When V dives into the spy-thriller chaos of Phantom Liberty, it's not just the main storyline that grabs you by the chrome – it's the side gigs. These optional jobs are where the expansion truly struts its stuff, offering eddies, XP, and serious moral dilemmas that'll make you question every life choice. From rescuing ripperdocs to dealing with children's sports academies that are more dystopian than a cyberpsycho's dream, Dogtown's gigs are the real flavor. So, let's break down five of the most bonkers and thought-provoking gigs V can take on in 2026, complete with some killer loot and plot twists that hit harder than a Sandevistan punch.
5. Dogtown Saints – A Ripple in the Moral Pond
Right out of the gate, "Dogtown Saints" throws V into the deep end with Mr. Hands, the fixer who's suddenly a whole lotta important. The objective? Save Dr. Anthony Anderson, a ripperdoc doing pro bono work for Dogtown's forgotten souls. It's an early gig, available as soon as V leaves the hideout, and it sets the tone for what Phantom Liberty is all about: makin' tough calls.
The gig is dripping with moral ambiguity. Sure, keeping everyone alive makes Mr. Hands grin like a cat who got the cream, but the real question is: who has the right to decide who lives or dies? The rewards – 8,000 eddies, 1,300 EXP, and 167 street cred – ain't exactly earth-shattering, but the real treasure is the loot scattered around the clinic. Pro tip: grab everything that isn't nailed down; some containers pack a serious punch.
4. Prototype In The Scraper – Your Conscience on a Platter
Mr. Hands sends V on what sounds like a simple fetch quest: snag a prototype implant and its schematics. Piece of cake, right? Wrong. The implant is already nestled inside a thief named Hasan, turning a routine snatch-and-grab into an ethical rollercoaster. After busting Hasan out of a scav den, V hits a fork in the road: hand the poor guy over to Zetatech (where he'll likely be dissected like a lab rat) or let him walk free while still delivering the schematics. The eddies are the same either way, but if V chooses to let Hasan live, he'll return the favor later with a side job that coughs up an Iconic Tech Pistol. Talk about karma with a kickback!
3. Waiting For Dodger – Humor in a Dark, Dark World
Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't exactly scream "laugh riot," but "Waiting for Dodger" flips the script with sarcasm so thick you could slice it with a Mantis Blade. The gig introduces Stella Ramos, sister of Edgerunners' Sasha Yakovleva, and her fiancée who's in a pickle involving bent cops and a whole mess of drugs. The dialogue is pure gold, and if V decides to spill the beans to Dodger that the cops are lying, the aftermath is surprisingly light-hearted – almost wholesome in a twisted way. For the combat junkies, dropping Dodger like a bad habit nets a Tier 4 Iconic revolver named Rosco. It's a win-win, choom.
2. Treating Symptoms – A Cyberpunk Masterclass
If there's one gig that screams "peak cyberpunk," it's "Treating Symptoms." Infiltrating a Voodoo Boys hideout, battling NetWatch killer robots, and dealing with a hacker threatening to remotely collapse someone's lungs – it's a wild ride from start to finish. Players can sneak through shadows or go full-on Rambo, and the story throws curveballs like an undercover agent popping up mid-mission. The base reward is 8,000 eddies, but if V plays nice and helps Alan, another 8,000 shows up later down the line. It's a storytelling gem that captures the grim, high-tech vibe of the whole franchise.
1. Talent Academy – The One That Hits Home
Saving the heaviest for last, "Talent Academy" is the kind of gig that sticks in your craw long after the credits roll. Mr. Hands wants V to infiltrate a Biotechnica sports facility and swipe data, but the rabbit hole goes way deeper. The facility isn't just training kids – it's juicing them up with cyberware to turn them into superstar athletes. When V gets caught by a woman named Fiona, the deal she offers is gut-wrenching: take sanitized info that won't hurt the company, or blow the lid off the whole operation and fight your way out. The rewards are identical either way, but the emotional toll? That's on you. The writing here is top-tier, forcing players to weigh a few lives against systemic exploitation of children. It's a sobering reminder that in Night City, there are no clean hands – just different shades of chrome.