How to complete Talent Academy in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk 2077 Talent Academy - V is standing with her arms folded in front of Fiona
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Talent Academy is a side job in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and while it might seem straightforward, there are a few ways you can tackle this mission. There's also a choice to be made right at the end, so it's worth knowing ahead of time which is the better option to choose, and whether or not there are any consequences to your decision. With that in mind, here's how to complete the Cyberpunk 2077 Talent Academy mission. 

Cyberpunk 2077 Talent Academy: How to get to Fiona's office 

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

You can get this gig once you complete The Damned main story mission. It's marked on your map in the southern part of Dogtown, and Mr Hands will call you as you get close to the location. The closest fast travel point is Terra Cognita. There are a couple of levels in this area, so make sure you're on the lower one if you can't find the contact.

Once there, he'll give you your cover and tell you to infiltrate the sports academy, find Fiona's office, and download the info on every athlete scouted by them. Seems simple enough, right? Head to the nearby elevator, and make your way to the exhibition hall. You can speak to the receptionist to get more info, or just head to into the bar.

You've got a couple of options here. The place is pretty well guarded so you can just go in, guns blazing, and kill anyone that gets in your way, or, if you choose to sit down at the bar, you can take a much quieter approach. The bartender will ask who you're scouting for. A couple of choices here give you very different outcomes.  

  • San Diego Shredders
  • None of your biz

If you pick San Diego Shredders, a guy will start chatting with you and asking you questions about your cover. The bartender will get suspicious and call security and you'll be taken to an office out back for further investigation. If you're quick and take out the security guard once you're out of the main room, you can hack the next set of double doors to get to the floor below. Just be careful of guards lurking in this area.

If you choose None of your biz, a commotion will start in the bar shortly afterward, and you can get up and head through the door behind you undetected. You'll still need to avoid any guards back there, but this is another way to get out of the main room unseen. 

Whichever way you choose to get to the lower floor, there are plenty of guards down there to avoid. Luckily, there are also plenty of electronics to hack to help you move around undetected. It's not the end of the world if you are discovered, you'll just need to take out quite a few bad guys to move on.

It's also worth noting that this is made significantly easier if you've progressed enough in the main quest to have access to Her Majesty, the silenced pistol you get from Alex at the start of the You Know My Name mission.

Talent Academy choice: Steal the data or take the deal 

Once you're on the lower floor, make your way through the offices and corridors and you'll eventually come across a red-tinted room with various bed cubicles. You'll find Fiona's office just past here.

Chat with the kid you find inside, or don't, it's entirely up to you. He basically gives you a little context as to what the kids are going through in this place. When you go to access the terminal, Fiona will walk in. After a brief conversation, you'll get an important dialogue choice:

  • Start talking
  • Fuck you

At this point, you should choose Start Talking, as it gives you access to Fiona's office where you can nab some goodies that you'd otherwise be locked out of. Once inside, she'll make you an offer: you can choose to do a "controlled leak" of information, which won't hurt her business quite so much, or you can steal the information as you intended. The dialogue options you get next are self-explanatory, so pick whichever one you want, as the mission rewards are the same.

If you choose to steal the data, she'll begrudgingly grant you access to the terminal, but make sure to grab the stuff from inside the chest on the other side of her office—it contains Cyberware, clothing, and a skill shard. 

Take the elevator to the entrance to leave, though get ready to deal with her security when you get outside, assuming you stole the data and didn't take her deal. Once you've dealt with them, leave the area and you'll receive a call from Mr Hands and the quest will be complete. Good job.

Sarah James
Senior Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.

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