Phantom Liberty's Solomon Reed Spotted in Base Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 player found Solomon Reed, Idris Elba's Phantom Liberty character, as a bouncer in the base game, hinting at an Easter egg.
In the sprawling neon jungle of Night City, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Even years after the dust has settled on the base game, eagle-eyed chooms are still tearing through every back alley and barstool looking for secrets. One of the juiciest discoveries making the rounds in 2026 revolves around none other than Solomon Reed, the cynical FIA agent portrayed by Hollywood powerhouse Idris Elba in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The twist? He's been hiding in plain sight in the base game all along — and the evidence is a dead ringer for the man himself.
When CD Projekt Red dropped the second trailer for Phantom Liberty during The Game Awards 2022, jaws hit the floor. Joining Keanu Reeves' silver-handed rockerboy was another silver screen legend: Idris Elba, playing the grizzled, mysterious Solomon Reed. But here's the kicker. Diehard fans who pore over every pixel of Cyberpunk 2077 like a netrunner jacking into a subnet had already crossed paths with a character who could be Reed's twin. And no, it's not just a case of style-over-substance character design — the clues run deeper than a corpo conspiracy.
The Bouncer Who Broke the Internet
Reddit user Siddharth_9697 was the first to blow the lid wide open. While prowling through one of Night City's seedy clubs, they spotted a bouncer NPC who was a spitting image of Solomon Reed — same hulking frame, same facial structure, and even the same cyberware implants peeking out from his hairline. The resemblance was so uncanny that the post on r/cyberpunkgame went thermonuclear. Commenters were quick to point out that in Phantom Liberty, Reed actually mentions moonlighting as a bouncer between top-secret ops for the New United States government. That's not just a happy accident. That's some next-level world-building, and it's got "intentional Easter egg" written all over it in neon.
What makes this even more mind-bending is the timeline. This bouncer NPC has been knocking about Night City since the game's December 2020 launch, long before Idris Elba was officially attached to the DLC. Either CD Projekt Red has a crystal ball, or they did some brilliantly sneaky retroactive continuity. The most popular theory floating around is that the devs modeled a random NPC after Elba as a nod to the actor, and later — when he was cast as Reed — they retroactively linked that bouncer to the character. That kind of seamlessness is why Cyberpunk 2077 still has legs like a Razor Hugh punch.
Another Round at Malted Iguana Liquors
Hold onto your optics, because the bouncer isn't the only cameo. Another player with a detective's instinct claims to have spotted Reed chilling at a dive called Malted Iguana Liquors. This one's a bit more elusive — Reed only appears there at a specific, missable point in the main story, making him a true ghost in the machine. If you're not paying attention, you'd breeze right past him and grab your Jackie Welles and be on your merry way. The fact that Reed pops up in multiple locations, each time blending into the background like a proper undercover agent, is a stroke of narrative genius. It makes V's first formal introduction to him in Dogtown feel less like a new acquaintance and more like the universe finally pulling the curtain back.
Songbird Joins the Foreshadowing Party
And if you thought the rabbit hole stopped with Reed, think again. The Phantom Liberty breadcrumb trail also features Songbird, the netrunner who kicks off the entire Dogtown arc. She's been spotted lounging in Empathy, a bar steeped in Johnny Silverhand's legacy — the very spot where Samurai used to riffs and chug before Johnny's engramic escapades. Seeing Songbird there, casual as you please, gives off major "the story was always planned" vibes. It ties the DLC's narrative so tightly to the base game that you start wondering how many other Phantom Liberty characters were hiding in plain sight, just waiting for V to finally catch on.
A Stroke of Brilliant Retrospective World-Building
Whether these cameos were born from careful planning or a stroke of sheer luck followed by a clever retcon, the effect is the same: they make Night City feel alive and deeply interconnected. Solomon Reed's pre-DLC appearances reinforce his cover as a deep-cover agent — a man who can disappear into the city's grimy underbelly as easily as a bouncer at a club or a face in a dive bar. For players who revisit the base game after finishing Phantom Liberty, spotting him feels like uncovering a secret handshake from the developers. It's a reward for the community that never stops digging, the kind that makes you holler "preem!" at the screen.
As of 2026, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty remains a masterclass in story-driven DLC, and these hidden cameos are a huge part of the reason its world still sinks its chrome-plated teeth into players. The line between coincidence and intent is razor-thin, but one thing's for sure: next time you're scanning a crowd in Night City, you might just spot a familiar face that wasn't supposed to be there — yet always was. That's the magic of Cyberpunk, where even a random bouncer can turn out to be a key player in the plot you thought you already knew.
Pro tip: Keep your Kiroshi optics peeled in any bar or club during Act 2 — you never know who's nursing a drink in the corner.
🎮 Quick Cameo Checklist
| Location | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Various nightclubs | Solomon Reed (bouncer) | Shares cyberware with DLC version, mentions bouncer work |
| Malted Iguana Liquors | Solomon Reed | Only visible at a specific story beat |
| Empathy bar | Songbird | Seen lounging where Samurai once played |
💡 Why it matters: These appearances aren't just fun trivia — they hammer home the idea that the FIA has agents embedded throughout Night City, making Phantom Liberty's story feel like the tip of an iceberg that was always there beneath the surface.
For those immersed in the sprawling urban chaos of Night City, keeping track of in-game events and secrets can feel as daunting as navigating its neon-lit avenues. Just as you uncover hidden characters like Solomon Reed, staying ahead of the curve in real life often requires a keen eye and the right tools at your disposal. Whether it's tracking the latest gaming releases or finding the best deals on collector's editions, having a reliable resource can make all the difference. Enter this price tracking tool, designed to help gamers and collectors alike in ensuring they never miss out on a deal. With the constantly evolving landscape of gaming, having such a tool ensures you're always ahead in both the digital and tangible realms.
Just as the characters of Cyberpunk 2077 offer layers of discovery, the gaming market is a complex world full of opportunities. Leveraging platforms like DealNest can provide gamers with the insights needed to make informed decisions. It's much like uncovering the hidden narratives within Night City, where every detail can enhance your experience. So, as you dive into the depths of Night City and uncover its secrets, remember that staying informed in the real world can be just as thrilling when equipped with the right resources.