Cyberpunk 2077 is packed to the brim with side missions and activities to complete. As the game opens up, the map of Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City can feel a little overwhelming.
At a quick glance over Night City, you’ll be bombarded with various icons for you to go check out. This will often lead you to a Side Job or a Gig to complete. On top of that, V’s phone is ringing off the hook. Various Fixers will get in touch for V’s help. Many side missions will be given to you organically as you progress through the story. Others will require you to travel to the designated starting point.
Side missions in Cyberpunk 2077 are broken up into four major categories: Side Jobs, Gigs, NCPD Scanner Hustles, and Rides. In total, there are well over 300 side missions and activities to complete. Knowing what your side objectives are and how the side missions in Cyberpunk 2077 are broken down can be daunting. We’ve compiled a guide so you can have a preem ride in Night City and not have to sweat it. Enjoy it, Chooms.
Side Jobs
In Cyberpunk 2077, Side Jobs are pretty heavily tied to the events of the main narrative. They feature on-going interactions with the characters introduced in the story and expand on the relationship V has with those individuals.
Side Jobs are fairly meaty. Due to the amount of story and dialogue associated with each, the length can often be compared to some of the main questlines in Cyberpunk 2077. Side Jobs also offers you the most amount of currency. Completing Side Jobs will offer quite a bit of XP to go towards your level progression and Street Cred.
As you progress through the main story, you’ll be introduced to a wide cast of characters. After interacting with them, they’ll reach out via V’s cellphone and ask you to assist them on a job. Many Side Jobs are broken up into parts.
For instance, Panam Palmer is a character you’re introduced to once speaking to Rogue Amendiares early on in the game. After completing the mission Rider on the Storm, Panam’s Side Job line will continue for a few missions. The same is true for characters like Judy Alvarez, River Ward, Kerry Eurodyne, and many others.
There are two things to be cautious about when looking at completing Side Jobs. The first is that many of them require some downtime between each one. Taking a look at Panam again, her second Side Job With a Little Help From My Friends requires you to wait 24 hours for her next phone call. It’s best to drive around and complete other objectives in the meantime.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on your messages. Characters will often send texts checking in on you. Most of them are follow-ups that require no attention. However, others will require a reply to advance the plot.
Gigs
In Cyberpunk 2077, Gigs are more of your one-and-done mission. They can be commonly found throughout each district in Night City. Upon arriving at a Gig’s location, one of the Fixers will call you to give you a little rundown on the mission.
Gigs are broken down into subcategories, each with its own icon displayed on the map. You’ll find Gun for Hire, Search and Recover, Thievery, Agent Saboteur, SOS: Merc Needed, and Convoys all available as you progress through the game. Some Gigs will only spawn at night while others will be available during the day. On top of that, there are 17 Cyberpsychosis Gigs to complete. You’ll come across these as you do any other Gig in the game.
Most times, you’ll have to infiltrate a compound to find an objective. Sometimes, you’ll be tasked with freeing a hostage. Overall, all Gigs follow a similar gameplay loop. You can go in guns blazing or take the silent and stealthy approach.
Cyberpunk 2077‘s Gigs are pretty much void of substantive story content. They are often largely forgettable. However, Gigs can be worth exploring for their simple offering of cash for V. In Cyberpunk 2077, the currency is referred to as eddies and you’ll need to fill your pockets full for another component of the game’s side content.
NCPD Scanner Hustles
Like Gigs, NCPD Scanner Hustles are largely throwaway missions. Again, you’ll stumble across these on the Night City map. They appear as blue icons and can be tackled as soon as they are available. If you’re a completionist like I am, strap in. There are a whopping 156 NCPD Scanner Hustles to complete.
NCPD Scanner Hustles do receive a small bit of backstory when you’re completing them. You’ll often be contacted through your phone, which again, provides some context to what you’re doing.
These activities are mostly combat-focused. Of course, you can choose to tackle them in a way that matches your playstyle. Keeping time-sensitivity in mind, you may opt for the more direct approach just to get through them that much quicker.
NCPD Scanner Hustles can also provide some eddies. If you’re concentrating on clearing out a portion of the map at a time, you can quickly collect a nice bounty to use on purchases.
Rides
Finally, Rides are the last major category of side missions in Cyberpunk 2077. These are very passive activities in the game. Throughout your progress, Fixers will contact you and alert you to purchase one of their vehicles.
It seems as though Fixers have no shortage of new rides and they are begging to hand the keys off to you. However, everything comes at a cost. All vehicles need to be paid for using eddies. This is where completing Side Jobs, Gigs, and NCPD Scanner Hustles comes into play.
Rides show up on your may like Gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles do. There’s not much to it when you arrive. If you’re looking to invest in a preem new ride, you simply walk up to the driver’s side window and pay for it. If you have the required amount of eddies, you’ll get in and be free to drive away. The Rides icon will then be taken off the map, closing out that objective.
One may argue whether or not you need 20+ vehicles at your disposal. There are more than a few flashy vehicles to pick from. However, if you’re going for that 100% completion or associated Autojack Achievement/Trophy, you’re going to want to complete all Rides.
There you have it. A full breakdown of what each side mission entails in Cyberpunk 2077. A lot of what CD Projekt Red has offered can be compelling depending on what you’re looking to gain from the game. We hope this top-level glance at side mission helps you wrap your mind around the overwhelmingly packed map of Night City.
