyberspace seen throughout Cyberpunk 2077. Rather than functioning like a conventional combat-heavy side job, Kold Mirage is primarily a discovery mission with a strong lore focus.

The key discovery is located in a remote landfill area in the Badlands. V can find Bartmoss’s body preserved in a refrigerated container and recover his cyberdeck. The location is easy to overlook because it is away from the central urban districts and does not present the same visual structure as a major quest location. Careful exploration and attention to interactable objects are more important here than a particular combat build.

The cyberdeck found during Kold Mirage is especially relevant because it can be delivered to Nix, the Afterlife netrunner. This connects the hidden Badlands discovery with the optional mission Spellbound and gives the encounter additional context beyond its environmental storytelling. The mission is best approached as a lore hunt: locate the remote site, inspect the refrigerated container, secure the cyberdeck, and follow up with Nix when the related opportunity becomes available.

entity_links:[{"name":"Rache Bartmoss","type_key":"characters","note":"The legendary netrunner whose remains and cyberdeck are found during the encounter."},{"name":"Nix","type_key":"characters","note":"The Afterlife netrunner associated with the cyberdeck follow-up."},{"name":"Spellbound","slug":"spellbound","type_key":"missions","note":"A related optional mission involving Nix and Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck."},{"name":"Badlands","type_key":"locations","note":"The region containing the hidden discovery."}]

Where this sits

Open-world explorationSearch the Badlands
Hidden discoveryLocate the refrigerated container
Optional follow-upSpeak with Nix
  1. 1Explore the BadlandsregionTravel to the remote landfill area connected with the encounter.
  2. 2Find Rache BartmossdiscoveryInspect the refrigerated container and the remains inside.
  3. ●Recover the cyberdeckobjectiveTake the cyberdeck from the discovery site.
  4. 4Continue to Spellboundfollow-upDeliver the cyberdeck to Nix when pursuing the related optional mission.

Kold Mirage is best understood as a hidden exploration discovery that can feed into a later Nix-related mission.

Requirements

Kold Mirage is an optional exploration encounter rather than a standard mission with a clearly defined quest-giver introduction.

  • RequiredAccess to the BadlandsV must be able to travel through the Badlands and reach the remote landfill area associated with the encounter.
  • RequiredExploration of an unmarked locationBecause the discovery is not presented like a conventional mission start, players should search the area rather than rely solely on a prominent objective marker.
  • RecommendedNix follow-upA visit to Nix is recommended if the player wants to connect the recovered cyberdeck with Spellbound.

Objectives

  1. Reach the remote landfill area in the Badlands.Search the isolated site for the refrigerated container associated with Rache Bartmoss.
  2. Inspect the refrigerated container.Interact with the container and examine the preserved remains inside.
  3. Recover Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck.Take the cyberdeck from the discovery site so it can be used in the optional Nix follow-up.
  4. Pursue the Nix connection through Spellbound.If the related mission is available, bring the cyberdeck to Nix for further context.

Walkthrough

  1. 01

    Reach the hidden discovery site.

    Travel into the Badlands

    Leave the dense city districts and head into the Badlands, where the encounter is hidden in a remote landfill area. The location does not resemble a major story arena, so scan the surroundings instead of expecting a large quest marker or a formal mission briefing.

    Location: Badlands

    TipApproach the area as an exploration destination and check isolated objects that stand out from the surrounding landfill.

  2. 02

    Locate the refrigerated container.

    Search the landfill for the refrigerated container

    Move through the landfill until you find the refrigerated container connected with the encounter. The container is the important environmental landmark, and passing through the area without inspecting it can leave the discovery unresolved.

    Location: Remote Badlands landfill

    Watch outThe encounter is easy to overlook if you follow only marked activities and do not investigate the remote site.

  3. 03

    Identify the discovery.

    Inspect the remains inside

    Interact with the refrigerated container to reveal the body preserved inside. This is the mission’s central lore reveal: the remains belong to Rache Bartmoss, whose legacy explains why the discovery matters to the wider Cyberpunk setting.

    Location: Inside the refrigerated container

  4. 04

    Recover Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck.

    Take the cyberdeck

    After inspecting the body, collect Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck from the site. The deck is the practical reward of the encounter and is also the item that connects Kold Mirage to the Nix-related follow-up.

    Location: Refrigerated container

    TipConfirm that the deck has been added to the inventory before leaving the landfill.

  5. 05

    Follow up with Nix.

    Return to Night City and find Nix

    When you are ready to pursue the related content, return to the Afterlife and speak with Nix. The connection to Nix gives the recovered deck a purpose beyond being a piece of environmental loot and leads into the context of Spellbound.

    Location: Afterlife

    Checkpoint
  6. 06

    Pursue the related optional mission.

    Continue with Spellbound if available

    Use the recovered cyberdeck as part of the optional follow-up involving Nix. Kold Mirage itself is primarily the discovery at the landfill; the additional conversation and outcome belong to the related mission rather than the initial Badlands search.

    Location: Afterlife

    TipKeep the cyberdeck in the inventory until the Nix follow-up has been resolved.

Mission mechanics

Kold Mirage uses environmental discovery instead of a traditional mission structure. Its central challenge is navigation and observation: the player must reach an isolated Badlands site, recognize the refrigerated container as significant, and interact with it. There is no need to treat the encounter like a large combat set piece, and a stealth, netrunning, or weapons specialization is not the defining factor in completing it.

The encounter also demonstrates how Cyberpunk 2077 places important lore in optional spaces. Rache Bartmoss’s identity is not presented through a conventional cinematic quest introduction here; the body, the container, and the cyberdeck do most of the storytelling. The later connection with Nix gives the discovery an additional gameplay purpose and rewards players who investigate the setting rather than moving directly between major objectives.

The most useful practical habit is to separate the discovery from its follow-up. First make sure the container has been inspected and the cyberdeck collected. Then visit Nix and check whether Spellbound is available, rather than assuming that the initial discovery automatically completes every part of the related storyline.

entity_links:[{"name":"Rache Bartmoss","type_key":"characters"},{"name":"Nix","type_key":"characters"},{"name":"Spellbound","slug":"spellbound","type_key":"missions"}]

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • Strong environmental storytelling built around a notable figure from Cyberpunk history.
  • Rewards players who explore the Badlands beyond clearly marked activities.
  • Provides a distinctive cyberdeck and a connection to Nix’s optional content.
  • Can be approached without relying on a specialized combat build.

Weaknesses

  • The remote location makes the encounter easy to miss.
  • Its objectives are less explicit than those of a conventional side job.
  • The significance of the discovery may be less obvious to players unfamiliar with Rache Bartmoss.
  • The related Nix content is separated from the initial discovery rather than presented as one uninterrupted mission.

Best uses

  • Treat it as a lore-focused detour during Badlands exploration.
  • Complete it before pursuing the Nix-related follow-up so the cyberdeck is already available.
  • Use it as an example of Cyberpunk 2077’s unmarked environmental storytelling.

Checklist

  • Reach the remote landfill area in the Badlands.Search beyond the main routes and marked activities.
  • Find the refrigerated container.Use the container as the main landmark for the encounter.
  • Inspect the remains inside.This confirms the Rache Bartmoss discovery.
  • Collect Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck.Verify the item appears in the inventory.
  • Visit Nix at the Afterlife.Do this if you want to pursue the related optional content.
  • Check for Spellbound.The cyberdeck connects the discovery to this follow-up mission.

Collectibles and secrets

  • 01
    Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck

    Where: Refrigerated container in the remote Badlands landfill

    The distinctive cyberdeck is the principal item recovered during Kold Mirage and is relevant to the optional Nix follow-up.

Failure conditions

  • Leaving without inspecting the refrigerated containerThe encounter remains unresolved if V passes through the landfill without interacting with the container and examining the discovery.
  • Leaving without collecting the cyberdeckThe Nix-related follow-up may not have the expected item if V inspects the site but does not take Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck.

On failure

Kold Mirage is primarily an exploration discovery, so the main practical risk is overlooking or failing to interact with the key object rather than losing a conventional combat encounter.

Rewards

  • Rache Bartmoss’s cyberdeck
    The central item recovered from the refrigerated container.
  • Lore about Rache Bartmoss
    The discovery provides environmental context about the legendary netrunner and his place in Cyberpunk history.
  • Connection to Spellbound
    The cyberdeck can connect the encounter to Nix’s related optional mission.

Aftermath

Do not stop at the discovery

Finding Rache Bartmoss’s remains is only the first part of the wider connection. Keep the recovered cyberdeck and visit Nix at the Afterlife if you want to pursue the optional Spellbound follow-up.

Trivia

  • Rache Bartmoss is a major historical figure in the Cyberpunk setting, making Kold Mirage a lore-focused encounter rather than a routine scavenging stop.
  • The mission’s title reflects the cold, refrigerated setting used to preserve the discovery.
  • Kold Mirage is an example of Cyberpunk 2077 placing notable world-building in an optional location away from the main city districts.
  • The encounter’s cyberdeck creates a bridge between environmental storytelling and a later interaction with Nix.

Relationships

Characters

  • Rache BartmossFeatured figureKold Mirage centers on the discovery of Rache Bartmoss’s remains and cyberdeck.
  • NixFollow-up contactNix is connected to the cyberdeck’s optional follow-up.

Locations