The Pickup

Key takeaways

The mission's major decisions happen before and during the meeting with Royce.

• The credchip is not a neutral payment Meredith Stout's Militech chip is compromised. Inspecting or altering it before handing it over can prevent the Maelstrom transaction from unfolding as a straightforward payment. Militech credchip
• Royce controls the negotiation The conversation at All Foods is shaped by Royce's distrust and his position as the gang's leader. V can try to de-escalate, manipulate the payment or turn the meeting into a fight. Royce
• The Flathead is the mission's central objective Whatever route V chooses, the operation is successful only when the Flathead is secured and V and Jackie leave the All Foods compound. Flathead
• Later consequences are tied to the route The outcome affects the immediate fate of important Maelstrom figures and can alter V's later interactions with Meredith Stout and other characters. Mission consequences

The Pickup overview

The Pickup is an early main-story mission in Cyberpunk 2077 that introduces V to the Maelstrom gang, Meredith Stout and the unstable power struggle surrounding the Flathead.

V and Jackie Welles travel to the Maelstrom-controlled All Foods facility to obtain a military prototype called the Flathead. The machine is needed for Dexter DeShawn's plan involving the Relic, but the Maelstrom gang has already taken possession of it after buying the device from its previous owner. The meeting is not a simple purchase: the gang is led by Royce, who has recently seized control from Brick and treats outsiders with suspicion.

Before entering All Foods, V can meet Meredith Stout, a Militech agent investigating the missing equipment and the actions of her subordinate, Anthony Gilchrist. Stout offers a Militech credchip as a possible way to pay for the Flathead. The chip contains malicious software, so accepting it creates a second layer of risk: V must decide whether to use it, neutralize the threat, or pay the Maelstrom directly.

The mission can develop into a negotiation, a stealth escape or a large firefight through the factory. Dialogue choices, the handling of Stout's credchip, and the confrontation with Royce affect who controls the immediate situation and which characters remain available afterward. These outcomes also change the tone of the mission without changing its central purpose: secure the Flathead and get out of All Foods alive.

Where this sits

Requirements

The mission is part of the main story and does not require a particular character build. Some dialogue options and alternate solutions depend on V's attributes, background or prior actions.

• RequiredMain-story progressionReach the early Act 1 point at which Dexter DeShawn assigns V and Jackie the job of acquiring the Flathead.
• RecommendedCombat readinessAll Foods can become a sustained combat encounter, so bring a weapon setup and cyberware suited to close-quarters factory fights.
• OptionalTechnical or attribute dialogue optionsCertain responses can be available through V's build or lifepath. These options are not required to complete the mission.
• RecommendedInspect the Militech credchipIf V accepts Stout's chip, check its contents before using it in the negotiation. This is the safest way to understand the payment's risk.

Objectives

1. Meet Meredith Stout before entering All Foods.Discuss the missing Militech equipment and decide whether to accept her credchip.
2. Reach the Maelstrom hideout inside All Foods.Travel through the factory and meet the gang's representative for the exchange.
3. Negotiate for the Flathead.Choose how to pay and respond to Royce's demands.
4. Secure the Flathead.Resolve the encounter through negotiation, stealth or combat, then take possession of the prototype.
5. Escape All Foods with Jackie.Follow the available route out of the factory and survive any remaining Maelstrom resistance.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Begin the Flathead acquisition job

   Speak with Jackie before the meeting

   Meet Jackie Welles at the agreed starting point and go over the plan to recover the Flathead. This establishes the operation's purpose and gives V the chance to prepare before entering the hostile All Foods facility.

   Location: Night City, before All Foods

   TipMake any preferred equipment changes before committing to the factory section, because the mission can shift from dialogue to combat quickly.

   Checkpoint
2. 02

   Discuss the Militech payment

   Meet Meredith Stout

   Approach Meredith Stout at the rendezvous point and listen to her account of the missing Militech property. She is suspicious of V, so keep the conversation focused on the transaction rather than volunteering unnecessary information.

   Location: Outside All Foods

3. 03

   Choose whether to accept the Militech credchip

   Decide what to do with the credchip

   Stout can provide a Militech credchip intended to pay the Maelstrom gang. If you take it, inspect it through the interface before the exchange; the chip contains hostile software and should not be treated as ordinary money.

   Location: Outside All Foods

   TipChecking the chip before the meeting gives V more control over how the payment is handled.

   Watch outHanding over an unchecked compromised chip can turn the negotiation into an immediate hostile encounter.

4. 04

   Reach the Maelstrom hideout

   Enter All Foods with Jackie

   Follow Jackie into the factory and proceed toward the Maelstrom meeting area. The route is initially controlled by the gang, so do not assume that the first members encountered are the final opponents or that the exchange will remain peaceful.

   Location: All Foods

5. 05

   Negotiate for the Flathead

   Meet Dum Dum and Royce

   At the meeting, Dum Dum offers V an inhaler while Royce arrives to handle the disputed payment. The conversation is tense because Royce wants compensation and does not automatically trust the deal arranged through Dexter DeShawn.

   Location: All Foods, Maelstrom meeting area

   TipRemaining calm and examining the available dialogue can preserve more routes than starting the conversation with an attack.

6. 06

   Resolve the payment dispute

   Choose the payment route

   V can use personal funds, use the Militech credchip, or manipulate the situation through available dialogue and hacking options. The choice determines whether the Maelstrom gang views the exchange as paid, compromised or deliberately hostile.

   Location: All Foods, Maelstrom meeting area

   Watch outThe payment choice is one of the mission's major branching points and can determine whether combat begins in the meeting room.

7. 07

   Recover the Flathead and clear a route to the exit

   Defeat or bypass the Maelstrom resistance

   If negotiations fail, fight through the Maelstrom forces inside the factory or use the environment and hacking to reduce resistance. Keep moving through the marked route rather than searching every room during an active firefight, because enemies can attack from adjoining production areas.

   Location: All Foods production and security sections

   TipUse cover and quickhacks to separate enemies before crossing open factory spaces.

8. 08

   Survive the leadership confrontation

   Resolve the Royce confrontation

   Royce becomes the central obstacle when the exchange turns violent. Defeating him removes the immediate threat and allows V to claim the Flathead, while a nonviolent route can avoid this boss fight if the preceding choices keep the negotiation intact.

   Location: All Foods

   Watch outAttacking Royce or allowing the payment dispute to collapse can lock the mission into a combat route.

9. 09

   Acquire the Flathead

   Take the Flathead

   Once the negotiation or combat sequence is complete, secure the prototype from the Maelstrom operation. Confirm that the objective updates before leaving the area; the mission is not complete merely because the confrontation has ended.

   Location: All Foods

   Checkpoint
10. 10

    Leave the facility with Jackie

    Escape All Foods

    Follow the available exit route with Jackie and leave the factory grounds. Depending on the earlier choices, the escape may be relatively quiet or may require fighting through additional Maelstrom members before reaching safety.

    Location: All Foods exit route

    Watch outDo not wander back into cleared rooms after the escape objective appears; remaining enemies or a missed exit can delay completion.

11. 11

    Complete the acquisition job

    Report the result to Dexter DeShawn

    After leaving All Foods, the mission feeds back into Dexter DeShawn's larger plan. The Flathead is now available for the next stage of the Relic operation, while the fate of the Maelstrom leadership and Meredith Stout depends on the route taken.

    Location: After leaving All Foods

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The Pickup is built around a payment system that changes the mission's state. Stout's credchip is both a financial tool and a hacking target, while personal funds offer a more direct alternative. The important distinction is not simply which currency V uses, but whether the Maelstrom gang believes the exchange has been honored and whether Militech's interference has been exposed.

The All Foods section supports several play styles. V can use dialogue to keep the meeting controlled, use stealth and quickhacks to move around the factory, or fight through the gang's defenses. These approaches are not completely separate: a conversation can become combat, and a stealth route can collapse if V is detected or chooses to attack.

The meeting also establishes the internal conflict within Maelstrom. Royce's authority is central to the exchange, while references to Brick explain why the gang's leadership is unstable. Those details matter because the mission's consequences are not limited to obtaining the Flathead; the route can change which Maelstrom figures V encounters later.

What works and what does not

PhasesSpoilers

1. 1

   Stout's briefing

   Starts: Approaching Meredith Stout before entering All Foods.

   Not applicable

   V learns about the missing Militech equipment and decides whether to accept the credchip.

   • Inspect the chip if you accept it.
   • Treat Stout's offer as a branching decision rather than a mandatory payment.
2. 2

   Maelstrom negotiation

   Starts: Meeting Dum Dum and Royce inside All Foods.

   Not applicable

   The gang demands payment for the Flathead while Royce tests V's intentions.

   • Read the dialogue options before choosing an aggressive response.
   • The state of the credchip affects how the gang reacts.
3. 3

   Factory firefight

   Starts: The payment dispute or dialogue escalates into violence.

   Multiple Maelstrom enemies across the factory route

   V and Jackie must push through hostile production and security areas to reach the Flathead and the exit.

   • Maelstrom gunfireTell Enemies hold factory lanes and fire from cover around the production areas.Answer Break line of sight, use cover and disable isolated enemies with quickhacks before advancing.
   • Close-range rushTell Some Maelstrom members attempt to close the distance while V is focused on ranged targets.Answer Watch the flanks and keep an escape path open instead of remaining fixed in one piece of cover.
   • Clear the next section before crossing open industrial spaces.
   • Do not assume a room is safe until the objective route is visibly clear.
4. 4

   Royce confrontation

   Starts: Reaching Royce after the exchange becomes hostile.

   Armored boss encounter; exact values vary by game settings and are not listed here.

   Royce uses heavy protection and turns the final confrontation into a more demanding fight than the surrounding Maelstrom encounters.

   • Armored ranged assaultTell Royce maintains pressure from behind heavy protection and limits safe exposure windows.Answer Use cover, attack during openings and reposition rather than repeatedly challenging his armor from the same angle.
   • Keep enough room to retreat from the arena.
   • Use available quickhacks and equipment effects to create openings instead of relying only on sustained weapon fire.

Boss encounterSpoilers

• Location
  All Foods
• Health
  Royce has a substantial armored health pool that changes with difficulty and is not represented by a fixed value here.

Keep moving around cover and avoid standing in the open while Royce applies pressure. Use the arena to break his line of sight, damage him during exposed windows, and watch for Maelstrom support before pushing forward. A careful player can also avoid this boss encounter entirely by preserving a nonviolent negotiation route.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Accept Meredith Stout's Militech credchip.

  V gains an alternative way to pay for the Flathead, but the chip contains hostile software and can destabilize the negotiation if it is used without being examined.

• Pay with V's own funds.

  The exchange can remain more direct because it does not expose the Maelstrom gang to the compromised Militech payment, although Royce's attitude and the dialogue still determine whether the meeting stays peaceful.

• Use the compromised chip without neutralizing its threat.

  The payment can trigger a hostile response from the Maelstrom gang and turn the meeting into a fight through All Foods.

  Spoiler
• Attack Royce during the negotiation.

  The meeting becomes a combat route, with Royce serving as the principal boss encounter before V can take the Flathead.

  Spoiler
• Preserve the negotiation and avoid killing Royce.

  V can leave the factory without the same boss confrontation, while the later state of the Maelstrom leadership differs from the route in which Royce is defeated.

  Spoiler
• Explore the mission's alternate Maelstrom route.

  V can discover that Brick's situation is connected to the gang's leadership change, creating an optional interaction that is unavailable or different after some aggressive choices.

  Spoiler

Checklist

• Speak with Meredith Stout before entering All Foods.Her meeting is the source of the alternate payment route.
• Inspect the Militech credchip if you accept it.The chip is compromised and should not be handed over blindly.
• Talk to Dum Dum during the Maelstrom meeting.The interaction provides additional context about the gang and can differ with V's choices.
• Listen to Royce's demands before choosing an aggressive response.The payment dialogue is the mission's main branching point.
• Secure the Flathead before leaving All Foods.Defeating or bypassing the immediate opposition is not enough until the objective updates.
• Search the route for loot after the encounter is safe.Factory exploration is easier after the combat state has ended.
• Create a save before the meeting with Royce.This preserves the option to compare the negotiation and combat outcomes.

Failure conditions

• V is killed during the All Foods encounter.Reload the latest checkpoint or save and approach the factory fight with more cover, crowd control or a different route.
• The negotiation escalates into combat before V is ready.An aggressive response, an exposed credchip or an attack on the Maelstrom leadership can start the firefight. The mission can still be completed by securing the Flathead and escaping.
• V leaves without securing the Flathead.The operation does not count as complete until the prototype is taken and the objective changes to leaving All Foods.
• V loses track of the exit after the fight.Return to the marked objective route and follow Jackie rather than searching every side room while enemies remain active.

Rewards

• Flathead
  The prototype is the mission's primary objective and is carried into Dexter DeShawn's larger Relic plan.
• Mission completion
  Completing the operation advances the early main story and unlocks the next stage of the heist preparation.
• All Foods loot
  The factory and defeated Maelstrom members can provide weapons, equipment and other loot, with exact contents depending on the route and playthrough.
• Branch-dependent aftermath
  The treatment of Royce, Brick and Meredith Stout changes later interactions and available consequences.

Characters in this mission

• VThe player character and mission protagonist.
• Jackie WellesV's partner during the Flathead operation.
• Dexter DeShawnThe fixer who needs the Flathead for his plan.
• Meredith StoutMilitech agent who offers V a credchip.
• RoyceMaelstrom leader who handles the negotiation.
• Dum DumMaelstrom member present at the exchange.
• BrickFormer Maelstrom leader connected to an alternate mission outcome.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The mission places three competing interests around one object: V and Jackie want the Flathead, Maelstrom wants payment and leverage, and Militech wants its property recovered.
• All Foods is both a negotiation site and a combat arena, allowing the same objective to be approached through conversation, hacking, stealth or weapons.
• The Flathead is a spider-like reconnaissance and infiltration machine whose role in the heist explains why Dexter DeShawn considers it essential.
• The meeting with Dum Dum is one of the early scenes that presents Maelstrom's extreme body modification as part of the gang's identity rather than as a background detail.
• The mission is designed to make corporate intervention feel tangible: Stout's credchip can alter the gang's reaction instead of remaining a purely narrative prop.

Relationships