Dum Dum is a Maelstrom gang member and Royce's representative in Cyberpunk 2077. He served as a major antagonist in the novel Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence.
Biography[]
During the spring of 2077, Maelstrom went through a reform following a hostile takeover, shifting affiliations from the former leader Brick to Royce, who proved truer to the gang's intended manner of expressions of violence over matter. With this change, the gang itself suffered a reform where all of those loyal to Brick got treated as traitors while those who followed Royce's ideology received more prominent roles. Among them was Dum Dum, the gang goon with a bit more social tact and sense for diplomatic discernment. Despite their divergent methods, Dum Dum and Royce get along remarkably well, and he openly shows concern about the leader's welfare.
In wake of the usurpation, Dum Dum remains by Royce's side, with the branch of Maelstrom in the All Foods Plant, assigned to guard and distribute stolen equipment from an intercepted Militech convoy. Among the haul was a military grade robot for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, the MT0D12 "Flathead", which had been sold to Dexter DeShawn prior to the change in leadership. This resulted in the fixer hiring mercs Jackie Welles and V to retrieve the bot. The two will be let in and Dum Dum will meet them personally, seeming confused with their presence, but willing to hear them out. He instructs the pair to take a seat in a well-controlled environment, preventing any sudden reactionary moves. The distrust is shared by the mercs, and Welles will refuse to obey, preventing further discussion until placated by his associate. Once the dispute has been settled, Dum Dum will start the arbitration by offering his own inhaler of S-keef to V, explaining how it will give them a rush. Regardless of response, Dum Dum will be happy to proceed, after inhaling it himself.
Once the bot has been brought in, Dum Dum explains how the gang has not only lifted access locks but taken precautions of safeguarding the equipment from Militech ever finding it by going all the way to removing its serial number. Employing his high-profile cyberware, he controls the robot for a brief demonstration of its functions and perks, praising it every step of the way, but if V is technically proficient, they may notice that it isn't the same hardware that was incipiently promoted due to its difference in control unit. Dum Dum will find the entire point of this allusion laughable and explain why this is the case - should the robot retain the Militech controller, it would retain the autolink to Militech systems and allow tracing it back to whoever has it in their possession. Once the mercs accept the product, Dum Dum will ask for payment. This is when Brick's name is brought to the table as the one who already sealed the deal financially prior to the exchange and provoke Royce, who has been observing the situation to burst out in a display of threats and weaponry. Dum Dum, while initially startled, quickly stands behind Royce in support, aiming at the mercs without further comments. Royce will attempt to aggressively strike a new deal, allowing only two responses to his assertion - accepting the offer and paying or ending the conversation altogether through violence. In case of deciding on the second of the two options or using a Militech shard that hadn't been wiped for payment, the mission of the mercs will not progress until the room has been cleared, Dum Dum included. Regardless of the approach being lethal or non-lethal, he will be considered dead.
Accepting the deal will result in a full-blown Militech raid of the facility, with the mercs aiding the gang against the invaders. Dum Dum will show them an alternative way out of the plant offices, claiming how he is simply working on preserving his own skin.
When the trio reach the final area, they will witness Royce fighting against Militech mechs, Dum Dum will shout in desperation that they have to help him. Once the Militech invaders have been defeated, Dum Dum will approach the mercs and express liking their style. If V participated in Black Lace consumption, Dum Dum will gift them his S-keef inhaler, saying how it's his own appreciation of their good taste that won him over.
Dum Dum will later be found in the Totentanz during one of frequent Maelstrom-organized gigs. He will be guarding the door of the lounge while an interview took place, but will express delight recognizing V as the visitor wishing to pass through. He admits not quite being a fan of the music his gang promotes and instead preferring anti-corporate oldies like Samurai, but he respects differences in taste, employing no judgement. If the merc notices his brand new set of teeth, he will be elated, but will not agree with such chrome befitting someone like V. Before letting them pass, he will warn of Royce not being the type to appreciate interrupting and be careful in announcing V in a less threatening manner and do his best to diffuse any succeeding tense situations. In case of an armed conflict, he will, once more, take Royce's side, but this interaction in itself will be the final one between him and V.
Associated Quests[]
- The Pickup
- Second Conflict (Dependent)
Notes[]
- Dum Dum was first presented in a demo for Cyberpunk 2077 as part of The Pickup quest preview.
- Discovering and rescuing Brick in the secluded tech vault room of the plant will not provoke any negative reactions from Dum Dum, although letting him die will provide the same results.
- There is a graffiti scribble on a wall of the Totentanz toilet, depicting a statement "Den Den was here". It is interactive and incites surprise. Considering the utilized nomenclature, it could possibly be related to Dum Dum.
- After Patch 1.04, it was impossible to let Royce die in his battle with the mech, so the scenario with Dum Dum surviving without him was not possible. As of 1.5, this has been fixed.
- If Dum Dum is killed, a niche at the Columbarium will be placed in his honor, with the epitaph "He gave you a huff when no one else would".
- If playing the Streetkid lifepath, V would have a dialogue option to comment on Dum Dum's S-keef. If this option was chosen, Dum Dum would still gift them his S-keef even if they didn't consume it prior.
Gallery[]
