Cyberpunk 2077 Easter Eggs

Numerous easter eggs and cultural references to various books, movies, music compositions, and other games are common throughout the Cyberpunk series. These are instances where something or someone from pop culture or the real world is referenced in Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2020

 * A shard found in the game, "Cyberpunk 2020 Rulebook", is a reference to the original Cyberpunk 2020 pen-and-paper RPG.

Dark Souls

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "V for Victory".

Death Stranding

 * A capsule containing a human infant, identical to Bridge Baby in Death Stranding, can be found in the side job The Hunt.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * The shard titled "Archived Conversation: JC and Little Smoke" is a reference to the characters Carl "CJ" Johnson and Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The shard text contains the line "all you had to do was follow the damn train, JC!", which originates from the mission Wrong Side of the Tracks and is considered one of the most memorable lines throughout the entire Grand Theft Auto series. There are also dead bodies lying beside a damaged bike.

Half-Life

 * The Crowbar's description "The favorite tool of burglars and theoretical physicists from MIT." is a reference to Gordon Freeman, the silent protagonist from the Half-Life franchise, and his iconic first weapon: a Crowbar.
 * A game titled "No Life 3" is a poke at Half-Life 3 - a long-anticipated but non-existent sequel to the Half-Life series. The game is referenced by the shard No Life 3 - Review, and a No Life 3 poster in V's apartment.

Hideo Kojima

 * Hideo Kojima makes a cameo during the Act 1 mission The Heist. He can be seen in the bar of Konpeki Plaza.

Mike Pondsmith

 * Pondsmith Street in Japantown is named after Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk universe.
 * The DJ of radio station 107.3 Morro Rock Radio is voiced by Pondsmith.
 * It is believed but not yet confirmed that Pondsmith also voices Milt Nauman, a ripperdoc who saves Johnny Silverhand's life during Never Fade Away.

Portal

 * Epistrophy: Coastview involves chasing down a rogue Delamain Taxi with a personality that matches GLaDOS from the Portal franchise. The lines this AI says are exactly as they appear in the Portal franchise.

The Witcher Universe

 * A Retro Gaming magazine features the studio's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as its game of the month in the Corporate Lifepath prologue.
 * Several Arcade stands feature the game "Roach Race" featuring roach dodging several obstacles, such as a flying griffin and a house's rooftop. It plays a shortened version of "Geralt of Rivia" by Marcin Przybyłowicz.
 * Photo Mode has several Roach stickers.
 * The designs of the Wolf School Jacket and Wolf School T-Shirt are directly inspired by The Witcher universe, the former resembling Geralt's armor in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Akira

 * RIDES Missions - When you purchase the Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X from a parking garage in Northern Japantown for only a measly 22,000 eurodollars, you will notice that the motorcycle is similar to a classic 1980's Anime called "Akira". This Motorcycle is a nod to Kaneda's Motorcycle.

Batman

 * The mission Ghost Town passes through an unmarked tunnel in the Badlands. After completing the mission and waiting for two days, the player can return to the tunnel to find a shipping container holding a black Rayfield Caliburn. The player can enter the car to permanently add it to their inventory. The shard "Read this every day. Never give up. Remember your purpose." inside the container contains the manifesto of "Murk Man", a reference to the Batman franchise.

Blade Runner

 * Misty's appearance is an homage to Pris, one of the escaped replicates in the original Blade Runner film released in 1982.
 * Batty's Hotel in Pacifica District is a reference to Roy Batty, the main antagonist of the original Blade Runner film, who was played by the late legendary actor Rutger Hauer.
 * Roy Batty's final words in Blade Runner, "All these moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain", are inscribed on a plaque that can be found on the memorial building in North Oak. It honors both the late actor and the character he made great with a symbolic image of a dove and those famous words.
 * A corpse holding the shard "Corporate Wanted List" (and the legendary Titanium Solo Techgogs with Tactical Software, part of the legendary Solo clothing set) found among the Biotechnica protein farms is a reference to Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049. The shard indicates the dead man's name was Samuel Morton and he was on the run from Militech for smuggling people from the Moon to Earth and deserting his post. The details about Samuel on the shard are near matches for details about Sapper: they were both born on March 22, they both have similar ID numbers, they both served as combat medics, and they both went into hiding as protein farmers. A wall of Samuel's house also appeared to have been torn out while he fought his killer, as happened when Sapper fought K.
 * In Vista Del Rey, Heywood, after coming off of Metro: Congress & MLK to the right of it is a building called Advocet Hotel. Enter the lobby and take the elevator to the roof., the time of day will change to night and the weather will be rainy, music will also start playing after looking at an AV that passes over. Going onto the rook and following the path will lead to a dead npc half naked sitting up and holding a bird. This a final scene from Blade Runner Movie "Tears in Rain" where the replicant Roy Batty makes his speech before passing.

Breaking Bad

 * The gig The Heisenberg Principle is named after the alias of Walter White, anti-hero, drug manufacturer/dealer, and protagonist of Breaking Bad. The gig has V hunt down the manufacturers of the drug Glitter.

Black Hawk Down / Dawn of the Dead

 * There's an advertisement in game about a movie titled "Black Hawk Dawn of the Dead". One can be seen during Love Like Fire.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Crouching Punk, Hidden Samurai".

Demolition Man

 * In V's apartment, three seashells are sat on a shelf next to the toilet, a reference to Demolition Man, where three seashells are described as the future replacement of traditional toilet paper, but their specific use and function is never elaborated upon.

Die Hard

 * In the side-job Following The River, when V plays an Augmented Reality game with River's niece and nephew, the name of the niece's character is police officer Joan McClane, a female rendition of the name John McClane, the main character of the Die Hard movies. John McClane is also a police officer.

Ghost in the Shell

 * Judy's phone avatar is a little ghost popping out of a shell. The same drawing is tattooed on Judy's left arm, above the number 13.
 * The Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X motorcycle is named after Major Motoko Kusanagi, the protagonist of the Ghost in the Shell franchise.
 * The name of the Daemon In The Shell achievement is another reference to GITS.
 * The Arasaka HJSH-18 Masamune is a reference to manga artist and writer, Shirou Masamune, creator of the Ghost in the Shell series.
 * In the gig Cyberpsycho Sighting: Lt. Mower, the setting is very reminiscent of the 'water scene' for the Ghost in the Shell movie and the enemy looks strikingly similar to Motoko with her hairstyle and is said she has military-grade cybernetics.

James Bond

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "My Name is V. Just V".

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "V's Bizarre Pose".

John Wick

 * In the sidejob Gig: Olive Branch, when asking Sergei how he pissed off the Tyger Claws, he'll say "Ah, it was just a... friendly misunderstanding. This man, he look normal - beard, brown shoes... nothing, y'know, breathtaking. And he also have little dog. Gospodi, what kind of hitman goes around with dog?" It is both a reference to John Wick (hitman with dog) and his actor, Keanu Reeves (breathtaking).

Joker (2019)

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Joker Stairs".

Mad Max: Fury Road

 * If you follow the road southwest through the Biotechnica farms, you may encounter a crashed fuel truck surrounded by several bodies. Next to one of the bodies is a shard titled Archived Conversation: Charlize Fury and Dakota Smith in which Charlize reports the tragedy of their mission where Max was wounded, Peter and Zero dead, while Biotechnica is still on their tail. Dakota instructs her to ditch everything and save at least one of the pregnant women accompanying her. The shard also discusses a certain car, which could be related to the Quadra Type-66 "Reaver", which has been revealed on the 5th anniversary of the film.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

 * During the side-job The Prophet's Song, Johnny asks V, "Who're you bettin' on showin' up?" One of the dialogue choices is "The Spanish Inquisition," to which Johnny replies "I admit, I didn't expect that." This is a reference to the quote from Monty Python's Flying Circus, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
 * During the main-job Lightning Breaks in the car ride after leaving the garage choosing the option "Subject change! What's the weirdest thing you've ever smuggled?" V will start by saying "And now for something completely different." which is a common line in Monty Python's Flying Circus.

One Eyed Jacks

 * One-Eyed Jacks can be seen playing in the Grand Imperial Mall Cinema.

Pulp Fiction

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Be Cool, This is a Robbery!".

Sailor Moon

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "In the Name of the Moon, I'll Punish You!"

South Park

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Oh My God! They Killed V!".

Star Trek

 * The Hand in Bartmoss' Legacy Perk in the Quickhacking tree found in Intelligence does the Vulcan Salute which has been popularized by the television series Star Trek. It is a gesture used to wish another person to "live long and prosper".

Star Wars

 * The side-job Reported Crime: I Don't Like Sand references a quote by Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
 * In the side-job Full Disclosure if you crack the security of Sandra Dorsett's databank, it mentions subject "HK-13 began to display acute psychopathic behavior. The highlight was a dispute over coffee, during which HK-13 strangled one of their colleagues, then jumped out of the 16th floor window of the research facility." this is a reference to the highly aggressive Hunter Killer assassin droids.
 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose"V Shot First"

The Dukes of Hazzard

 * The name and paint scheme of the Quadra Type-66 "Jen Rowley" are references to the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard.

The Matrix

 * During Never Fade Away main quest, Johnny Silverhand is called "Mister Silverhand" by a man in a suit. This is a reference to Neo (another character played by Keanu Reeves) being called "Mister Anderson" by Agent Smith.
 * During the Chippin' In side job, in the sequence where Johnny Silverhand takes over V's body, a stranger offers him to choose between a red pill and a blue pill, like in the famous scene from The Matrix.
 * In the ending sequence where V connects to Mikoshi, V walks up the stairs and sees the same cat twice. This is a reference to a scene from The Matrix, where Neo experiences a déjà vu inside the simulation when he sees a black cat walk past the doorway twice.
 * A clothing ad displayed on the Just Ads TV channel closely resembles the isles of guns from the "Guns. Lots of Guns." scene in The Matrix.

The Office

 * In the shard titled Chemicals: The Invisible Killer, one of the illnesses caused by AV-released chemicals is "spontaneous dental hydroplosion", a fictional disease made up in an episode of the show, described as "A disease that makes your teeth turn into liquid and then drip down your throat."
 * At the end of the quest Big in Japan, Haruyoshi the surgeon can be prompted to tell his own background, in which he mentioned that he killed the Tyger Claws' boss on purpose, but in secret; parallel to Hidetoshi Hasegawa (one of Darryl's man)'s "In Japan, heart surgeon, number one" story.

The Shining

 * During The Rescue job, V and Jackie enter the room 1237 where they find a young naked woman lying in a bathtub. This is a reference to the room 237 that haunts Danny Torrance in The Shining. In the film, room 237 also has a naked woman lying in the bathtub.

The Wire

 * References are made to stevedor Frank Sobotka during the side-gig Many Ways to Skin a Cat.
 * An NPC by the name of Omar Little can be found in Night City.

Titanic

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Like One of Your French Girls".

Trailer Park Boys

 * The side-job Space Oddity begins by meeting three homeless men named Josh, Rick, and Brandon. Their names, appearances, and behaviors mimic the three main characters of Trailer Park Boys, Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles. The name of the side-job is also a reference to David Bowie's famous song Space Oddity.

Unforgiven

 * Unforgiven can be directly referenced by V when speaking with Bryce Mosley about western films.

Waiting for Godot

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Waiting for Godot".

Music
Many jobs in Cyberpunk 2077 are named after classic rock, indie, punk and metal songs.

AC/DC

 * The side-job Shoot To Thrill is named after a song of the same name by AC/DC.

AFI

 * The TotalImmortal job is named after a song of the same name by American punk rock band AFI.

Blue Öyster Cult

 * One of the ending jobs, (Don't Fear) The Reaper, is named after a song of the same name by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult.

Bob Dylan

 * The All Along the Watchtower job is named after Bob Dylan's song of the same name.

David Bowie

 * The side jobs Space Oddity and Rebel! Rebel! are named after David Bowie songs Space Oddity and Rebel Rebel.

Dead Kennedys

 * The Forward To Death job is named after a song of the same name by the American punk rock band Dead Kennedys.

Deep Purple

 * The job "Cyberpsycho Sighting: Smoke on the Water" is named after the popular song by Deep Purple.

Doors

 * The side-jobs Queen of the Highway and Riders on the Storm are named after the songs of the same names by The Doors.

Drake

 * The music video for Drake's song Hotline Bling is referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Hard Pass" and "Now You're Talking".

Drowning Pool

 * The side-job Where the Bodies Hit the Floor is most likely a reference to the song Bodies by Drowning Pool, which contains the line "Let the bodies hit the floor."

Faith No More

 * One of the endings, Path of Glory, is likely named after the song Paths of Glory by Faith No More.

Frédéric Chopin

 * The Nocturne Op55N1 job is named after Chopin's Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1. When entering Embers, Hanako Arasaka plays this song.

Gojira

 * The job Only Pain is mostly likely named after the song of the same name from Gojira's 6th album Magma.

Iggy Pop

 * The Play It Safe job is named after Iggy Pop's song of the same name.

Jimi Hendrix

 * The jobs We Gotta Live Together and Burning Desire are named after the songs of the same names from Jimi Hendrix's albums.

Jimmy Buffett

 * The side job Boat Drinks is named after a popular song of the same name by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett.

Jimmy Cliff

 * The side-job I Can See Clearly Now is named after Jimmy Cliff's famous song I Can See Clearly Now. This job is picked up in Japantown near Megabuilding H8.

John Lennon

 * The side job Imagine is named after John Lennon's famous song of the same name.

Johnny Cash

 * The jobs The Beast in Me and I Walk the Line are named after Johnny Cash's songs of the same name.

Joy Division

 * One of the endings, New Dawn Fades, is named after a song of the same name by English rock band Joy Division.

Led Zeppelin

 * The side job Stairway to Heaven is named after a song of the same name by Led Zeppelin.

Metric

 * The side job Stadium Love is named after a song of the same name by Canadian indie rock band Metric.

Minor Threat

 * The side jobs Small Man, Big Mouth and I Don't Wanna Hear It are named after the songs of the same names by American hardcore punk band Minor Threat.

Misfits

 * The Last Caress job is named after a song of the same name by American punk rock band Misfits.

Nancy Sinatra

 * The side-job These Boots Are Made for Walkin' is named after Nancy Sinatra's hit song of the same name.

Pixies

 * One of the endings, Where Is My Mind?, is named after the Pixies' signature song of the same name.

Radiohead

 * The side job Pyramid Song given by Judy Alvarez is named after a song by Radiohead. Judy also has a tattoo on her left arm with a line from this song, "There was nothing to fear, nothing to doubt".

Rage Against the Machine

 * The side job Killing in the name is named after a song by Rage Against the Machine.

R.E.M.

 * The side job Losing My Religion is named after a song of the same name by R.E.M.

Ramones

 * The side-job Beat on the Brat is named after a song of the same name by the Ramones.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

 * Judy Alvarez has a tattoo on her right forearm which says "Under water where thoughts can breathe easily". This is a line from Parallel Universe, a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Rihanna

 * The smart pistol named Skippy found in a side-job in Heywood sings the tune "Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum" from Rihanna's Disturbia.

Run the Jewels

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Run the Jewels".

Sacrum Profanum Festival

 * The side-job Sacrum Profanum is named after the annual Sacrum Profanum music festival that takes place in Kraków in September.

Slipknot

 * The Disasterpiece job is named after a song of the same name by American heavy metal band Slipknot.

Talking Heads

 * The side-jobs Life During Wartime and Psycho Killer are named after the songs of the same names by Talking Heads.

The Beatles

 * The side jobs A Day in The Life and With a Little Help from My Friends are named after songs of the same names by The Beatles.

The Crickets

 * The side job I Fought the Law is named after a song by the same name by The Crickets.

The Dresden Dolls

 * The side job Coin Operated Boy is named after a song by the same name by the American indie band, The Dresden Dolls.

The Police

 * The side-job Every Breath You Take is named after the famous song by The Police of the same name.

The Prodigy

 * During the Chippin' In side job, some scenes in the sequence where Johnny Silverhand takes over V's body resemble scenes from The Prodigy's video for Smack My Bitch Up.

The Smiths

 * The side job There Is a Light That Never Goes Out is named after song of the same name by the English rock band The Smiths.

The Stooges

 * The Gimme Danger job is named after a song of the same name by the Stooges.

Tracy Chapman

 * The side job Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution is named after a song of the same name by Americal singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman.

Uriah Heep

 * The Playing for Time job is named after a song of the same name by Uriah Heep.



Viktor Tsoi

 * North of the Fast Travel Point "Oil Fields" is a large tank with the Hanged Man tarot graffiti on it. On top of that tank you can find an abandoned hangout place with an old guitar and a graffiti that says "цой жив" ("tsoi lives"). Viktor Tsoi was a singer-songwriter and leader of the Soviet rock band Kino.

Dante's Inferno

 * The name of "Reported Crime: Another Circle of Hell" is a reference to Dante's Inferno. Additionally, one quest step tells the player to "find Dante's Den".

Raymond Chandler

 * The side-job Raymond Chandler Evening is named after Raymond Chandler, a famous American-British detective novelist. The mission follows V investigating a pulpy cheating scandal while Johnny Silverhand narrates in classic detective noir style.

Skippy the cheeky Artificial intelligence

 * A side-job in Heywood has V find a man beside a dumpster with an epic iconic smart pistol named Skippy. When V picks up the gun, Skippy appears as a hologram from the gun's barrel. Skippy is a bullet with large cartoony eyes and a cheeky attitude that sings badly. This is a reference to the Skippy super intelligent elder AI from the novel series Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson.

V for Vendetta

 * The V for Vendetta achievement is named after a graphic novel of the same name written by Alan Moore.

Chuck Norris

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "Roundhouse 'Shot to the Face'".

Drakeposting

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode poses "Hard Pass" and "Now You're Talking".

Galaxy Brain

 * The Master Ram Liberator Perk in the Quickhacking tree found in Intelligence features the Galaxy Brain Meme.

Germany's Top Gaming Youtubers

 * In the german version of the game, in the Sidejob Gig: Dirty Biz, Gottfrid is voiced by the most subscribed youtuber Gronkh and Fredrik is voiced by the 12th most subscribed youtuber HandOfBlood in germany in the category Gaming. One comparison can be found here.

Han Shot First

 * Referenced by the Photo Mode pose "V Shot First".

Netflix and Chill

 * The Bushido and Chill achievement is awarded for completing the side job Blistering Love.

Pablo Jumper

 * In southern Heywood on rooftop there's motorcycle and a corpse of unknown male. In this man's backpack we find a note with congratulations to Pablo Jumper and the coordinates. This is a reference to the famous Polish meme called Paweł Jumper.

Turboencabulator

 * Referenced by the "Cyberencabulator" machine made by Arasaka Corp. Can be found in the Belly of the Beast mission at the top of the staircase in the tunnel.

You're Breathtaking

 * The Breathtaking achievement is awarded for collecting all items that once belonged to Johnny Silverhand.
 * Also referenced by the Photo Mode pose "You're Breathtaking".
 * In the sidejob Gig: Olive Branch, Sergei will use the word "breathtaking", while talking about someone. The conversation is actually an easter egg referring to John Wick, who's portrayed by Keanu Reeves.
 * In Kerry's main side quest "Off the Leash", Kerry responded to a fan saying "You're breathtaking!" similar to how Keanu did.

Cyberpunk 2077 teaser trailer
During the side job Bullets, a cyberpsycho will attack the clothing store Jinguji. Once V has defeated him, a group of MaxTac officers will arrive to secure the scene. One of these officers is Melissa Rory, who is heavily implied to be the female cyberpsycho featured in the original 2013 teaser trailer for Cyberpunk 2077.
 * The name of the quest, Bullets, is an eponymous reference to the trailer's soundtrack.
 * Mellisa's blades, Higurashi 20-13, are likely a reference to the release year of the trailer.
 * V receives a message shortly after the quest that reveals Melissa's cyberpsycho rampage with details congruent to the events depicted in the trailer.

Feed teh cat

 * A trash can in Megabuilding H10 near V's apartment contains the shard "Feed teh cat". If V places the consumable item Cat Food in the white bowl near the trash can and returns later, a cat named Nibbles will be eating out of the bowl and Johnny Silverhand will point it out. V can pick up the cat, which will allow V to adopt it. From then on, the cat can be see in various locations around V's apartment.