Night City is a mysterious place, riddled by the horrors of hyper-capitalism and unthinkable technologies, and so it’s quite difficult to predict where Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty might end up taking V. Since almost everything is possible in the futuristic, dystopian RPG, players should prepare for an unexpected and treacherous road ahead of them, undoubtedly full of dangerous gonks and sleazy corpos. However, based on what is known about the Phantom Liberty DLC’s story so far – and after some careful examination of trailers and Cyberpunk lore – there are a few theories that are likelier than others to end up true.
Phantom Liberty will be Cyberpunk 2077‘s first and only expansion, and so it’ll be crucial in potentially setting the precedent for the game’s sequel, currently known as Project Orion. CD Projekt Red has alluded to the fact that the upcoming DLC is the studio’s biggest and most expansive, so hopefully, there will be plenty of new characters, quests, and content for players to chew on until then. But since it looks like Phantom Liberty won’t be releasing anytime soon, they’ll be stuck with base game knowledge for a while longer still. Thankfully, some sharp-eyed fans have come up with some crafty theories based on the information gathered thus far.
Mr. Blue Eyes Is Morgan Blackhand In Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Mr. Blue Eyes is unequivocally one of Cyberpunk 2077‘s shadiest characters – observing V and Jefferson Peralez converse at the end of the horrifying “Dream On” quest line, appearing (in a rather hostile manner) during the game’s secret ending, and even being referenced by Night City residents in passing dialogue, who claim he is always around and watching. This naturally makes him prime material for the expansion to explore, but SPACEJB on YouTube proposes a fascinating Phantom Liberty theory that Mr. Blue Eyes is actually Morgan Blackhand.
According to SPACEJB, it’s possible that Morgan Blackhand, who was Johnny Silverhand’s accomplice during the assault on the Arasaka Towers, could still be alive. Though it’s widely believed that Adam Smasher killed him in a tussle, some Night City residents – including Claire – still believe that he’s alive. One news report found in-game on the World News Service website even hints that he may have been spotted in Japantown, being the sole survivor of a brutal, but fresh massacre. A witness claims that he was “a portly man with a black cyberarm,” which could indeed be an accurate description of the aptly-named Morgan Blackhand.
SPACEJB points out that Mr. Blue Eyes, though not much is known about him, bears a striking resemblance to what Morgan Blackhand might look like in 2077. In fact, some unused character models labeled as “Morgan Blackhand” found in Cyberpunk 2077‘s game files prove that they are nearly identical (apart from the glowing blue eyes and black arm), and the Cyberpunk 2077 Wiki page further states that “Mr. Blue Eyes’ hair is labeled as Morgan Blackhand” in the files, as well. It’s possible that CDPR simply reused scrapped character assets to save time in development, but it begs the question as to why a Morgan Blackhand model was created in the first place.
This theory is weakened somewhat by the fact that Mike Pondmith, the creator of the IP, previously expressed a disinterest in having Blackhand be a part of the Cyberpunk 2077 universe (as can be seen in a YouTube video uploaded by Kazuliski). Indeed, Morgan Blackhand would be one of the worst characters for Phantom Liberty to explore, for more than one reason. However, it’s hard to deny the suspicious connection that Mr. Blue Eyes and Morgan Blackhand share, as well as the unclear circumstances of the latter’s “death” in Cyberpunk lore.
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty’s Story Will Involve Mind Control
Although it’s possible that Mr. Blue Eyes will make an appearance in the DLC, an even likelier Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty theory suggests that it’s actually the quest he appears in, “Dream On,” that is more telling. This side mission tasks V with uncovering the nature behind some strange bouts of memory loss in the Peralez family, and it ends with discovering a strange program that is controlling the minds of Night City citizens from afar. Jefferson and Elizabeth Peralez are among the affected, which explains their amnesia – but as described by Kyfigrigas on Reddit, someone named Liberty Patel is also being controlled.
The obvious connection to draw is to the title of the expansion itself, but as CaktusJ comments on that same Reddit post, there’s more to this character besides her convenient name. One of the computers in Jefferson’s home details an incident where he supposedly fired Liberty Patel from his staff, then asked why she was no longer on the team shortly thereafter. It’s feasible that the mind control software prompted Jefferson to fire Liberty involuntarily, which would imply that she’s a figure with a lot of influence and possible political power in Night City.
This Phantom Liberty theory is also supported by the visual resemblance that the in-game photo of Liberty Patel shares with a character who appears in the first trailer for the expansion, posted to YouTube by the Cyberpunk 2077 channel. As seen at the end of the “Dream On” mission – one of Cyberpunk 2077‘s best side quests, despite its disturbing themes – Liberty has lighter skin and short, chin-length hair that is parted to one side, much like the canonical female V. The woman appearing at the end of the trailer shares these same characteristics, with the addition of a red, glitchy visual effect similar to the one Johnny Silverhand’s engram bears.
This hints that Liberty Patel is not only a major character in the expansion, but that she has also been digitized by Soulkiller and is living inside V’s head. The implications of this are massive, especially if Liberty is indeed under the influence of a mind-controlling virus or otherwise swept up in the situation.
Just like Mr. Blue Eyes’ identity, though, players will likely need to wait until release to determine if there’s any truth to these Phantom Liberty theories. Both cases are convincing, and they drive a hard bargain, but the Cyberpunk 2077 universe is one that never fails to surprise. It’s quite possible that the nature of the DLC will take V somewhere far more mysterious, exhilarating, and game-changing than edgerunners can even imagine.
Source: SPACEJB/YouTube, Cyberpunk 2077 Wiki, Kazuliski/YouTube, Kyfigrigas/Reddit, CaktusJ/Reddit, Cyberpunk 2077/YouTube
