Who Actually Killed Mayor Lucius Rhyne in Cyberpunk 2077?

The Death of Mayor Lucius Rhyne may appear to have a loose resolution in Cyberpunk 2077. But actually, the truth behind who actually killed him runs far deeper...
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:36 Who was Lucius Rhyne?
02:49 Before the Assassination
05:36 I Fought The Law Quest
13:28 The Real Prime Suspect
18:30 Other Suspects
22:58 Conclusion

[@blair-alternaterealitiesst4295]

Want another bit to tip it NightCorp's way? That grafitti on the wall reminds me a lot of a certain netrunner we deal a lot with in Phantom Liberty... 😉

[@PlanetApathy]

Omg Blair! You might be right bro! 😮🤯🤯🤯

[@TheMANGADUDE2]

Call me stupid, but I can't tell who/what you're refering to (edit: I just got to the grafitti bit)

[@blair-alternaterealitiesst4295]

@@TheMANGADUDE2 Songbird

[@DEViL_X1612]

damnn song bird is also with blue eyes now so make alot fuckin sense

[@necr0danc3r29]

Not just the graffiti. The spiked BD that killed Rhyne produces the same Blackwall effect when V puts it on.

[@reecewestmoreland6137]

I feel like using Péter Horváth was some kind of purposeful irony as a criminal killing the Mayor who gutted the police force would draw a lot attention to that issue, which adds weight to Night Corp.

[@Mellokitty7711]

Especially since the questline branches out into the dream on quest

[@HughBlackstone-tm6bw]

Another aspect is that during the conversation with Liz and Jeff, where you're reporting on what you've found, Liz gets visibly nervous when you suggest you think a corp was behind it and eagerly tries to get Jeff to agree if you instead suggest Holt was behind it... The developers have snuck in some very subtle facial expression changes to drop hints to the player

[@cyberninja9387]

So your saying she was in on it

[@xikaijiang5284]

@@cyberninja9387 Given that she is sort of in on the whole Dream On quest, she might have been in on this one as well. Also, she could have got other reasons to be nervous about corps. I recall that she was complaining about how many corps are trying to "work with" them, so suggestions about "some corp decided to switch out the carrot in favor of the sharpened stick" might be already enough to get on her nerves.

[@Bee_Mavrick]

I thinl Elizabeth is onemof the agents spoken about in code on the terminal. It was said one agent would stay. And jeff cant be the agent. So that leaves liz. Shes totally in on it but also being brainchanged subtly too. As she has a slight break in the noodle shop. I hate its such a cliff hanger so i cant wait to see more.

[@Cryptic0013]

@@Bee_Mavrick Yup. People kinda sleep on the very real possibility that Elizabeth isn't even being changed (or at least not that much). She could be like the wife on the Truman Show. People also seem to underestimate the very real possibility that everything we like about Peralez is just the programming, and the shady stuff about him (like the Caymans bank account) is the real guy. NightCorp is making him a better person against his will because they want a spotless mayor.

[@connorhilchie2779]

Horvath's attack to me feels like symbolic. Rhyne gutted the police force and made them unable to properly deal with criminals and organized crime, so it'd be a kind of poetic justice for him to get killed by a criminal chromed out enough to make Maelstrom jealous. And if River hadn't been there it would have worked flawlessly Night Corp being behind both attacks makes sense as Ryhne not only neglected the city he was supposed to run, he sold it out to the very Corpo that has dreams of nuking Night City off the map. A double wammy in terms of betraying the city Richard Night founded, so the agents of his Corpo took out someone who was hurting the city and its people

[@eurongreyjoy2]

He didn't gut the police force, he privatized it and then the private industry cut corners to an extreme degree. Much like how conservatives seek to privatize everything in the real world.

[@Bee_Mavrick]

I want to know who told river or who led him on that trail. Would have been cool part of dlc to play. And i love the investigating.

[@raynaynayn]

Man, words really can't even say how much I appreciate your content. Cyberpunk is one of the few things keeping me somewhat happy with all the crap happening in my life right now. Your videos exploring this amazing world and game really bright a light to my often dark days. Thank you Sam.

[@MBA-Wannabe]

Has done the same for me many times in my life

[@goatwarrior3570]

Twisted irony is that Night City is an absolute nightmare but is a refuge for us in dark periods in our life. May peace find you in your real life.

[@taa347]

Hope things get better for you soon

[@CMFL77]

I dont think I'll ever tire of discussion of the lore / world of CP2077. Your amazingly well put together videos on it are a big reason I became and am now a huge fan. Theres 10 years of development time in this game and so many stories & mysteries that unfold in seemingly unrelated places and times that you could still pump out stuff like this for a couple of years. As always thanks for making my night better Sam

[@SamBram]

I have many more theories and ideas to discuss through other videos so yeah, hopefully I can keep Cyberpunk going as a channel staple until Orion. I will have to start expanding into other games though to keep this channel alive but tbh that's quite an exciting prospect

[@cjameshuff]

It would have been a bad idea for Holt to kill Rhyne, but it being an even worse idea to do so by charging in and trying to eviscerate Rhyne didn't stop Horvath. Holt could have been more subtly manipulated via his ambitions and desire for power, and if he was ever directly tied to the killing, it would make it easier to get Peralez in as mayor...another card the manipulators could have played if it had been necessary.

[@g1camuschy]

I might be a bit of an odd ball, but if Cyberpunk players enjoy a weird and shaddy conspiracy, i would actualy like to point a finger a the Watson area of the game. To be precise, i'm talking about a certain XBD edditing studio that V get's to raid in the "Dirty Biz" gig and the conection between the owners of said studio (Gottfried and Fredrik) and another NPC that V will eventualy encounter in the game, Hal Cantos. Let's put things in order: - The first clue, can be found early in the game. When V leaves his apartament, in the morning after the Sandra Dorset gig, no matter wich elevator he uses, the screen's inside, will always play the same video, with the volume slightly louder that you would expect from what's supposed to background noise. One featuring Bryce Stone, a preacher that advocates against the use of implants. - Not far from V's megabuilding, inside a ransacked "Dime'a'Duzz" store, the player will find the dead shop owner and a shard, containing a conversation between Fredrik Persson and an unknown individual. In the convo, the caller is looking to market an XBD, about "the preacher's boy, you know, the one on TV", but he thinks he can't handle the heat, so he's looking for somebody to help him out. Wich is why he turned to Fredrik, thru a "mutual friend". - A short distance away from V's Northside apartament, there's a medpoint, across the street from this medpoint, there's a small warehouse, with a huge Maelstrom graffiti on the wall. The front gate is guarded by 2 sentry turrets. Inside, the player will find a dead netrunner ( L33tHax) , who got hired by Regina to help her track down Gottfried and Fredrik's studio and the XBD, thru the net. But he got caught in the ICE and his brain melted. - Eventualy, V will receive a gig from Regina Jones, to go to the XBD studio and retrive the original, raw footage of the XBD. The name of the gig is "Dirty Biz". The location is indeed guarded by Maelstrom. Inside the studio, there are conversations (on PC's and shards) between Gotffried and various individuals, talking about their "hobby". As a side note, the XBD files that the duo have been working on, can also be found in the inventory of the XBD vendor, in Jigjig Street. - As V completes the "Cyberpsycho sightings" gigs from Regina, they'll eventualy get one called "Ocupational Hazzard". In this one V get's to rescue one Hal Cantos, from a member of the Mox that went cyberpyscho all of a sudden. Except, the background information will have players scratch their heads. It seems that Hal Cantos is connected to a number of deaths, around Night City. And then, the Mox who are hunting down somebody that's been killing their own and making XBD's outta that, come to Hal Cantos with a raw XBD and ask him to check the footage, in the hope of finding any clue about the killer. At this point, players might suspect that the killer is Jotaro Shobo, but that sicko is getting his victims from among the illegal refugees and homeless that wander the streets of NC. So it's not him. And all of a sudden, while Hal is working on the scroll, one the 2 Moxes that are connected with him, goes cyberpsycho, kills the other one and injures the third. But Hal escapes with-out a scrath on him. So, is Hal Cantos actualy a serial killer? One that's been carefull to cover his tracks? It does seem so. I would like Sam to express his own thoughts on this one, if possible.

[@Mellokitty7711]

I always had a bad feeling about the Hal guy.

[@Noce_D_Cocco]

That's crazy. Now that I think of it, it's kinda suspicious what he says right after you save him and open the container he's hiding in. He says something along the lines of "You know when you wake up in the morning and think 'today's gonna be a shitty day'? Well, today was that day". Maybe he knew shit could go down since he was setting everything up for an XBD recording?

[@matthewcole7839]

I’d feel like mr blue eyes and nightcorp are the most likely. But it could also be something else…something more sinister (which is saying a lot)

[@agingerbeard]

That's what I've always wondered, who... or what controls Mr. Blue Eyes and Night Corp? The incessant blue eyes makes me think he is a proxy/controlled by the AI Mastermind.

[@connor56347]

Mr Blue Eyes being a rogue AI is a pretty prominent theory as well

[@pinnacleevolution1634]

Given Rhyne was allied with Arasaka would make Militech and Myers a much interesting candidate, if anything the entire Dogtown subtle story in the expansion points to the fight between those two corps to be in a cold state but still pretty much a thing. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire thing was a Militech op given the love 6th street gang have for Peralez and they are allied with Militech and Night Corp just happened to take advantage and spin the whole thing.

[@matthewcole7839]

That’s what I love about this game. There isn’t a clear answer on who did it. Just speculation and theories (good ones tho)

[@Death13Horseman]

Blackwall Rogue AI

[@N1ghtc0rp-0]

We've warned you before sam, and we've told you it was holt. No furhter investigation needed.

[@SamBram]

There I was thinking I was onto NightCorp when it's NightCorp who are onto me...

[@N1ghtc0rp-0]

​@@SamBram Gotta break character but thanks for the heart and I am so glad you saw this. You're my fav cyberpunk KZbinr and this has made my day.

[@SamBram]

@@N1ghtc0rp-0 If this is a front so I let my guard down then well played. Otherwise, I'm glad to have made your day choom :)

[@Mast3rKK]

cant wait for those wendy's twitter esc-posts from mr B himself

[@SarcasticPossum]

Mr. Blue Eyes.The G-Man of Cyberpunk.

[@removefromme]

In a 1 vs 1, my money is on the G-Man from Half Life.

[@SarcasticPossum]

@@removefromme Most likely.

[@gilangmahesa3112]

This somehow convinced me that mr. Blue eyes is actually Richard Night himself. Richard Night doesn’t actually die, he just uploads his soul to the net and simply use Mr Blue Eyes as proxy

[@digivagrant]

So Mr House But he moves.

[@falkenvir]

​@digivagrant yeah pretty much, Mr House but actually managed to succeed

[@nomoresuffer3833]

Richard Night died in year 1998. Soulkiller hasn’t exist yet.

[@davelosket2474]

There was no consciousness transferring or copying tech before Alt created the early version of soulkiller for ITS.

[@ratgirlsuu]

As others have said it’s hard to believe he IS Richard Night bc soulkiller didn’t exist when he died, however I do think a credible theory is that it could be a Blackwall AI modelled after / has taken on the form of Night.

[@pinnacleevolution1634]

Given that Rhyne was allied with Arasaka and probably the only reason the city didn't fall to Myers years ago I feel like Militech and NUSA would be also a possibility, 6th street gang love Peralez and they are allied with Militech, maybe it was their op and Mr Blue eyes just happened to spin it in his favor. I'd like to point out Night Corp isn't the only corp that can alter peoples minds, Militech also has this shit according to the novel that came out not long ago, and it's fucking terrifying what they can actually do. Reading that and then playing the expansion makes the entire Songbird and Tower ending very suspicious. Feel like Militech is playing the long subterfuge con and getting people fooled while Yorinobu destroys Arasaka from the inside, just like they did with the Night City bombing, it was their op yet a lot of people still blame Johnny for it.

[@atomskthepirateking2776]

yea militech is still trying to restart cynosure

[@LordFarKwadth]

You give me mood to play video games! I promise I will be a member for you and some other youtubers when I graduate med school soon! Thank you for everything!

[@Aderinex-]

it was sam.

[@pastrana21]

this entire questline with the thing/ppl in the shadows altering the peralez's minds is just fantastic.

[@iralas]

You mean Judy. That was Judy

[@polowbornfly3862]

This is honestly the best channel that covers cyberpunk lore it’s incredible the stuff you do

[@bmo5852]

Hey SamBram, I recently got an ending with Alt and kinda realised something. Alt mentions that "The body's immune system are attacking its own neurons" Is that not the exact same symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis? And what condition do we hear that Biodyne has developed a new treatment for? MS Perhaps V's reward for the crystal Palace heist is access to the treatment

[@jaojmnhzhzm]

I think you hit it, right on the nose. The lack of proper motive always bothered me about the other candidates. NightCorp fits like a glove. Also, consider this: perhapd the graffiti is linked to Maelstrom instead of Wraiths? Maelstrom have a running interest in XBDs and so would access to such tech as the one that ultimately killed the mayor. They're also - as you pointed out - in league with NightCorp so it may have been a kind of redundancy-move to ensure the death of the mayor. If our brainwashed cyberpsycho doesn't get him, then Maelstrom's bugged BD player will. Also, I don't see why the mayor wouldn't use his own BD player - for security reasons - so the player was probably altered before he even got to the club.

[@SamBram]

The graffiti does definitely feel Maelstromesque as well. I'll have to search their territory more to see if it comes up though because currently I've only found it at wraith spots but Maelstrom would make more sense. Then again, it's placement there could be random

[@Gomorragh]

@@SamBram just seen this and i may have translated the caligraphy of the graffiti to say So Mi, its just that the Mi has to be very stylised, but then look at most of the graffiti around, it has stylised words and letters. I mentioned this in my main post earlier along with how long has this actual piece of graffiti been in game? we cant roll back to 1.8 and check these again can we?

[@esseyafewerki3574]

Absolutely cannot wait for the big Mr Blue Eyes/Night Corp/Rogue Ai video! Back to this video tho, what an insanely well-crafted theory! I tried, but couldn't find any holes to poke in your logic. You've got me convinced!

[@Vincentpalmer22]

I fucking knew it, right after the poll dropped i freaking knew you gonna make a video of this, THANK YOOOOU ❤️🤣

[@Blu3bonic]

Good detective work man even showed me a couple things i didn't even know about the fought the law mission.

[@muggy5879]

Sam just wanted to say I love your content bro. Been watching for a minute and your vids alongside some others really inspired me to create my own. Keep it up man!

[@SamBram]

That's great to hear. Go for it Choom!

[@huntersmith3318]

Whoooo one of the first, been waiting for this mystery Sam and im very interested on what you bring to the convo!

[@krzysztofschubert-ann5313]

That's some damn good analysis, including ultradetails, as in 16:15. Keep making those videos!

[@dirkpryde8094]

Another great investigation and break down of story points. Love it.

[@eldibs]

They broke into the Red Queen's Race the day before the attack to set up the BD, right? Doing so was probably difficult, and going back to do it again would probably be more difficult, perhaps they sent Horvath expecting he would fail. After all, the Mayor is bound to have armed guards, and considering that River downed him with just a few shots they clearly didn't give him much in the way of armor (which also makes him a self-disposing asset). They could probably guess that the stress of the attack would cause Rhyne to definitely want to go to the Red Queen's Race to de-stress on the exact day they wanted him there. They wouldn't necessarily know whether Rhyne had already intended on going, and the longer it took him to go, the more likely the spiked BD would have been found, so they needed to give him a push.

[@Gomorragh]

heres a thought, if your BD den got broken into, especially if people of high importance were to frequent it, wouldnt you have backups around to replace any around on the day of the break in to make sure your clients are not touching damaged goods, if anything, i am more inclined to think that they put a live port available in the room, and maybe the whole reason Netwatch is so hyperactive around the city is theyre looking for someone who used the blackwall to attack the BD wreath, and the only reason V didnt also get fried was her slim link to the blackwall that was or will be used by So Mi

[@agingerbeard]

Fantastic video thank you!

[@Evanz111]

Would love to see you do coverage on DD2, even though it didn’t rank highest in your poll!

[@mikalappalainen2041]

New Sam Bram video at Friday. Better than getting drunk at the bar.

[@professorkittyhawk]

May have mentioned it in a previous video somewhat related to this one from a while back, regarding Peter Horvath. If I'm recalling correctly, his former boss V and River question mentions Peter suffered from headaches and delusions about Holt being after him. You touched on it briefly, about how someone (Nightcorp?) hiring Horvath and decking him out in chrome to kill Rhyne. Its a possibility, but I feel like his boss mentioning the headaches means Peter could have been subject to the same sort of brainwashing the Peralez's are. Love how its all left vague and unresolved. Hopefully we get a follow up in the sequel. This conspiracy plot could make for a great story!

[@NightshadeMileena]

It will be a sad time if Sam ever stops post these vids. I enjoy listening to them.

[@user-nt6gy8cl9u]

Brilliant Analysis. Thanks!

[@karlr750]

Nightcorp doesn't even have to be putting Night City above the corps (in general). They can have the more self-serving motive of putting *their control* of Night City above other corps' control of Night City.

[@MBA-Wannabe]

I always thought the CN-07 was cynosure opposed to carpe Noctem. The cynosure bunker is filled with banners with CN-07 in the small print at the bottom

[@halvarmc671]

The one thing that kind of struck me on another play through, I don't think Horvath was the only being used. If you remember the cyberpsychosis meds mission, that dude was plotting to kill the mayor. He was going to therapy and then just up and stopped and argues the meds don't work.

[@xXshadowkiller126Xx]

Love your videos and dont regret the sub keep up the great work. Sorry had to skip the phantom liberty vids for now bc i cant afford the dlc and do not want spoilers. Up side i got content ready and waiting for me in the future.

[@reeven1721]

My boy Sam’s become the VaatiVidya of Cyberpunk

[@TonyRedunzo]

As usual, great content from SamBram, my goto channel for Cyberpunk 2077 detes. Great whodunnit. Who was gaslighting Peralez?

[@JohnnySilverwrench]

This is way detailed choom to what I've been saying! Good stuff will be back to watch more videos

[@skylerrutherford9870]

I absolutely love how there is so much lore and connections throughout the world to make it feel so lived in compared to other games

[@80VAIN08]

Great video! I ultimately agree that the graffiti was placed there without being involved in the plan but I think It's 100% a tiger claws Graffiti. The japanese lettering is pretty conclusive, no? It's also barely anywhere in the badlands and all over night city, including quite a few in japantown

[@shadowhell8378]

I think there's a possibility that the 2 attacks aren't connected arasaka could have sent the first to be a approval boost and night corp did the 2nd.

[@MBA-Wannabe]

Please let this be the start of some Cyberpunk lore vids, it's so interesting. Until I started watching them recently I had no idea how deep it went. I've got so many theories but one random thought occurred to me yesterday. 66th are basically the NUSA/FIA proxy in KC, and they "have a hard on for Peralez". Knight Corp have been using the Cynosure tech on Peralez, so maybe Night Corp are gonna get Peralez to side with NUSA. More likely the way he will fix crime is by controlling everyone via aids but that's the beauty of cyberpunk, it leaves 20 open roads for each situation, like a junction.

[@jabarsins]

Have you done a video on Aguilar and the Cuban cartels? I'd love to learn more about the different powerful factions outside the us. I want to learn more of Aguilars lore, why he's so feared, and theorize about how they might tie back in

[@bmo5852]

I've seen a theory online that Mr Blue Eyes is a proxy or robot stand in for Richard Night himself. The Night Corp connection speaks for itself. It's repeatedly mentioned that the circumstances surrounding Night's death are murky, with the only known detail being that he was looking at the city when he died. But how could that be the only detail known? As for why he faked his death? The standard 'can't kill someone who's already dead' Looking at Night Portrait in Cyberpunk Red, his hairstyle is similar to Mr Blue Eyes and has Blue Eyes

[@Xuritron]

Makes so much sense, also during the quest, brainwashed Peralez seems very impatient to confirm that Holt was guilty. Basically he is just waiting for you to say it. For some time I was thinking that Myers had something to do with it. But Night Corp seems more likely.

[@RagingDrew]

Man I didn't even know you can interrogate the Animals leader. I'm always learning so much new about a game I've played so many times.

[@Griffolion0]

Think about where we hear Rite of Passage - usually when we are in the net confronting an AI or V's situation with the relic. Rite of Passage could be some kind of meta song. We hear it as players because the characters hear it whenever they are in the net. Horvath could've been humming it because he was under the control of an AI and it was just going through his head.

[@yungjoemighty879]

Your videos tell the narratives of the game far better than cdprojektred ever did

[@staticthewhitewolf7040]

I always thought it was pretty clear when we got the call telling us to not tell Peralez. That Mr Blue Eyes and the people behind him got rid of Rhynes.

[@squigglesmcjr199]

You got any videos on delimain??

[@tyj5721]

There is the theory that V is already somewhat infected by CN-07 after jacking in to Sandra Dorsett. Maybe the link between the melody on the soundtrack and what the cyberpsycho is humming is meant to imply the background influence of Operation carpe noctum in both of them.

[@MisterCynic18]

I'm surprised so many people chose Holt in the poll despite how horrendous of a plan that would've been for him

[@squigglesmcjr199]

Most people are not smart

[@davidwhitfield6025]

Thank you for solving Horvarth's tune. I didn't put the two together. I don't disagree with Night Corp being top of the list for 'Who killed Mayor Rynne'. Horvarth could have been a "crash test dummy" of their mind bending programme. Night Corp certainly could pay for it, and using Maelstrom as the go between surgeons. While I had noticed Horvarth's model being used in the street outside Misty's it did look like he had been shot and killed to me. However maybe he had been stunned by whatever the Max Tac was using. What bothers me, and V picked up on this, was that when Holt left he took Rynne's head of security with him, leaving the Mayor alone except for the camera guy and the security guard out front. They also left right before Horvarth's arrival and the disabling of the security screen. The timing has to be questioned. Either Holt was lucky, it was just coincidence or he was in fact in the know about the Horvarth's attempt. And this raises a question. Could there actually have been two separate attempts to eliminate Rynne? One being Arasaka who were becoming uneasy about Rynne's resistance to their plans in Watson and seeing Holt as a better alternative. It is shown when V meets Holt at the Colonel's party, that he is willing to do anything for Arasaka. Arasaka 'acquired' Horvarth after his first stint in jail, chromed him up - the chrome work does look a bit too good for the usual ripper docs the Maelstrom use, and sent him to target Rynne, warning Holt in advance who took away his head of security before Horvarth's arrival. Two the mysterious stranger who enters the Red Queen's Race is Mr Blue Eyes representing Night Corp who also want to eliminate Rynne as it looks like he is going to win the election. I agree the risk that someone else would put the wreath on before Rynne seems great and V shows that the spiked wreath will try to kill anyone who puts it on. Its rather hit or miss, just like Horvarth. Neither plans are that great considering the variables and who may be behind them. Its all a bit amateurish and that may indicate that Holt could have been behind both attempts. Which leads me to Three - Holt did it on his own. He certainly had access to money that could have financed Horvarth's upgrades, the head of security was obviously a Holt man, and he knew where Rynne would be after the Mayor's speech. If Horvarth didn't get him the wreath would. Arasaka and Night Corp would have to rely on third parties to keep track of Rynne while Holt knew Rynne's every move. By the way I feel that the graffiti in the Red Queen's Race was done by the Animals when they trashed the place. Can you really see High rollers like Mayor Rynne going to a place with graffiti all over the walls. 'Corpos must die' seems to be the Animals way of putting anyone who did snoop around to think it was just punks. I don't believe any of the graffiti was there before Rynne's death. makes no sense.

[@dredgen0268]

I really hope NightCorp is a more present in Orion; I love the the mystery and intrigue they bring.

[@christophermzdenek]

I don't know if it would impact the analysis, but in the Time Of the Red sourcebook, Rhynes is listed in the Who's Who as a major figure and activist in Watson. As he also went to, basically, NC University, I think there's solid conjecture to say he was put into the position by NC to begin with. Sadly, power corrupts, so on and so forth... Maybe that was the impetus for the mind control program to begin with. Crazy throeries... this game just grows them like a field of weeds.

[@bigbadvolk6124]

I think Péter Horváth was a red herring used by likely Nightcorp maybe even used as a way to get Lucius to the club to cool off after an assassination attempt. But it is just a wild guess.

[@ravendelacour1917]

Your chain of evidence is well reasoned. In addition the fact that the Peralez, who are under Night Corp control, hire a third party to investigate it when Holt is making himself a big easy and visible suspect makes me think the whole thing was an attempt to draw River away from the actual truth. River was investigating too well, so throw a distraction via an untrained merc via the Perlezs to draw River away from the truth and to Holt. That they originally picked Judy, who has zero investigation ability, makes that more likely. Night Corp can underestimate V's abilities depending on the player choices, but no matter what Night Corp still remain undetected.

[@cptsketch13]

There must of been a bunch of cut content regarding Nightcorp, Blue Eyes, the Peralezes and the Rhyne murder. Really strange how River just kinda drops it. Yeah he "reopens" the case then he gets fired from the police.

[@thundereagle4130]

What people don't notice is that Rhyne and Holt are pro-independece. They have the flag of NC as their background and have close ties to Arasaka and the other corps since they are the ones who secure NC's independence from NUSA. Paralez is pro-NUSA and has the NUSA flag as his background which explain why he is anti-corp, the thing that protects NC from a NUSA take-over. Furthermore if you play the tower ending and you lied to Peralez he will basically do what Rhyne and Holt would've done. If you told him the truth he is tearing up the all of Rhyne's and Holts work, giving less control to the corp and presumably wants closer ties with NUSA. My theory is that they killed Rhyne because the citizen started to become angry with the current pro-corp government. And since they had the technology ready to beam thoughts into Peralez and basically control him. It didn't matter Peralez was anti-corp cuz they controlled him anyway. Having a politician in power who tell the people he will limit the power of corps, and proceed to do what Rhyne was doing for year is the perfect way to kill of any pro-NUSA movement, and delay/avoid mass protests in the city. It's so similar to our world. We have politicians promising to fix our problems, just to be elected and either do what their predecessors did anyway, or just break down democracy for them to stay in power more effectively.

[@sama2086]

Cyberpunk 2077s lore and world building is so perfect man. What a game.

[@alexhulea2735]

If if didn't know better, i would say that the item that controls a person's actions (especially if they're super chromed) would be the Osiris Chip. But that's a 3rd party mission from cyberpunk 2020.

[@greybuckleton]

This whole mission to me, was a Cyberpunk version of The Wire.

[@snepia]

Also makes sense with Johnny(?) warning you about how deep it goes. Pretty sure the mighty Johnny Silverhand wouldn't be scared of a little mayor candidate. NightCorp however is a whole different beast.

[@Josephkerr101]

The other thing here is that maelstrom was the coverup gang for where the van went to flee. In addition they had a mole in militech to get the technology from them.

[@brettscott7614]

Any of the Cyberpunk graphic novels cover the Nightcorp intrigue ?

[@damariusmarkes1865]

Neeeeed the lighting damage tech build 🙏🏽

[@DeusNyx]

If you use the Canto during the Paralez mission and tell him the truth. The Canto says something like: "...so, you can influence events. Creepy.

[@Mr.Vicious]

It was Nightcorp. We know because of the very first thing you see in the game proper. "Focus on Winning This Fall."

[@crashlove768]

Just noticed that in the columbarium, lucius rhyne's spot has a nightcorp logo on it, coincidence?

[@mell0city]

It sounded like he was actually humming an ambulance tune actually. Which would make more sense imo.

[@BlackTestament7]

So I disagree that Holt didn't kill Rhyne only because I think he works for Night Corp or is in their pocket in some way or another. My thinking was Horvath was supposed to kill Rhyne and Holt was supposed to kill him but River was there and stopped the whole thing. Holt in my thinking is already someone under their thumb (specifically so he spy and tell Nightcorp about Rhyne's dealings with the corps) but the people don't like him and the whole surviving the incident and being the hero was supposed to change that. I believe all the events we see is fixing the problem and with how disliked Holt is they can't have him in the position so they brainwash Jeff and Liz who is. It's convoluted but that was my thinking when I played through the whole incident.

[@jaylarkin4331]

Horvath looks like the guy who spazzed out on the crew in Edgerunners

[@DeusNyx]

While just seeing Officer Srints, this has just reminded me: Why didn't we ever see him again? Does anyone remember before Cyberpunk launched, there was talk from one of the devs, that Stints 'might' have a connection to Gaunter O'Dim? And we were told, we'd "Have to wait and see." - Other than his face looking simular to Gaunter, and other than him doing us "a favour" and not breaking our legs like he was ordered. - Nothing became of it.

[@reuben87331]

I thought Rhyne was killed by Mr. Blue Eyes, who is a rogue ai from beyond the Blackwall. 1. During the investigation, the spiked BD, the 'broken' tv, and the anonymous warning call before meeting Jefferson, flashes the screen with the Blackwall effect, like when Songbird talks to you during Phantom Liberty. 2. Mr. Blue Eyes and Jefferson are wearing the same suit. 3. Every character that uploads, downloads, or sends data, excluding phone calls, their eyes glow blue. During the Phantom Liberty Songbird questline, theres a homeless person with blue eyes named Suspicious Homeless Person. 4. Johnny even theorizes an Ai could be behind the entire conspiracy at the end of the quest. 5. The brain mapping images from the van are similar to the brain maps on the Relic blueprints when talking to Hellman. Which could imply Mr. Blue Eyes is trying to slowly take over Jefferson's body like the Relic/Johnny is doing to V.

[@agitatedzone]

1:46 Richard Night looks like Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides

[@capt.squiggly6354]

I want to preface this by saying I haven't had a chance to play the dlc yet, but my first impression when initially playing the game was it was the AI's and they wanted suspicion on Holt just to help ensure Perez got elected.

[@davelosket2474]

Are we sure the graffiti was placed there intentionally and not like, procedurally? I mean the general space around the railyard and warehouse areas theres a bit of overlap between the kind of graffiti you see in the badlands and what you see at the edges of the city. I was thinking maybe there were just a like, generic graffiti asset placed up there and it got filled in automatically with random graffiti that was chosen based on location.

[@dmservetus42]

There's a discrepancy in Rhyne's in-game backstory and his backstory from Cyberpunk Red (set in the 2050s). The Cyberpunk Red core rulebook has this to say: "Lucius Rhyne (Rockerboy): A community organizer in the newly forming Watson Development, Lucius is a rare idealist working to make the world a better place. He is well-known for his inspiring speeches and calls to action." A bit of a shift between the former Rockerboy former activist and the picture we get from the database.

[@pkidawmbt]

I hold it was blue eyes and the AIs from beyond the blackwall that are a aprt of the real plot/"subplot" in the game that killed him to get paralez into the role. They know they can leverage anti holt sentiment to get their guy in and that spiked BD had all those blackwall static hallmarks in it. V's scream is also similar to what happens to blackwall iced people. Holt just wanted to the death at the club to be covered up because he was hoping to ride high off of Rhynes memory and poll numbers since he was his right hand man.

[@rob.3143]

Considering the evidence, yes Nightcorp benefitted most from Rhyne's death and with what they do later with Peralez, I fully see them behind the CyberPsycho attack; altered to release the self preservation which turned him from someone talking about killing to actually going and doing it. However, it's the two methods which bugs me. As you said, why did they have that plan b which is effective but, at least to me, much cruder. At the time there is no rush to get rid of Rhyne and the timing between the two events is too close. Plus, Rhyne may have easily gotten hurt but not killed after the attack and not gone to this hangout. Add to that the fact you also pointed out that the spiked wreath could've been picked up by anyone else. So perhaps his death there is random; Wraiths or some Wraith serial killer planting the Wreath and tagging the room. There are a hundred moving parts in a place like NC, they needn't all be working on the same thing.

[@Larisiahott]

Wow I never knew all of this information about Rhyne. Great video Sam

[@dg4545]

I actually believe Weldon Holt DID kill mayor Rhyne. But it wasn't to become mayor himself. The reason why i say this is because you get to meet Holt in person in the Black Sapphire. If you did the dream on quest before you go there Holt didn't seem bothered by his own defeat when you talk to him. He says "we will get him next time" like this was like swatting a flea. Why kill Rhyne then? Because he is working with Blue Eyes. As you mentioned in your video Night Corp was pissed at Rhyne for selling out to the corporation that planned to nuke NC off the map so they had Holt as an insider to help kill him. Holt never intended to become mayor in the first place.

[@random7665]

This gonna be random but i have a theory that the net runner b@b is songbird

[@freddycisneros915]

That's interesting, what lead to you concluding that? Genuinely curious.

[@random7665]

@@freddycisneros915 thank you for asking. My reasoning, for this is what we know about b@d is they are a very skilled net runner who doesn’t like to hurt people as seen when we find that one net runners body and there’s a shark talking about how bad warn them about the virus they were going to use and that not being a big fan of b@d when this person died, we know that b@b felt awful About it. The gig we do for b@d and I always found it strange that songbird just knows who v so well I knew they were reliable to contact so that helps the idea that she is b@b I think I remember seeing a video mention this that scabs eventually tried to hunt down b@d to only find a death trap. I know this sounds rambling and I apologize for that but my point is Songbird being a elite net runner, but also trying to keep her name out of the headlines would use an alias and her caring about some random NetRunner dying on her watch makes sense for her character and using V to install some malware somewhere makes sense because she can’t physically do it herself because of her position in the government with Myers. I hope this makes sense and I apologize if it’s not a great explanation and poor grammar it’s hard for me. Anyway I just thought this was a cool theory

[@iralas]

It was Judy Alvarez. She has a history of inducing weaponized cyberpsychosis Or Mr. BlueEyes

[@billdawson9471]

Another person in the structure of Night City authority is Jerry Fawlters, NCPD police commissioner. That horrible person has a bit of history. V never meets him, but his name does pop up, working with gangs like the scavs, and even sets his own men up for ambushes.

[@simonbrooke4065]

Where, in the city map, is the university? You'd expect it to be quite large and quite prominent, but I don't recall seeing it. Slightly surprising, given how good CDPR generally are in filling in all the blanks!

[@Riko_Leonhart]

may brain thought that 2017 would be 3 years old today i really "What?" when i heard 6 man time is too quick for me

[@staticthewhitewolf7040]

I always thought that at 6:40 he was humming The Wondrous Boat Ride song from Willy Wonka. "There's no earthly way of knowing / Which direction we are going / There's no knowing where we're rowing / Or which way the river's flowing." "Not a speck of light is showing So the danger must be growing Are the fires of Hell a-glowing? Is the grisly Reaper mowing?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpzKaJemZraMb80

[@ninjanoodle0944]

By the way, when you meet Peralez for the last time, you can see Mr Blue Eyes watching both of you on a balcony to the left.

[@NeonVars]

Huge indicator to the Night Corp conspiracy and surprised it wasn't mentioned in the video.

[@Hoigwai]

While I agree with the broad moves that it is NightCorp I think that Mr. Blue Eyes and some AI we don't have a name for is the sinister layer underneath all of it.

[@Trialwolf]

Honestly this quest arc would have made for a much better main story for Cyberpunk, this creates a huge rabbit hole you can fall into leading to so many possibilities: siding with a corporation to size more control, joining with a gang with this info to press for more territory, helping the police regain there purpose, outing everyone to the public causing total anarchy, playing everyone against each other, this just gives way more possibilities to the story and would have given so much more to this world. Man, the way this could be approached would definitely have made for a much better main story.

[@nebeskisrb7765]

But that would require CDPR to create an actual dynamic story instead if railroad we got.

[@Bee_Mavrick]

I always thought rhyne was killed over his deal with arasaka. He was getting outta control, making choices on his own which probably wasnt in the calculations of what ever ai the city government might be using. Richard night could be an engram somewhere. Maybe thats whos controlling the man with blue eyes. Idk. I went over the game as much as i could and just assumed night corp somehow was involved, that each corp would have players on the board, and maybe v is involved some way and had three cover stories, which could explain the life paths. I never seen such a game as this. When it comes to the actual choices its all so blended that even the obvious ones go unnoticed. Ive always said were just editing V's brain dance. All those calls in the end were sent to v somewhere, its never explaned why v never picked up because some endings v could have just talked to everyone after the end. So i assume his neural link doesnt work for some endings. But then why Even add that in. As if v would encounter those with a busted neural link. So did his coprocessor boot up again. Idk but it feels like were editing a bd

[@NeonVars]

I always knew most big corporations in NC had skeletons in their closets, but Night Corp strangely stood out to me as the cleanest. I had a feeling their facade is a mere cover up of their sinister dealing, and this video pretty much reinforces that thought.

[@absollum]

I believe it was Holt, but Nightcorp had something to do with it. Whether they knew and did nothing, or directly/indirectly helped helped Holt, I'm just not sure. Nightcorp is just too suspicious to not be involved in some way, same with Holt

[@christianotto5553]

Aren't you the optimist. If Peralez was just the right guy, NCorp wouldn't need to overwrite his psyche. I am fairly certain rogue AIs are involved here. Lilith and Maelstrom, the call at the end of Dream On and the messages in This Corrosion, Mr Blue Eyes and So Mi's moon plan - it's all connected. Maybe NCorp is under AI control after all. But this is much bigger than just a group of philantropic netrunners. Still, great video as always!

[@SayMy_User_Name]

I always wonder, why does cyberpunk do this with so many quests? Why do they give us some answers but leave the biggest questions unsolved .. and then I see ur videos and I realize why they did it.. take for example the werewolf contract u get early on in the Witcher 3, the first time u play it the twist is so cool and memorable, but on a 2nd play through there’s no intrigue what so ever cuz u already know the twist.. while in cyberpunk, each play through is a chance to gain more insight and clues in to so many of the mysteries within the quests, and it allows for so much thought and theory crafting like this.. which one is better? It’s hard to say, cuz I think the way the W3 does it makes the quests more memorable and conclusive, but cyberpunk, if u don’t play the game multiple times, the quests will be easier to forget because u don’t get that closure to bring it all home

[@Mellokitty7711]

If you just incapacitated the animals boss, you don’t have to do it stealthily. She will lay on the ground while you talk to her

[@jonmichael6746]

Anybody tell me why Richard Night looks like a straight vampire? I mean those red eyes are a clear design choice.