Much like the sprawling, neon-lit city it’s set in, Cyberpunk 2077 offers players a vast and multifaceted experience. The game’s length depends largely on how you choose to play it.
There are various ways you can approach this cyberpunk dystopia and it’s a roleplaying game. It’s a genre whose usual prescribed game time for each title goes well past several dozens of hours. Additionally, the Phantom Liberty expansion should add even more to that. With all that in mind, we’ll be giving you some experience-based estimates.
The game’s length varies widely based on your play style and whether you decide to embrace its myriad distractions or race through the core narrative.
Let’s break it down based on different approaches:
Main Quest only run: 15-20 Hours
If you aim to experience just the main story and nothing else, you can blitz through Cyberpunk 2077 in approximately 15 to 20 hours.
Since some of the main quest instances require you to wait or do something else, you might be inclined to perform some of the side activities in the game or work towards leveling and upgrading your gear but not too much. In such a scenario, expect to add a few more hours, at around 20-25 while still mostly sticking to the main story.
While this may be the quickest way to see the game’s credits roll, it’s akin to sampling a gourmet meal with your eyes closed. You’ll miss out on the richness of Night City and its intricate web of side stories, characters, and optional content.
Additionally, some key ending options are intertwined with side missions and relationships beyond the main path.
Average immersion (Main & Side Quests): 45-50 Hours
Those who wish to savor the essence of Cyberpunk 2077, diving into the main story while exploring substantial side content, can expect to invest around 45 to 50 hours. An equally divided attention to the side activities and the main quest might net you more than that at around 60 hours or so.
This approach provides a more intimate experience, allowing you to engage with the major narrative arcs and make decisions that significantly impact your ending. You’ll delve deeper into the lore and forge meaningful connections with the romantic options of Night City.
Thankfully, seeing multiple endings is easy enough since you can go back to your previous save before the final mission to try and change its outcome.
Completionist: 80-100 Hours
However, if you’re determined to explore every nook and cranny of Night City, complete all gigs and side missions, acquire every vehicle and upgrade, and max out your character, then prepare for a journey lasting roughly 80 to 100 hours.
Cyberpunk 2077‘s world is densely packed with content, and achieving 100% completion is a formidable task. This approach guarantees the most comprehensive understanding of the game’s intricacies and a sense of mastery over its mechanics.
If you manually try to find all the collectibles in the game (with or without guides), then might take you longer than 100 hours.
Phantom Liberty adds even more things to do
Recently, CD Projekt Red released the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077. This expansion introduces a new district called Dogtown, offering players another opportunity to get lost in the immersive dystopia of Night City.
The activities in Dogtown
Dogtown, while seemingly not as extensive as The Witcher 3‘s Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone expansions combined, brings forth a selection of engaging activities. Players can embark on choice-based side gigs, participate in Airdrop events, engage in thrilling car thefts (which have been improved since the game’s release), and uncover hidden treasures.
The density of Dogtown ensures that returning to previously visited locations often leads to new discoveries, this can enhance the replayability factor.
Estimating the completion time
The burning question for many players is: How long will it take to complete Phantom Liberty? On average, expect to invest around 15 to 25 hours in this expansion.
Accounting for completing side gigs, thorough exploration of Dogtown, tackling gang hideouts, seizing Airdrops, and collecting Restricted Data Terminals for Relic Points. However, if you prioritize the main story, you might potentially finish the expansion in approximately 15 hours.
Our reference for that is the biggest expansion for The Witcher 3, which was Blood and Wine. Blood and Wine also took around 15-25 hours to complete and if CD Projekt RED’s track record is anything to go by, Phantom Liberty might be in the same ballpark for the amount of content.
Halfway through the story, players might encounter the “Get it Together” quest, which necessitates completing three side gigs for Mr. Hands. Additionally, two side gigs in Dogtown are locked behind the main quest progression and become available after finishing the “Firestarter” quest. So you’ll inevitably be compelled to partake in some side activities.
For a completionist run for Phantom Liberty, again, we’ll be going with CD Projekt RED’s track record whereas The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine has around a 45-50 hour completion time. You can expect the same for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
There’s a chance Phantom Liberty‘s numbers are higher. After all, the developer studio is adamant that it would be the only expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 so they might have gone all-in.
