Shark in the Water

Key takeaways

Use the following points to plan the mission before entering the target building.

The target is inside the drugstore The job's central task is to reach Blake in the Kabuki drugstore and neutralize him. Do not leave the area after entering until the objective confirms that the target has been dealt with.
Stealth is a practical option The confined interior supports a quiet approach. Check sightlines, avoid crossing directly in front of hostile occupants, and use cover or alternate access points before starting a firefight.
The mission is optional Shark in the Water is a fixer gig rather than a main-story mission. It can be completed independently as part of V's work for Regina Jones in Watson.
Prepare for close quarters The building favors weapons and abilities that remain manageable at short range. A loud approach is still viable, but rushing through the first room can draw more enemies than V can comfortably handle.

Shark in the Water is an optional fixer gig for Regina Jones in Kabuki, one of the Watson districts of Night City.

Regina Jones assigns V to investigate a dangerous operation centered on a drugstore. The job is built around reaching the target, , and neutralizing him before the situation becomes more dangerous. It is a compact mission, but the building layout gives stealth players and combat-focused players different ways to approach the same objective.

The main location is a drugstore in Kabuki. V can enter the building and work through its interior toward Blake, using cover and vertical routes where available rather than treating the front entrance as the only approach. The tight space makes short-range firefights hazardous, particularly if V allows several hostile occupants to converge at once.

The mission is representative of Regina Jones's early Watson gigs: a focused local problem, a named target, and a direct objective that can be completed without changing Cyberpunk 2077's main storyline. Exact rewards and the cleanest route can vary with the player's level, build, and approach, so this page emphasizes the reliable objective flow rather than unsupported numerical claims.

Where this sits

Fixer contactAccept the gig from Regina Jones

ApproachReach the drugstore in Kabuki

InfiltrationEnter and locate Blake

ResolutionNeutralize the target and finish the handoff

1Regina JonesThe fixer connected with this gig
2KabukiThe district containing the mission site
●DrugstoreThe target building
4BlakeThe objective target

This is a self-contained Watson gig and does not occupy the main-story mission chain.

Requirements

No special cyberware, weapon, or attribute requirement is necessary to complete Shark in the Water.

RequiredAccess to Regina Jones's Watson gigsThe mission becomes available through Regina Jones once her gig content in Kabuki can be taken.
RecommendedA combat-ready loadoutThe building can be handled quietly, but V should still carry a weapon or cyberware setup suitable for close-range enemies if stealth breaks.
OptionalQuickhacks or stealth toolsThese are useful for isolating threats and crossing exposed interior spaces, but they are not mandatory.
OptionalHealing itemsBring healing support if approaching the location at a low level or planning to fight through the building.

Objectives

Go to the drugstore in KabukiFollow the gig marker to the building where the operation is taking place.
Find BlakeEnter the drugstore and search through the accessible interior until the target is located.
Neutralize BlakeDefeat or otherwise incapacitate the named target. A stealth takedown can avoid a prolonged fight, while direct combat remains available.
Leave the areaAfter the target objective updates, move away from the building and complete the fixer handoff through the mission prompt.

Walkthrough

01
Start Shark in the Water
Accept the gig from Regina Jones
Read Regina Jones's briefing and track Shark in the Water from the journal. Because this is a fixer gig, it can be completed separately from the current main-story objective, letting V return when the loadout and level are more comfortable.
TipSet the gig as the active objective before driving into Kabuki so the route marker remains easy to follow.
02
Go to the drugstore
Travel to the Kabuki drugstore
Follow the marked route through Kabuki to the drugstore that serves as the mission site. Stop outside and scan the entrance area before going in; identifying visible threats first makes it easier to choose between a quiet entry and a controlled fight.
Location: Kabuki
03
Enter the drugstore
Survey the entrance
Use the doorway and nearby cover to look into the building without immediately committing to the first hostile sightline. The interior is confined, so starting combat in the entrance can leave V exposed to enemies deeper inside.
Location: Drugstore entrance
TipTake a moment to identify cameras, patrol routes, and cover before firing.
04
Find Blake
Enter the building
Move through the available entrance into the drugstore and keep to cover as you advance. If V is detected, avoid standing in the doorway; retreat behind solid cover or push toward a defensible interior position rather than fighting in the open threshold.
Location: Drugstore
Watch outA loud opening attack can alert nearby hostiles and turn the approach into a close-quarters firefight.
05
Find Blake
Work toward the target
Search the accessible rooms and interior routes for Blake while monitoring the objective marker. Advance one piece of cover at a time, and use quickhacks, suppressed weapons, or takedowns to reduce resistance before moving into the next space.
Location: Drugstore interior
TipDo not sprint past every hostile unless you already know the route; enemies left behind can surround V during the return trip.
06
Find Blake
Locate Blake
When the marker leads to Blake, pause before attacking and check the surrounding area. The target may have nearby protection, so positioning V behind cover or near an exit gives more control if the encounter becomes noisy.
Location: Drugstore interior
07
Neutralize Blake
Neutralize Blake
Defeat Blake with the method that suits the build: a takedown or quiet attack preserves stealth, while firearms, grenades, and quickhacks can end the encounter directly. Confirm that the mission objective registers Blake's defeat before leaving the target area.
Location: Blake's position
Watch outDo not assume the mission is complete immediately after the first attack; verify the objective update before moving away.
08
Leave the area
Clear a safe path out
If the approach triggered combat, finish or evade the remaining hostiles before crossing back through the drugstore. Use the same cover and alternate route that supported the entry, rather than exposing V to enemies while trying to exit quickly.
Location: Drugstore
09
Complete the gig
Complete the fixer handoff
Move beyond the mission site's active area and wait for the gig completion prompt or follow-up contact. Once the game confirms completion, the job is finished and its fixer reward is added according to the normal gig system.
Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Shark in the Water is primarily an infiltration-and-target-elimination mission. The important tactical decision is whether to preserve concealment while moving through the drugstore or to use the building's cover to start a deliberate fight. Neither route requires a special quest item or a unique dialogue solution.

Stealth works best when V treats the drugstore as a series of sightlines rather than one continuous corridor. Disable or bypass threats where possible, wait for patrols to separate, and avoid leaving an unconscious enemy in a location where another guard can immediately discover the body.

Combat is safer when V controls the room nearest the target instead of chasing enemies through the building. Shotguns and other close-range tools can be effective at short distance, while quickhacks and suppressed weapons help remove individual threats before the whole interior becomes alerted.

The mission's objective logic is straightforward: reach the site, locate Blake, neutralize him, and leave after the completion state appears. If the marker does not advance, search the immediate target area and confirm that Blake was actually defeated rather than merely damaged or temporarily disabled.

What works and what does not

Strengths

The objective is clearly centered on a single named target.
The drugstore provides cover and multiple tactical decisions instead of requiring one fixed combat style.
Stealth and direct combat are both workable approaches.
The gig is short enough to fit naturally between larger story missions.

Weaknesses

The interior can become dangerous quickly if V starts combat from an exposed entrance.
Enemies left behind can complicate the retreat if V rushes toward Blake.
The mission offers limited room for long-range positioning because most encounters occur inside the building.

Best uses

A compact Watson activity while building Street Cred and gaining experience.
A practice mission for stealth, quickhacks, or close-quarters combat.
A fixer gig to complete when the player wants a direct objective without a major story commitment.

Phases

1
Approach and entry
Starts: Entering the drugstore
V moves from the Kabuki streets into the target building and begins searching for Blake.
- DetectionTell Hostiles and security systems react when V is seen or when a loud attack is made.Answer Use cover, break line of sight, and disable threats before advancing.
- Survey the entrance before committing to combat.
- Avoid using the doorway as the main fighting position.
2
Interior search
Starts: Advancing through the drugstore
V navigates the confined interior while locating the target and managing nearby resistance.
- Close-range gunfireTell Hostiles pressure V when several occupants are alerted inside the same room.Answer Separate enemies with cover, quickhacks, or controlled movement between rooms.
- Check corners before crossing open floor.
- Keep a retreat route available if stealth fails.
3
Target confrontation
Starts: Reaching Blake
The mission's named target is engaged and must be neutralized.
- Target-area resistanceTell Nearby threats can join the fight once Blake is attacked or alerted.Answer Begin from cover and confirm the target objective updates after the attack.
- Do not leave until the mission confirms the target is neutralized.
- Use the exit route only after the encounter is resolved.

Checklist

Accept Shark in the Water from Regina JonesTrack the gig before traveling to Kabuki.
Reach the drugstoreUse the active marker to locate the mission building.
Scout the entrance and interior sightlinesChoose stealth or controlled combat before opening fire.
Locate BlakeFollow the objective marker through the accessible interior.
Neutralize BlakeVerify the objective update rather than relying on the visual encounter alone.
Leave the drugstore areaClear or evade remaining hostiles if the building is alerted.
Confirm gig completionWait for the completion state or fixer follow-up.

Failure conditions

V dies during the drugstore operationReload the latest checkpoint or save and repeat the approach with more cover or a different route.
Blake is killed before the mission state is properly establishedThe gig can fail if the target is handled outside the intended objective flow. Reload if the game reports a failure.
V leaves before the target objective updatesReturn to the target area and confirm that Blake has been neutralized before attempting to exit again.

On failure

Checkpoint behavior depends on the player's recent autosave or manual save. Make a manual save before entering if preserving a stealth attempt matters.

Rewards

Fixer gig reward
Completing the job pays the normal reward associated with Regina Jones's gig.
Street Cred and experience
The mission contributes to V's progression through the usual rewards for completing an optional gig.
Loot from the drugstore
Defeated enemies and the mission area may provide ordinary equipment or consumables, subject to the player's loot and progression state.

Characters in this mission

Aftermath

Return to the fixer loop

Once Blake has been neutralized and V has left the drugstore, the gig resolves through the normal fixer-completion flow. Regina Jones's wider set of Watson jobs remains the relevant context for players continuing to work through optional content in the district.

Trivia

Shark in the Water is named like a warning about a threat concealed inside an apparently ordinary commercial location.
The mission takes place in Kabuki, making it part of Regina Jones's Watson-area fixer content.
The gig's core objective is target neutralization rather than a multi-stage main-story plot.

Relationships

mission

Regina JonesAssigned byRegina Jones offers V the Shark in the Water gig.
BlakeTargetBlake is the named target V must locate and neutralize.
KabukiLocationThe gig takes place at a drugstore in Kabuki.

Shark in the Water

Key takeaways