Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty — Should You Collect Airdrops?

You learn about airdrops shortly after getting to Dogtown in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The game doesn’t immediately tell you what’s in them, only that they exist, and you should look into collecting them. With all the activities and reward sources in the expansion, it can be easy to ignore them. However, these caches are a fantastic addition to progression. Here, we answer the question: Should you collect airdrops in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty?

You Should Collect Airdops in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

Airdrops in Cyberpunk 2077 are random events specific to Dogdown. Thus, they’re only available in Phantom Liberty. However, they’re more than worth the few minutes it takes to collect them. Airdrops appear at set points throughout the district at all hours of the day or night. You’ll locate them based on the long trail of red smoke coming from the loot container. But to actually open an airdrop, you’ll want to take out most of the enemies guarding it so you can hack the box in peace.

Related: How to Steal and Sell Cars in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

Why Should I Search for Airdrop Locations?

The biggest reason to collect airdrops in Phantom Liberty is the high-quality loot they contain. During my playthrough, I was around Level 40+. Every airdrop I opened had three Tier 5 (formerly Legendary) items: armor, crafting mats, and weapons. Additionally, these caches can contain a skill shard and half a dozen lower-rarity items. These are great for dismantling or selling.

All these rewards are on top of the half-dozen or so enemies you’ll need to clear to loot the airdrop safely. These enemies serve two main purposes, and are the second reason you should collect an airdrop when you have the time.

• First, they’re an additional source of loot and experience. Neither is usually significant, but you might get a random Tier 5 item or some other beneficial drop. The experience you get won’t be much, as there’s only one boss-level enemy and no quest objective to complete. But it’s something.
• Second, you can use airdrop enemies to test out new abilities, builds, and weaponry. The enemies aren’t the strongest or smartest in Phantom Liberty, nor are there enough to pose a real threat to most. If you have something new you want to incorporate into an ongoing build or just want an easy challenge to bully, airdrops are a great place to go.

So should you collect airdrops in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty? In short: yes, you should whenever they appear. You won’t spend more than five minutes getting to them, and who knows? Maybe you’ll find something worth using you never expected. For more tips and tricks on the expansion and the game more generally, check out our guides hub.