Cyberpunk 2077: Should you side with Reed or Songbird?

Over the course of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, it becomes painfully obvious that you are on a collision course. Not a collision course with Kurt Hansen or President Myers, but with Solomon Reed and Songbird. As the story presses on, the two sides are clearly not seeing eye to eye; Reed knows Songbird is lying about her situation with Hansen while Songbird will do anything to save her own life.

At one point near the end of Phantom Liberty, you will have to make a final choice between Reed and Songbird in Cyberpunk 2077. This occurs as you are disguised as the French Netrunner twins and working on the Neural Matrix in front of Hansen. You can either follow Songbird’s direction, which is to facilitate her escape, or choose Reed’s side and capture Songbird.

In this guide, I’ll explain the outcomes of both sides and how your decision affects the rest of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. As expected, there are major spoilers for the story and ending of Phantom Liberty below. 

Siding with Songbird in Cyberpunk 2077

If you choose to help Songbird escape when you’re working on the Neural Matrix, a few different things will occur:

• Alex will kill Kurt Hansen, but then she mysteriously disappears herself
• You help Songbird escape from the Stadium by killing waves of BARGHEST enemies
• You eventually meet up with Songbird, who is in truly bad shape, to make her escape at the Night City Space Aiport (NCX).
• Reed vows to catch the two of you by doing whatever it takes.

This direction puts you at odds with Reed, President Myers, and the entirety of the NUSA security force. However, I don’t recommend this direction. In a major twist after the events at the NCX, Songbird reveals that the Neural Matrix can only be used to save her, and not you. She has essentially been lying to you from the start, just like she lied about the plane crash and being captured by Hansen in the first place.

Luckily, at the very end of Phantom Liberty, you will have the opportunity to make things right and hand Songbird over to Reed, so choosing Songbird’s side initially doesn’t pair you with her permanently.

Siding with Reed in Cyberpunk 2077

On the other hand, if you choose to try and capture Songbird for Reed during the Neural Matrix scene, then all hell breaks loose. Here’s what happens after you pick Reed’s side:

• Alex is killed as you try and stop Songbird after tinkering with the Neural Matrix.
• Songbird turns into a Blackwall killing machine and kills everyone in the Stadium on her way out.
• As you try and escape the Stadium, you have to fight Kurt Hansen.
• After defeating Hansen, you and Reed work together to track down Songbird so she can be fully captured.

At the end of this direction in Phantom Liberty, you can make a choice whether or not to kill or spare Songbird. If you choose to kill Songbird, then President Myers will be furious with you, as you killed one of her best assets. Conversely, sparing Songbird makes Myers happy with you.

In the end, Johnny Silverhand and Reed both agree with killing Songbird, as she has caused too much destruction to live. Speaking of Reed, he is free to walk away from the FIA and can finally come out of hiding after all these years.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077: Can you romance Songbird?

This is certainly the better ending overall, as Songbird is a liar and a manipulator at heart who doesn’t have your best interests at heart, even if it seems like she does.

Which side should you pick?

In my opinion, siding with Songbird in any capacity is the wrong move. She leads to nothing but trouble and the alternate ending you get for the base story of Cyberpunk 2077 when siding with her is disastrous.

As such, I recommend siding with Reed. He’s been nothing but straight with you from the start and his ending is much more fulfilling than the one with Songbird. However, this is your story with V, so do whatever you think they would do in the moment.