Welcome to Paradise is a side quest added in Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.5, which released on October 22, 2026. To unlock it, finish the main job The Heist and reach Street Cred level 15, then answer Aera when she contacts you. You find the first shard in Kabuki, near the Creek Loop fast travel point, which starts a nine-stop Night Corp tour narrated by Richard Night. At the end you choose whether to give Aera her sister Haze’s shard, and either way the quest pays 1,050 credits.
Summary: Cyberpunk 2077 Welcome to Paradise Walkthrough
- Update: 2.5, released October 22, 2026, free for owners.
- Requirements: complete The Heist and reach Street Cred 15.
- Start: Aera calls you, then you find a shard in Kabuki near Creek Loop.
- Tour: nine stops across Night City, narrated by Richard Night.
- Choice: give Haze’s shard to Aera or refuse.
- Reward: 1,050 credits, whichever choice you make.
- Not confirmed: the quest’s recommended level and any consequences beyond Aera’s reaction.
Spoiler warning: the walkthrough below covers the ending.
What Welcome to Paradise Is
Welcome to Paradise is a guided tour of Night City narrated by Richard Night, during which V investigates a mystery. It is one of two new side quests in Update 2.5, alongside Clampdown, which has different unlock steps.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Update | 2.5, released October 22, 2026 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), PS5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Later platforms | Switch 2 and Mac App Store versions come after launch |
| Requirements | Finish The Heist, Street Cred 15 |
| Contact | Aera |
| Reward | 1,050 credits |
| Choices | Give or keep Haze’s shard |
One caution before the steps. Several of the big guide sites I tried were blocked, so the step-by-step details below come mainly from one walkthrough, cross-checked against two others for requirements and release details. If your quest journal disagrees on a stop or a location, trust the journal.
How to Start Welcome to Paradise in Update 2.5
- Install Update 2.5. The quest needs the patch even if you already meet the requirements.
- Finish The Heist. You can do this on an existing save before updating.
- Reach Street Cred 15. Finishing The Heist alone is not enough. Fixer gigs and other work raise it, and you can check the number on the character progression screen.
- Wait for Aera to text you. Call her back and agree to help, according to one walkthrough.
- Listen to her request. Aera explains that her sister Haze stole a shard and disappeared.
If the quest does not appear, check three things: your game version, that The Heist is complete, and that your Street Cred really is 15 or higher.
Haze’s Lost Shard Location Near Creek Loop
The first shard is in Kabuki, Watson. The nearest fast travel point is Creek Loop.
- Fast travel to Creek Loop and head into Kabuki.
- Find the sheet metal standing in front of a pipe and move it.
- Pick up the shard. V slots it automatically, which starts Richard Night’s guided tour.
That pickup is what triggers the tour, so do not skip the pipe.
Night Corp Tour Stops in Order
Richard Night leads you through nine stops. Most of them need you to use a terminal and listen.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1. Night Corp Tower | Downtown, City Center. Take the elevator to the third floor, use the terminal and connect to the drone |
| 2. Corpo Plaza | Near Arasaka Tower. Use the slightly broken terminal |
| 3. Arasaka Memorial | Use the terminal, then walk over to Richard |
| 4. City Hall | The Glen, Heywood. Use the terminal and drone while gangs fight below |
| 5. Biotechnica Farms | Use the terminal and listen |
| 6. NCART | Use the terminal and follow Richard |
| 7. Coronado Dam | Defeat the enemies, use the terminal, then jump the railing to hear the rest |
| 8. Med Center | Use the terminal |
| 9. Kabuki | Use the terminal for the final stop |
The Decryption Step You Can Miss
After NCART, open your Shards menu and decrypt the “NC Revitalization Project – Identity Cache” using Crack Security. Read it after the Med Center call. Closing it reveals the final stop. If the tour seems stuck before Kabuki, check the Shards menu first.
The Final Stop and Haze’s Shard
The last stop is the Kabuki bridge.
- Walk past the kids and turn right.
- Look down at the beach.
- Kill the Militech soldiers.
- Find Haze’s body.
- Take the shard beside her, read it and scan her face.
This is the shard Aera asks about, so grab it before you leave the area.
Aera’s Choice: Give the Shard or Keep It
Message Aera and meet her at the nearby basketball court. She asks for Haze’s shard.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Give her the shard | She continues Haze’s work despite the danger |
| Refuse | She gets angry and tells you never to contact her again |
| Reward either way | 1,050 credits, and the quest ends |
The choice changes her reaction, not your payout, according to the guide I could access. I did not find a source that says either option changes anything else in the game, so treat any claim of a wider consequence as unconfirmed. If you want to see both reactions, make a manual save before you meet her.
Tips and Common Mistakes
- Skipping the pipe. The Kabuki shard pickup starts the tour.
- Forgetting the decryption. The tour can stall until you decrypt and read the Identity Cache.
- Ignoring the calls. The quest advances through prompted calls, so answer them.
- Using the wrong fast travel. Creek Loop is the nearest point for the first shard, and each stop has its own point too.
- Assuming The Heist is enough. You also need Street Cred 15.
- Skipping the patch. The quest only exists in Update 2.5.
Since you are already in Update 2.5 content, our Cyberpunk 2077 Glamdoc locations guide covers the new hand cyberware customization, which unlocks around the same time.
What Else Update 2.5 Adds
Welcome to Paradise is one piece of a larger update. Based on one summary of the patch, it also adds dual-wielding through the Double Trouble perk, twelve new Minor Arcana tarot cards, five new Glamdocs for recolorable hand cyberware skins, cross-platform console mods through mod.io, DLSS 4.5 on PC and a new radio station. Console players should note that achievements and trophies are unavailable on modded saves.
Conclusion
To play Welcome to Paradise, install Update 2.5, finish The Heist and reach Street Cred 15, then answer Aera and find the shard in Kabuki near Creek Loop. Follow Richard Night’s nine tour stops, decrypt the Identity Cache after NCART and choose whether to give Haze’s shard to Aera. Everything here is accurate as of October 23, 2026, and later patches may change quest details.
FAQs
How do I start Welcome to Paradise in Cyberpunk 2077?
Install Update 2.5, finish The Heist, reach Street Cred 15 and respond to Aera’s contact.
Where is Haze’s shard in Welcome to Paradise?
In Kabuki, Watson, behind sheet metal in front of a pipe. The nearest fast travel point is Creek Loop.
How many tour stops are there?
Nine, starting at Night Corp Tower and ending in Kabuki, according to the walkthrough I could access.
What happens if I give Aera the shard?
She continues Haze’s work despite the danger. If you refuse, she gets angry and tells you never to contact her again.
What is the reward?
1,050 credits, whichever choice you make.
Why is Welcome to Paradise not showing up?
Check that Update 2.5 is installed, The Heist is complete and your Street Cred is at least 15.
