One of Cyberpunk 2077's more infamous secrets was changed very late in the game's development, according to the authors of the official Cyberpunk 2077 strategy guide. This suggests that the changes made to Cyberpunk 2077 in the last weeks of its development went beyond just improving performance. Note: This article contains spoilers for several Cyberpunk 2077 endings.
The core of Cyberpunk 2077 's story is the relationship between V and Johnny Silverhand, the legendary rock star living in V's mind. Unfortunately, V will die unless the two stop sharing headspace. Throughout the game, V constantly ponders whether to give up their body to Johnny or claim their body back, resulting in a tense relationship between the two. While V can make an effort to help Johnny resolve regrets from his past life and gather Johnny's beloved clothing ensemble, the rock star is often very terse and uncooperative. This makes it hard for players to know whether Johnny likes V or not - though it is an important factor in unlocking the game's secret ending.
Cyberpunk 2077's secret ending mission, called (Don't Fear) The Reaper, sees V and Johnny invade Arasaka Tower alone in an epic final stand. While players have figured out that V must say very specific things to Johnny to trigger this ending, the game's official strategy guide is vague on the topic. Reddit user Esper01 reached out to the authors of the guide to ask, and was informed that the developers changed the criteria for the secret ending at the last minute - too late to include in the guide. The developers even included a new flowchart to reflect the changes, although Esper01 notes it is incomplete.
Many players are frustrated by the requirements of the secret ending because it is easy to fail them by mistake. Completing (Don't Fear) The Reaper spares several characters that would have died in other ending missions, before making the player choose between The Sun and Temperance endings. While both endings are accessible without the secret mission, this is the only way to have Johnny Silverhand's romantic interest Rogue survive to witness The Sun play out. Plus, as The Sun sees V accept a premature death in order to become a legendary mercenary, it's most appropriate that it comes after the intensely difficult (Don't Fear) The Reaper mission.
Interestingly, the strategy guide authors clarify that Johnny will not see V as a true friend unless V chooses specific dialogue options as specified in the new flowchart. This will be a punch in the gut for players who have grown fond of Johnny, his dramatic backstory, and nihilistic attitude. Johnny apparently will not trust a V he sees as either too friendly or too bitter; this is fitting for Johnny's character, but could leave many well-intentioned players feeling dissatisfied.
Given that many aspects of Cyberpunk 2077 are still being worked on, it is possible that future updates could make the requirements for this ending less rigorous. After all, development of Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer modes is ongoing, along with DLC updates throughout 2021. While most improvements to the game will likely be bug fixes, it's fair to hope that first-time players will have a better shot at becoming Johnny's true friend in the future.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.