The Killing in the Name side job in Cyberpunk 2077 offers players a fascinating deep dive into Night City's anti-establishment subculture and online conspiracy theories. Triggered after reading messages on the Swedenborg-Riviera website, this quest sends mercenary V on a treasure hunt to track down mysterious router signals hidden across various districts. Following these strange transmissions reveals unexpected truths about digital manipulation and corporate control within the dark future.
Starting the Quest and Investigating the Website
To begin the mission, V must check the messages on their apartment computer regarding the enigmatic figure known as Swedenborg. Reading these forum posts unlocks a new contact objective, prompting you to call Bes Isis for further information about the mysterious activist. Gathering these initial clues points your investigation toward a series of modified routers scattered throughout Night City.
After speaking with Bes Isis, your scanner will receive specific coordinates pointing to the first signal source. Navigating to the designated location requires careful observation of rooftops and industrial structures where signal boosters are mounted. Successfully scanning the initial router unlocks encrypted data that reveals the broader scale of the broadcast network.
Tracking Down the Router Locations Across Night City
The quest requires V to travel between several key locations, including Santo Domingo, Pacifica, and the Badlands. Each site features a hidden router that must be located using your optical scanner and cyberware interface. Reaching these devices often involves basic parkour, climbing ladders, or hacking surrounding security systems.
At each location, interacting with the router triggers a brief hacking minigame to extract the transmitted data fragments. Solving these access protocol puzzles unveils cryptic messages that shed light on who is truly behind the Swedenborg persona. Moving efficiently from site to site allows players to piece together the entire digital puzzle without unnecessary delay.
Confronting Swedenborg and Making the Final Choice
The final router coordinates lead V far into the desolate Badlands region to discover the true source of the broadcasts. Upon arrival, you discover that Swedenborg-Riviera is not a human activist at all, but rather a modified fortune-teller machine loaded with an altered AI algorithm. This unexpected revelation places the fate of the viral movement entirely in your hands.
Players are presented with several choices regarding how to handle the modified fortune-teller machine. You can choose to leave the AI as it is, modify its parameters to generate even more absurd messages, or shut down the server entirely. Calling Bes Isis afterward to report your findings concludes the quest and grants appropriate experience and street cred rewards.
Key Rewards and Narrative Impact
Completing Killing in the Name rewards V with Eurodollars, experience points, and street cred based on the choices made during the final confrontation. Beyond the tangible loot, the quest enriches the game's lore by exploring themes of artificial intelligence, political propaganda, and digital influence. It serves as an engaging example of how side content adds depth to the overall world of Night City.
Deciding the fate of the fortune-teller machine also results in subtle flavor changes during future news broadcasts and radio shows. Listening to media updates later in the game will reflect whether Swedenborg's messages continue to spread or vanish completely from the net. Replaying the quest with different choices provides unique dialogue outcomes for lore-focused players.
