Introduction
“The Heist” is one of the most important and cinematic missions in Cyberpunk 2077. It is the culmination of Act 1 — the moment where all the planning, dialogue, and preparation from previous missions come together in one high-stakes operation. This mission is not only critical in terms of gameplay and narrative, but it also acts as the turning point for the entire story, fundamentally changing V’s fate.
In “The Heist,” V and Jackie carry out the job set up by fixer Dexter DeShawn: stealing the Relic biochip from the Arasaka Corporation’s ultra-secure hotel, Konpeki Plaza.
The Calm Before the Storm
The mission begins with V and Jackie preparing for the operation. You’re picked up in a luxury AV (aerial vehicle) and taken to Konpeki Plaza under the guise of high-profile clients. The objective is to infiltrate the hotel, reach Yorinobu Arasaka’s private suite, and steal the Relic, a prototype chip capable of storing human consciousness.
You carry the Flathead combat bot obtained during “The Pickup,” which will be used to help you bypass the building’s security systems.
During this phase, the game lets you explore the opulent hotel and interact with the concierge, staff, and environment, adding a layer of realism and immersion before the chaos begins.
Deploying the Flathead
In the security control room, you work with T-Bug, your netrunner support, to guide the Flathead through ducts and hidden paths to disable surveillance and unlock access points.
This section of the mission involves observing the building’s infrastructure and coordinating with T-Bug as she hacks into systems. It’s a slow, methodical buildup, heightening the tension before the action explodes.
Enter Yorinobu and Saburo Arasaka
Just as V and Jackie enter Yorinobu’s suite to retrieve the chip, the unexpected happens. Saburo Arasaka, the CEO of the Arasaka Corporation and Yorinobu’s father, arrives at the hotel. From their hiding place, V and Jackie witness an intense confrontation between father and son.
The situation escalates quickly — Yorinobu murders his father, setting off a major power shift within Arasaka and sparking the events that drive the rest of the game. T-Bug, monitoring the security feeds, panics as the system locks her out and the entire building goes into lockdown.
The Escape
With the biochip now in hand, the only option is to escape — but nothing goes according to plan. The elevator is disabled, Arasaka security forces are closing in, and T-Bug is abruptly killed during the system breach. The building descends into chaos.
V and Jackie fight their way through waves of Arasaka guards in one of the mission’s most intense combat sequences. At this point, Jackie is severely wounded, and the Relic is in danger of being damaged due to instability. In a desperate attempt to preserve the chip, Jackie inserts it into V’s neural port — a decision that has irreversible consequences.
Eventually, the two escape via the hotel’s emergency exit system and are extracted by the Delamain cab service. However, during the ride, Jackie succumbs to his injuries, dying in the back seat — a devastating moment that marks the emotional and narrative peak of the first act.
Aftermath
The Delamain cab delivers V to Dex’s hideout. Depending on your earlier choices, Jackie’s body is sent to his family, or kept for “processing.” Dex, upon learning about the botched job and the murder of Saburo Arasaka, becomes suspicious. Believing V might be compromised, Dex betrays you and shoots you in the head.
V’s lifeless body is dumped in a landfill outside the city — but this is not the end. As the screen fades, a new presence begins to emerge in V’s mind: Johnny Silverhand, a digital ghost embedded in the Relic.
This moment ends “The Heist” and transitions the game into its next major phase, where the true nature of the Relic and V’s fate are revealed.
Conclusion
“The Heist” is a masterclass in pacing, storytelling, and consequence. It begins with confidence and glamour, descends into panic and betrayal, and ends with death and a mysterious resurrection. The mission not only closes out Act 1 with cinematic weight but also sets the foundation for the game’s overarching conflict.
Jackie’s death, Dex’s betrayal, and Johnny Silverhand’s emergence reshape the stakes and direction of the game. From this point forward, V is no longer just a mercenary — they are someone whose body and mind are slowly being overwritten by a legend of the past.
This is where Cyberpunk 2077 truly begins.