How Long To Beat Cyberpunk 2077 In 2025? The Definitive Playtime Guide (Base Game & Phantom Liberty)
Are you looking to dive into Night City but need to know how much time you'll need to dedicate to V's journey? As of December 2025, the total playtime for Cyberpunk 2077 has been dramatically solidified and expanded by the massive 2.0 update and the essential Phantom Liberty expansion. Forget the launch numbers—the game is now a sprawling, intricate RPG, and your total hours will depend entirely on your playstyle, ranging from a quick, focused run to a deep, 100% completionist dive into every gig and side mission.
The time investment for a complete playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077, including the base game and the Phantom Liberty expansion, can stretch well over 100 hours. This guide provides the most current, definitive playtime estimates for every type of player, from those who only follow the main story of V and Johnny Silverhand to those who want to explore every corner of the Pacifica and Dogtown districts and unlock the new ending.
The Definitive Cyberpunk 2077 Playtime Breakdown
The total time to beat Cyberpunk 2077 is best broken down into three distinct categories: the main story, the main story plus major side content, and a full completionist run. These estimates reflect the game's current state, including the content added by the 2.0 and 2.1 updates.
- Main Story (Base Game Only): 20–25 Hours
- Main Story (Base Game + Phantom Liberty): 35–45 Hours
- Main + Sides (Base Game Only): 60–80 Hours
- Main + Sides (Base Game + Phantom Liberty): 85–110 Hours
- Completionist (100%): 130–150+ Hours
1. The "Speedrunner" or Main Story Focused Playthrough
If your sole intention is to see V's story through to one of the multiple endings as quickly as possible, you can bypass a significant amount of content. The main questline is surprisingly short for an open-world RPG of this scale, focusing intently on the Relic and your relationship with Johnny Silverhand.
- Base Game Main Story: A focused player can complete the main narrative in about 20-25 hours. Rushing and skipping dialogue can shave this down to 15 hours, but you'll miss crucial context and character development.
- Phantom Liberty Main Story: The expansion adds a dedicated new spy thriller storyline in the new district of Dogtown. This main questline takes an additional 10-15 hours to complete, depending on your pace.
- Total Rushed Time: If you only stick to the main quest lines for both the base game and the expansion, you are looking at approximately 30–40 hours.
2. The "Deep Dive" or Main Story + Major Side Quests Playthrough
This is the most common playstyle and the one that CD Projekt Red clearly intended, as many of the best endings and most impactful story moments are locked behind major side jobs and character arcs. These quests are essential for building V's relationships with characters like Judy Alvarez, Panam Palmer, River Ward, and Kerry Eurodyne.
- Base Game Main + Sides: Completing the main story alongside all the major character side quests, which are critical for unlocking different endings, will push your playtime to around 60–80 hours. This is where the true heart of Night City lies.
- Phantom Liberty Main + Sides: The expansion is packed with its own valuable side content, including new gigs and vehicle missions. A deep dive into Phantom Liberty’s content will take approximately 23 hours.
- Total Deep Dive Time: For a player who wants the full narrative experience, including the base game’s core side stories and the full Phantom Liberty experience, expect to spend between 85 and 110 hours in the game.
3. The "Completionist" or 100% Playthrough
A true completionist run means doing everything: all main jobs, all side jobs, all gigs, all NCPD Scanner Hustles (crimes), collecting all unique items, maxing out your character’s skill progression, and exploring every corner of the map. This is where the game’s true length is revealed.
- Base Game Completionist: Achieving 100% completion in the base game typically takes players around 100–120 hours.
- Phantom Liberty Completionist: The expansion adds a significant chunk of new content, including new weapons, cyberware, and a new Skill Tree (Relic Tree). A completionist run of just the expansion will add about 31.5 hours.
- Total Completionist Time: To 100% complete Cyberpunk 2077 with the Phantom Liberty expansion, you should budget a massive 130–150+ hours. This is a true commitment to becoming a legend in Night City.
Key Factors That Will Double Your Hours in Night City
Why do playtime estimates vary so wildly? Several in-game mechanics and player habits can easily add dozens of hours to your total time. Understanding these factors is crucial for managing your expectations for V's journey.
Difficulty Settings and Combat Time
The difficulty you choose has a direct impact on combat time. Playing on the "Very Hard" difficulty setting will force you to engage with the combat mechanics and cyberware system more deeply. You will fail encounters more often, requiring more attempts and strategic planning, which significantly slows down your progress compared to playing on "Normal" difficulty.
The Sheer Volume of Side Content (Gigs and NCPD Hustles)
The main story is short because the bulk of the game's content is in the side missions. The world is filled with hundreds of smaller, unlisted activities:
- Fixer Gigs: These are short, narrative-driven missions given by fixers like Regina Jones and Wakako Okada. They are the backbone of your early game and can easily add 20-30 hours.
- NCPD Scanner Hustles: These are quick combat encounters or crime scenes that serve as mini-dungeons. Clearing all of these is a massive undertaking that pushes the playtime well past the 100-hour mark.
The Impact of the New Ending
The Phantom Liberty expansion introduces a brand new, fifth main ending to the base game's story. Unlocking this ending requires specific choices within the expansion's main questline, but the final sequence is a full, new conclusion to the entire V/Johnny Silverhand saga. While the ending itself is a final quest, the path to unlocking it means dedicating time to the expansion, which naturally extends your total hours.
Exploration and Character Builds
Night City is a dense, vertical map. Simple exploration, stopping to read all the shards (lore text), and messing around with different vehicles can add countless hours. Furthermore, the 2.0 update completely overhauled the skill trees and perks, encouraging players to spend time experimenting with different builds—from a stealthy netrunner to a heavy-hitting body build—which often leads to multiple playthroughs and a high overall playtime.
Conclusion: The True Value of Time in Cyberpunk 2077
The "how long to beat" question for Cyberpunk 2077 is less about a single number and more about the experience you want. If you are a new player starting in 2025, the game is a complete package. The 35-45 hour main story is an intense, focused sci-fi experience, but the true value lies in the 85-110 hour "Deep Dive" where the side stories elevate the narrative to a masterpiece. Whether you're chasing the new Phantom Liberty ending or just looking to become a legend of Night City, budget at least 80 hours for a truly satisfying run.
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