Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty – Should You Help Songbird Or Reed In Firestarter

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty presents players with one of the most consequential decisions in the entire expansion during the Firestarter mission. This pivotal moment will dramatically alter your gameplay experience and determine which conclusion you’ll witness.

When contemplating whether to assist Songbird or Reed in this crucial scenario, you’re essentially choosing between two entirely separate narrative arcs. Each path offers unique missions, character interactions, and exclusive rewards that cannot be obtained through the alternative route.

This decision point fundamentally changes your progression through the expansion’s storyline.

Critical Strategy: Create a manual save immediately when the dialogue options appear. This precaution allows you to explore both conclusion arcs without needing to replay the preceding hours of content. Additionally, specific iconic weapons remain exclusive to each path, making this choice crucial for completionists.

The Firestarter dilemma unfolds during a tense infiltration sequence where Alex operates undercover as Aymaric while V assumes the identity of Aurore. As Songbird prepares to activate her device, you face two distinct responses:

• Help Songbird escape: “I’m with you.”
• Help Reed capture Songbird: “One more second…”

Choice Mechanics and Character Alignment

Throughout the expansion, your interactions with key characters may influence available options. During our playthrough, we consistently supported Songbird’s initiatives—agreeing to assist in the You Know My Name mission and maintaining confidentiality about her escape plans during Birds With Broken Wings. However, the core decision appears consistently available regardless of previous alignment choices.

When engaging with Kurt Hansen while disguised, we selected dialogue based on Aurore’s established background. While these choices may enhance immersion, their direct impact on the pivotal Firestarter decision remains uncertain based on current testing.

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Strategic dialogue selection can enhance character authenticity throughout the infiltration sequence.

Songbird Escape Path Outcomes

Choosing to support Songbird’s escape initiates a dramatically different sequence of events:

• Alex eliminates Kurt Hansen, removing a major antagonist from the equation
• Songbird provides crucial hacking support during your stadium escape, potentially including the Murphy’s Law iconic weapon drop from Hansen’s lieutenants
• Avoid the elevator during extraction—Reed awaits below with lethal intentions

After successfully exiting the stadium complex, you must advance time by several in-game days until Songbird initiates contact. This leads directly into The Killing Moon mission, requiring infiltration of a spaceport to secure her shuttle transport while contending with NUSA military opposition.

The escape path culminates in an intense firefight within the spaceport environment.

Reed Capture Path Consequences

Opting to assist Reed produces equally significant but distinct results:

• Hansen executes Alex, forcing you to navigate the stadium solo
• You’ll confront Hansen in a boss encounter where he yields three distinct iconic weapons
• Extraction occurs via elevator to Reed’s vehicle, witnessing Songbird’s apprehension by Night City security

This narrative branch introduces two additional missions: Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, requiring elimination of MaxTac forces, and Somewhat Damaged—a tense stealth sequence against a pursuing robotic threat that rewards you with Erebus weapon blueprints and Militech Canto Mk6 cyberware schematics.

The capture route introduces unique stealth challenges and valuable technological rewards.

Combat Build Optimization

Your character build significantly influences which path provides better synergy. Netrunners and stealth-focused builds may find Reed’s path more rewarding due to the Somewhat Damaged stealth mission and Canto cyberware. Conversely, aggressive combat builds benefit from Songbird’s path with its direct action sequences and weapon rewards.

Time Investment Analysis: Songbird’s route typically completes faster (6-8 hours) while Reed’s path offers extended gameplay (8-10 hours) with greater variety in mission types.

Common Strategic Mistakes

Many players mistakenly assume they can acquire all iconic weapons in a single playthrough. The Erebus and Pariah weapons remain mutually exclusive, requiring separate playthroughs to obtain both.

Pro Tip: If pursuing completionist goals, prioritize Songbird’s path first for faster progression, then utilize your backup save to experience Reed’s more complex route.

Beyond the immediate expansion conclusions, your Firestarter decision unlocks an additional ending variant for the main Cyberpunk 2077 campaign. This additional narrative branch provides further incentive to explore both decision outcomes thoroughly.

For comprehensive guidance on maximizing your Phantom Liberty experience, consult our Complete Guide for detailed walkthroughs and advanced tactics.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty – Should You Help Songbird Or Reed In Firestarter A strategic guide to the Firestarter mission choice with consequences analysis and gameplay optimization tips