You've spent a hundred hours in Night City. You’ve zeroed Adam Smasher in your head a dozen times. But there’s one ending that stays locked behind a wall of silence and a very specific set of dialogue choices you probably blew twenty hours ago. This is the don't fear the reaper cyberpunk guide for the players who don't want to see their friends die in the final assault.
It's the suicide run. Solo. Just you, Johnny Silverhand, and a Malorian Arms 3516 against the entire Arasaka Corporation.
Most people think it’s about your "friendship" percentage with Johnny. It isn't. You can have 70% or 40% and it won't matter if you didn't say the right words at a specific oil field outside the city. If you’re looking for a way to storm Arasaka Tower without dragging Panam or Rogue into the meat grinder, you're in the right place.
The Oil Field Conversation: Where Most Players Fail
Everything hinges on the quest Chippin' In.
After you go through the motions of finding Grayson and getting Johnny’s Porsche, you end up at the oil fields where Johnny’s body was dumped. This is the make-or-break moment. If you pick the "nice" options, you've already failed. Johnny Silverhand is a rockerboy narcissist who needs a reality check, not a fan club.
To unlock the secret ending, you have to follow a very specific dialogue path when you're sitting by that pathetic excuse for a grave. When the prompt comes up to write Johnny's initials, you do it. Then, he’ll ask you what you’d write on his headstone.
Select "The Guy who Saved My Life." It feels cheesy, but it sets the tone. However, the next choice is the pivot point. Johnny will start lamenting how he failed everyone. You have to tell him: "Nah, fucked that up too." This is where the nuance of CD Projekt Red's writing shines. By calling him out on his bullshit, you're actually building the level of respect required for the "Don't Fear the Reaper" ending. If you just agree with him, he doesn't respect you enough to suggest the solo run later. Follow that up with "What do you want from me?" and eventually, when he asks for a second chance, you tell him "OK. But as far as second chances go, this is your last."
💡 You might also like: Finding every Hollow Knight mask shard without losing your mind
If you didn't do this, and you don't have a save file from that moment, honestly? You’re locked out. You'll have to restart or use a save editor on PC.
Waiting for the Prompt at Misty’s Esoterica
Fast forward to the endgame. You’re on the balcony with Johnny at Misty’s place. The weight of the world is on your shoulders. You have to choose who to call, who to take with you, or whether to end it all right there.
Don't click anything yet.
The don't fear the reaper cyberpunk guide secret is literally just patience. Once you get to the part where you're choosing between Rogue, the Aldecaldos, or the other options, just sit there. Don't move your mouse. Don't touch the controller.
You need to wait for about five minutes.
Johnny will eventually break the silence. He’ll look at you and suggest a "wild suicide run." He recognizes that you don't want to see your friends die. He offers to take Arasaka Tower head-on, just the two of you. That is your cue. Once he says it, you agree, and the mission begins.
📖 Related: Animal Crossing for PC: Why It Doesn’t Exist and the Real Ways People Play Anyway
Why This Ending is Fucking Hard
This isn't like the other endings. In the "Path of Glory" or "All Along the Watchtower," you have backup. You have checkpoints.
In "Don't Fear the Reaper," if you die, the credits roll.
Seriously. There are no mid-mission saves. If a stray bullet from an Arasaka guard catches you or Smasher turns you into a puddle, the game treats it as the "Suicide" ending. You get the depressing holovids from your friends during the credits, and you’re kicked back to the main menu.
Your health also constantly ticks down. Because the Relic is failing, your maximum HP reduces the longer you spend inside the tower. You are literally racing against your own body's collapse. You need a build that emphasizes speed, high damage output, and immediate health regeneration.
Recommended Loadout for the Solo Run
- Cyberware: You need a high-tier Sandevistan (like the Apogee) or a Cyberdeck with Tier 5 System Collapse and Overheat. If you're going the "Chrome Compressor" route, make sure your armor is capped.
- The Second Heart: This is your only safety net. Since you can't save, having a cyberware piece that revives you once when you hit zero health is the difference between success and a 20-minute loading screen.
- Weaponry: Most players swear by the O'Five sniper for long-range clearing or a heavily modded Kyubi. But honestly? A high-reflex Katana build with Byakko or Satori lets you gap-close so fast the guards can't even raise their rifles.
The Arasaka Lobby: A Reality Check
The moment you walk into the front door of Arasaka Tower, everyone is hostile. There is no stealth. This is loud, it is violent, and the enemies are all level 50+.
You'll be facing mechs, elite guards with Sandevistans of their own, and netrunners who will try to Short Circuit you into oblivion every ten seconds. You have to keep moving. If you stay behind one piece of cover for more than three seconds, a grenade will flush you out.
👉 See also: A Game of Malice and Greed: Why This Board Game Masterpiece Still Ruins Friendships
The goal is to reach the elevator. Once you're down in the guts of the building, toward the Mikoshi access point, the pressure doesn't let up. You’ll feel the HP reduction getting worse. By the time you reach the final boss arena, you might only have 60% of your total health bar available to you.
Facing Adam Smasher Solo
This is the ultimate test of your don't fear the reaper cyberpunk guide mastery. Smasher is significantly more aggressive here than in other endings. He knows it’s just you.
Since the Edgerunners update and subsequent patches, Smasher uses his Sandevistan frequently. If you're using a Sandy too, it becomes a high-speed duel where timing is everything. If you're a netrunner, you need to spam Cyberware Malfunction stacks on him immediately. If you get three or four stacks on him, his chrome starts to glitch, giving you a window to dump lead into his head.
Don't get cocky when he hits 50% health. He’ll start using his missile launchers more frequently. In this solo run, one direct hit from a missile can end the entire attempt.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Run
If you're ready to try this, don't just jump in. Prepare.
- Check your Journal: Go to the "Chippin' In" quest. If you haven't done it, go to the oil fields and use the dialogue mentioned above. If you already did it and were too "nice" to Johnny, you'll need to reload an old save or start a New Game Plus (if you're using mods) / New Game.
- Level to 50+: Do not attempt this at level 30. You will be shredded. Max out your primary combat attribute (Reflexes, Body, or Intelligence) and make sure your armor is as high as your cyberware capacity allows.
- Stockpile Health Items: Since your max HP is dropping, you need the rapid-heal items, not the slow-regen ones.
- Clear your Schedule: Give yourself a solid hour of uninterrupted time. Since you can't save during the mission, a distraction or a phone call can lead to a very frustrating death.
The "Don't Fear the Reaper" ending is the most "canon" feeling conclusion for a V who has become a legend of the Afterlife. It’s poetic. It’s just a merc and the ghost in their head against the world. Good luck. You’re going to need it when those elevator doors open.