How long is Cyberpunk 2077? Story, side quests and Phantom Liberty

How long Cyberpunk 2077 takes depends on how you play: GGRecon says about 25 to 30 hours if you rush the main story, up to about 60 hours if you explore, and well over 100 hours for a completionist. Phantom Liberty adds roughly 20 to 30 hours. This guide collects the numbers, explains what changes them and shows how to plan your time.

Key takeaways

• Main story only: about 25 to 30 hours if rushed, according to GGRecon.
• Exploring and doing a good share of side content: up to about 60 hours.
• Completionist: well over 100 hours, and a QA lead estimated about 175 hours for everything.
• Phantom Liberty: an extra 20 to 30 hours.
• These are estimates, not official numbers, and your pace will differ.

Play time by style

Gfinity points out that the 175 hour figure came from a QA lead who was also hunting for bugs, so it is a slow-end benchmark. A senior quest designer described the story as slightly shorter than The Witcher 3's, which Gfinity says HowLongToBeat puts at about 50 hours. We could not open HowLongToBeat ourselves, so we do not quote its Cyberpunk numbers.

Images are provided by Steam and belong to their publishers.

What makes the game longer

• Side jobs and gigs. Night City has many small jobs. They are optional, but they earn money, gear and experience.
• Exploring. The city rewards detours with loot and short stories.
• Multiple endings. GGRecon says getting all endings, including the secret one, can take over 100 hours across several playthroughs. Our endings guide explains the expansion's choices without graphic detail.
• Build experiments. Trying different builds costs time. See the builds guide.
• Difficulty. Harder fights mean more retries.

How to plan your playthrough

1. Decide your goal: story only, story with the best side content, or everything.
2. Start with the first act and the main questline to learn the controls. Our beginner guide helps.
3. Mix in side quests between main missions so you are not under-leveled. The level cap is 50 in the base game and 60 with Phantom Liberty.
4. Play Phantom Liberty after you have a strong build, not at the very start. It is a separate purchase unless you own the Ultimate Edition.
5. Save before big story choices if you want to see more than one outcome.

Choosing a goal: three sample plans

The story sprint (about 25 to 30 hours)

Follow the main questline, skip most side jobs and use a simple build. This suits players who mainly want the plot. Expect tougher fights later, because you will have fewer levels and less gear.

The balanced run (roughly 40 to 60 hours)

Do the main story and the side quests that appear along the way. This is the pace most people describe as natural, and it leaves you strong enough to enjoy fights without grinding.

The full city (100 hours or more)

Clear the map, finish every job, collect items and aim for all endings. It takes the longest and is best done across more than one playthrough.

Whichever plan you pick, you can change it midway. Many players start with the balanced run and decide later whether to chase the rest.

Tips to save time

• Use fast travel once you unlock points, rather than driving everywhere.
• Follow quest markers for the main story, and wander only when you want to.
• Do not buy every piece of cyberware. Plan a build first with the cyberware guide.
• Check the Phantom Liberty requirements on the store page, since a separate download adds time before you can play.

Is it a good length for you?

That is a personal call. If you want a tight story, the rushed 25 to 30 hours is real, but you will miss much of what makes the world feel alive. If you prefer something shorter, the Phantom Liberty expansion works as a 20 to 30 hour focused story, although it needs the base game. If you like long RPGs, the full game will last well over 100 hours.

Common mistakes

• Doing only main missions and then finding the fights too hard. Side content gives levels and gear.
• Trusting a single number. Treat each time as a range.
• Chasing 100 percent on a first run. The game is easier to enjoy if you choose a goal first.
• Expecting the same length on every platform. Content is the same, but loading and frame rate can change your pace.

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