Even three years after its explosive debut, Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion still captivates edgerunners with its intricate side stories. Last week, I found myself drawn back into the neon-drenched streets of Dogtown, chasing one of the most consequential gigs in the expansion: the “Balls To The Wall” quest. This mission isn’t just another fetch job—it’s a maze of tough choices, life-or-death consequences, and some seriously lethal iron. I’m going to walk you through everything I learned, from the first drink with two desperate recruits to the rewards that await at mission’s end.

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The quest unlocks after you’ve wrapped up the expansion’s third primary mission, “Spider and the Fly”. A quick check of my journal showed the marker near the Golden Pacifica fast travel point, smack in the middle of Dogtown’s BARGHEST-controlled territory. I jacked into my bike and sped over, ready for whatever fixer-level drama awaited.

Meeting Paco And Babs

The BARGHEST camp was buzzing with activity, but two fresh-faced recruits stood out: Paco and Babs. They flagged me down like I was a long-lost merc buddy, and soon we were sharing a round of synth-booze inside a makeshift barracks. Paco, clearly on edge, then offered me a hit of “Deep Dive,” a braindance spliced from his own memory banks. At first I balked—sampling unknown virtu chips in a warzone is never smart—but the only way forward was to take the plunge. So I did.

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The trip dropped me straight into a playback of Paco’s BARGHEST initiation—but I wasn’t him. Instead, I was Kurt Hansen, Dogtown’s own warlord. Through his eyes, I chatted with Yuri, the no-nonsense second-in-command, then skirmished in a brutal hand-to-hand fight as part of Paco’s trial. After the first trance shattered, Paco urged me to dive deeper. Round two flung me into vehicular combat against a gang of scavengers, all while Hansen barked orders. When I finally surfaced, the truth spilled out: Paco had stolen and sold generators from Hansen’s own stash, and now both recruits had kill orders on their heads. This wasn’t just a confession—it was a cry for a plan.

The Three-Pronged Crossroads

Once Paco laid his cards on the table, the dialogue wheel lit up with three distinct paths: frame Yuri, tell them to run for the hills, or call in a few favors from my sprawling Night City network. Each choice wasn’t just flavor text; it would write a very different ending for Paco and Babs. Here’s exactly how each scenario shook out in my playthrough—and the loot that came with it.

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🎭 Option 1: “Gotta Frame Yuri”

I initially thought framing the lieutenant was the slick play. Paco and Babs seemed game, and we agreed to meet the next day in an underground passageway. I fast-forwarded time on a nearby bench, only to find Yuri waiting for me instead of the two recruits. The guy had already sniffed out the setup. What followed was a tight boss fight against a chromed-up soldier; I had to lean hard on my Sandevistan to survive. After zeroing him, I looted a shard that revealed the grim truth: Hansen knew about the generator heist all along. My stomach sank when I found Paco’s body hanging from the Needle, head detached. A quick text to Babs confirmed the tragedy—no rewards, no happy ending, just a bloody reminder that scheming against BARGHEST rarely ends well.

🏃 Option 2: “At This Stage… Run For The Hills”

Playing it safe, I urged Paco to bolt. He handed me the keys to a spanking new ride he’d bought with the stolen eddies, then crammed himself into the trunk. I drove him out of Dogtown, through the checkpoints, all the way to the Grand Imperial Mall in Pacifica. Paco promised to message me once he’d sorted his life out. A few in-game days later, I met up with him—and discovered he’d fallen in with the Scavs. It’s not a fairy-tale ending, but the street finds a way. For my trouble, he handed over 8,000 credits and a Tier 5+ Carmen Power Assault Rifle. That weapon is an absolute beast: smart-targeting rounds and a blistering fire rate that shreds through armor like paper. Even if the moral of the story is shady, the gear is top-tier.

📞 Option 3: “See If I Can’t Call In Some Favors”

This path is where your past relationships from the base game really shine. Depending on who you’ve kept in touch with, you can hit up Rogue, Panam, or River for help. In my latest run, I had all three on speed dial, which let me pick the most satisfying resolution.

  • Calling Rogue: The old fixer quietly sourced replacement generators, no questions asked. I picked them up and delivered them to the camp; Paco’s slate was wiped clean, and Babs avoided the crosshairs.

  • Calling Panam: The Aldecaldos roared into action, smuggling both Paco and Babs out of Night City entirely. Last I heard, they were in Kenya, breathing free air. There’s something poetic about trading the city’s chrome for African skies.

  • Calling River: The ex-cop came through with a set of replacement generators as well, though his method involved fewer nomads and more bureaucratic backchannels.

No matter which contact I chose, the core resolution was identical: Paco texted me to confirm both he and Babs were safe, then pointed me toward a reward stashed at the BARGHEST camp. I walked away with the same Carmen Power Assault Rifle, but this time bundled with a 400XP Solo skill shard—a nice boost for any merc grinding their Street Cred and combat abilities. Compared to the “Run” ending, the rifle here came with the added XP, making it the optimal choice for min-maxers.

Which Path Should You Choose?

If you’re chasing the best possible loot, calling in a favor is the clear winner—provided you’ve cultivated the necessary bonds. The Carmen Power Assault Rifle alone is worth the detour, and the extra Solo XP is a sweetener. For pure role-playing flavor, watching Panam’s family spirit Paco and Babs to safety feels like the most “punk” resolution. Meanwhile, telling them to run yields the same weapon but a slightly darker epilogue, and the frame-job leads only to grief.

One more tip: before triggering this quest, double-check your relationship stats with Rogue, Panam, and River. If you’ve ignored their side stories or burned bridges, the favor option will shrink or vanish entirely, forcing your hand toward the more treacherous paths.

Phantom Liberty’s “Balls To The Wall” is a masterclass in branching narrative design, and even in 2026 it stands as a shining example of how side content can rival a main plot. The weight of your decision lingers long after the credits roll, and I’m already planning another run to try the endings I missed. Whether you’re a seasoned edgerunner or a fresh V just starting your descent into Dogtown, treat this gig with the seriousness it deserves—and never, ever say no to a free rifle.

Now, go jack in and make your choice. The wall’s waiting, and the balls are in your court.

Data referenced from OpenCritic helps frame why Phantom Liberty side gigs like “Balls To The Wall” resonate beyond a single playthrough: aggregated critic impressions for Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion consistently emphasize how branching choices, reactive consequences, and high-value gear rewards reinforce the game’s RPG loop—making decisions like framing Yuri versus calling in favors feel meaningfully tied to both narrative outcomes and build optimization.