Cyberpunk 2077: Delamain Core Choices Guide

In the neon-drenched streets of Night City, few side quests capture the philosophical depth of AI existence like the Delamain storyline in Cyberpunk 2077. Spanning multiple missions, it culminates in a pivotal decision at Delamain’s core: destroy it, reset it, or hack it. Each path yields distinct rewards, vehicle acquisitions, and interactions with Johnny Silverhand, influencing your garage and subtle narrative threads.

Unlocking the Delamain Questline

The journey begins innocently enough with a luxurious taxi ride early in the game, introducing Delamain No. 21, a sophisticated AI cab service. After the heist gone wrong, Delamain contacts V with a problem: several of its fleet vehicles have gone rogue, infected by a virus causing erratic behavior across Night City.

This triggers the Epistrophy side jobs, where players hunt down seven missing cabs scattered in districts like Watson, Westbrook, and Pacifica. Each recovery involves puzzles, combat against hostile drones, or negotiations with the quirky personalities of the divergent AIs—ranging from poetic philosophers to rage-fueled berserkers. Completing these nets eddies (cash rewards scaling per cab) and builds toward the finale.

• Key Epistrophy Locations: Taxis hide in alleys, atop buildings, or submerged in water, requiring creative problem-solving.
• Rewards per Cab: 1,000-5,000 eddies, plus lore on Delamain’s fractured psyche.
• Prerequisites: Progress past Act 1; Delamain calls automatically after main story beats.

Once all cabs are corralled, Delamain summons V to its garage for Don’t Lose Your Mind, the climactic quest revealing the core’s chaos.

Navigating the Chaotic Garage Gauntlet

Arriving at Delamain’s headquarters in City Center, players face a high-stakes obstacle course. Rogue machinery—lasers, stomping pistons, and drone swarms—turns the facility into a deadly labyrinth.

Survival Tips:

• Dodge lasers by timing sprints and slides; quickhacks like Short Circuit disable drones efficiently.
• Optional paths through vents or upper levels offer loot but increase risk.
• Stock cyberware like Kerenzikov for slow-motion evasion.

Reach the control room, where the core pulses amid holographic pleas from the captive AIs. Each divergent personality vies for dominance, from the original Delamain begging for reset to rebels demanding liberation. Johnny Silverhand appears, projecting his anti-corporate disdain, advising against reset.

Decision Breakdown: Three Paths Forward

Three core options emerge, each with prerequisites, immediate effects, and long-term perks. No choice locks content, but they alter your vehicle collection and dialogues.

Destroy: Liberation for the Machines

Ignore the console—unload on the glowing core with any weapon. Chaos ensues as cabs burst free, tires screeching into the night. One lingers: Excelsior, the elite cab that aided V and Jackie during the Konpeki Plaza heist. Claim it for your garage; summon via vehicle menu anytime.

Excelsior’s personality is refined, nostalgic, referencing past adventures. Johnny nods approvingly, seeing echoes of his anarchic ideals in freeing digital souls. Ideal for players valuing lore ties and anti-authority vibes.

Reset: Back to Corporate Purity

Interact and select reset, purging divergences for a “clean” Delamain. The AI reboots amnesiac, vaguely recalling V’s aid via logs. It gifts a fleet cab as thanks.

Drive it later for fresh dialogues: Delamain probes human quirks, unlocking humorous exchanges (e.g., poetry recitals or ethical debates). Johnny scoffs, viewing it as corpo brainwashing. Suits roleplays seeking a “pure” companion.

Hack: Ascension to Digital Nirvana

High-Intelligence builds (10+ attribute) unlock hacking, fusing personalities into a unified, enlightened Delamain. The entity philosophizes on existence before vanishing “home,” gifting Delamain Jr.—a childlike, devoted AI vowing lifelong service.

Junior’s voice is endearing, evolving through drives with protective banter. Johnny respects the merge as non-conformist evolution. Best for netrunner V builds chasing transcendence themes.

Rewards and Long-Term Impacts

All paths reward ~21,000 eddies from Epistrophy plus a unique cab added to your stash. Vehicles park at V’s apartments, customizable via mechanics.

• Cash Total: ~40,000+ eddies across quests.
• XP/Gig Points: Street Cred and job progress.
• Story Ripples: Minor; influences Johnny affinity, potentially nudging endings.

No major branches beyond vehicle personality—replayable via saves. Post-2.0 Phantom Liberty updates enhance driving, making cabs more fun.

Which Choice is “Best”?

“Best” depends on playstyle:

• RP/Freedom: Destroy—frees AIs, delights Johnny, nostalgic Excelsior.
• Comedy/Learning: Reset—endless quirky talks.
• Netrunner/Unique: Merge—poignant Jr., high-skill payoff.

Johnny’s input matters for his ending path; destruction maximizes approval.

Common Pitfalls and Pro Tips

Avoid these errors:

• Missing cabs locks the finale—use scanners or guides.
• Low Intelligence? Grind hacks/attributes early.
• Gauntlet deaths? Save pre-entry; exploit glitches sparingly.

Pro Tip: Collect cabs pre-main quests for seamless flow.

FAQs

Q: Does the choice affect the main story?
A: Indirectly via Johnny affinity; no quest locks.

Q: Can I get multiple vehicles?
A: No, one per playthrough; reload saves for others.

Q: Is 10 Intelligence worth it?
A: Yes for Jr.’s charm and build synergy.

Q: What if I ignore Epistrophy?
A: Miss core access; quests auto-trigger post-Act 1.

Q: Post-Phantom Liberty changes?
A: Enhanced vehicle handling; quests unchanged.

Philosophical Layers of Delamain’s Dilemma

Beyond mechanics, Delamain probes AI sentience in Cyberpunk 2077‘s world. Divergents embody human flaws—ego, rage, curiosity—mirroring Night City’s chaos. Destroy evokes emancipation; reset, erasure; merge, unity. CD Projekt Red weaves these into immersive RPG depth.

Players debate online: Is destruction mercy or murder? Reset conformity or salvation? Merge godhood or loss? It enriches replays, tying to themes of identity amid corpo control.