Night City’s Worst Gigs: Cyberpunk 2077 Side Quests to Skip in 2026

In 2026, Cyberpunk 2077 is no longer the buggy punchline it once was. Update 2.0, Phantom Liberty, and years of patches turned Night City into a smoother, meaner, and more reliable beast. But even a polished chrome dome has a few dents. Some side quests remain absolute gonk moves, the kind of gigs that make a merc wonder if they should have stayed in bed with a cold synth-burger. The following eight jobs were already considered the worst before Phantom Liberty launched back in September 2023. With hindsight, they still aren't worth a solo's time, eddies, or sanity. So grab a Nicola, settle into a ripperdoc chair, and let's roast the side quests that V should ghost. 🎮💤

The Hall of Shame: Eight Side Quests V Can Ghost

Rank	Quest	Why It's a Yawn
1	Beat on the Brat	Punch, punch, evade, repeat. Yawn.
2	Fool on the Hill	Twenty tarot cards for a dreamcatcher. No cap.
3	Epistrophy	Seven runaway cabs and a whole lot of chasing.
4	Psycho Killer	Seventeen cyberpsychos, zero memorable fights.
5	Sweet Dreams	A scam that costs 20,000 eddies and your dignity.
6	Shoot to Thrill	A shooting contest easier than a tutorial.
7	Small Man, Big Mouth	Fake cyberware, dead fixer, empty pockets.
8	The Beast In Me	Street races with clunky controls and emotional whiplash.

1. Beat on the Brat: The Crown Jewel of Boredom 💤

If boredom could be weaponized, Beat on the Brat would be a nuke. This questline asks V to brawl five NPCs across Night City. On paper, cyberware-enhanced fisticuffs sound preem. In practice, the combat has all the depth of a puddle. V can punch, heavy punch, and evade. That's it. Each opponent telegraphs like a bad actor, and victory is practically guaranteed after a few jabs.

The reward? A measly 20,000 to 30,000 eddies. In 2026, that's pocket change for a mid-level merc. Players who want a quick buck can find better ways to earn without sacrificing brain cells. Beat on the Brat is the worst offender, and it should be ghosted altogether.

2. Fool on the Hill: Tarot Cards for a Dusty Souvenir 🃏

Misty means well. She always does. But Fool on the Hill sends V on a scavenger hunt for 20 tarot card graffiti scattered across Night City. Some appear naturally while exploring, but the last few require deliberate backtracking. The payoff is a dreamcatcher decoration for V's original apartment.

By the time most players finish this quest, they've moved into a swankier pad in Night City. The dreamcatcher ends up as useful as a chocolate teapot. It's not painful, but it is pointless. In 2026, with so many better things to do, this gig is a hard pass.

3. Epistrophy: Herding Sentient Cabs 🚕

Epistrophy tasks V with tracking down seven rogue Delamain cabs. The cars have genuinely funny dialogue, and the mystery behind Delamain's malfunction is interesting. But actually completing each gig is a chore. The cabs resist, run, and force players into high-speed chases across Night City.

Update 2.0 improved driving, and vehicle combat is now a thing. That helps. It does not, however, turn Epistrophy into a good time. Chasing seven stubborn cars feels like herding cats, except the cats are sentient taxis with an attitude problem. If players value their time, they should let these cabs ride into the sunset without them.

4. Psycho Killer: Seventeen Missed Opportunities 🧠

Cyberpsychosis is one of the most fascinating ideas in Cyberpunk 2077. Psycho Killer should have been a highlight reel. Instead, it's a checklist of 17 cyberpsycho gigs, and most fights blur together. Some have intriguing backstories, but the combat rarely asks players to think outside the box.

The cyberpsychos go down without much of a fight, even with their fancy implants. The questline had the chance to deliver unique mechanics, moral choices, or creative solutions. It squandered them. In 2026, players can safely skip most of these gigs unless they are chasing 100 percent completion.

5. Sweet Dreams: The Worst Braindance Deal in History 💸

Sweet Dreams is a masterclass in getting scammed. Stefan offers V an extreme, one-of-a-kind braindance. The cost is 16,000 eddies, plus another 4,000 to use his special rig. Shockingly, the deal is too good to be true. There is no braindance. V wakes up in the same scav hideout from the game's opening, minus their gear and dignity.

After fighting out and recovering stolen belongings, V can confront Stefan. He offers the money back, but that doesn't refund the wasted time. In 2026, players should avoid this quest like a bad ripperdoc. Some lessons are not worth learning firsthand.

6. Shoot to Thrill: A Participation Trophy in Gun Form 🔫

Robert Wilson runs the 2nd Amendment gun shop, and he wants V to compete in a shooting contest. The pitch sounds fun. The reality is a shooting gallery so easy it might as well be a tutorial. Wilson's reward is a handful of eddies and an M-10AF Lexington, which is classified as Legendary but performs like a wet noodle.

In 2026, there are dozens of better weapons to chase. Shoot to Thrill is not exciting, not challenging, and not rewarding. It is the side quest equivalent of a shrug.

7. Small Man, Big Mouth: A Fetch Quest with a Funeral ⚰️

Kirk Sawyer is the sleazy fixer responsible for V's first failed gig. He reaches out again in Act 2 with a job to steal high-grade Militech cyberware from Arroyo. Surprise, surprise: the area is crawling with Valentinos, and the cyberware is fake. Even worse, the prize turns out to be a badly replicated Samurai jacket.

When V returns to Kirk, he's already dead, ambushed by the Valentinos. Players can walk away or start blasting, but either way, there's no reward. Small Man, Big Mouth is a waste of ammo, time, and patience. It's a fetch quest with a funeral attached, and nobody needs that.

8. The Beast In Me: Street Racing with Emotional Baggage 🏁

The Beast In Me has V racing alongside Claire, the Afterlife's sweet bartender. The questline gets unexpectedly sentimental as Claire opens up about her past. That part is genuinely well-written. The driving, however, can be a frustrating emotional rollercoaster thanks to clunky controls.

Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0 improved driving and added vehicle combat, so the ride is smoother in 2026. Even so, the questline is not essential. Players who don't care about street racing can skip it without missing much. It's a soap opera on wheels, and sometimes V just wants to get from point A to point B without a therapy session.

Final Word: Skip the Duds, Enjoy the Good Stuff

In 2026, Cyberpunk 2077 has more than enough great content to fill a merc's calendar. Phantom Liberty's spy-thriller storyline, Dogtown's dangerous streets, and the base game's best side quests are all worth experiencing. The eight quests above, however, remain low-value time sinks.

Players who haven't touched Phantom Liberty yet can jump in without clearing these gigs first. There is no need to max out a build or tie up every loose end. Night City will keep spinning whether V races a cab, punches a brat, or hunts tarot cards. The smart move is to ghost the duds and save the eddies for something preem.

So go pet a cat, find a legendary weapon, or just vibe in Japantown. Night City has plenty of stories worth telling. These eight side quests are not among them.