Fancy getting romantic with River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077? While there are a few romance options to choose from as you work your way through Night City, River is the first main romance that you won't automatically meet through the course of the story. Instead, you'll only encounter him if you choose to work through some of the side jobs available.
You'll initially meet River Ward during the Cyberpunk 2077 I Fought the Law side mission but as there are a few requirements to unlock this particular job and get started on River's set of side quests, you may be wondering what you're missing. Beware of some minor spoilers below but otherwise, read on to find out how to start the Cyberpunk 2077 River Ward romance.
Ahead of the big Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty expansion, we've updated this guide to ensure you're ready to rock, Silverhand.
Cyberpunk 2077 River Ward romance guide
River Ward will only be interested in your V if they have a female body type so as long as you meet that requirement, you're all set to get started with romancing River.
To gain access to the I Fought the Law side mission where you'll meet River for the first time, you'll need to have reached the second Street Cred tier in either Westbrook (10 or higher), Heywood (13 or higher), or City Center (9 or higher). You'll also need to have completed the Life During Wartime main mission.
Once you've completed I Fought the Law, you'll need to wait 24 in-game hours and River will call you and start you on his short story arc which culminates in a romance with him—providing you make the right decisions, that is. The Hunt is the first of his side quests and is also the first time you can fail to meet the romance requirements so a manual save before starting could save a potential headache later.
Meet River at the designated spot but make sure the time is after 7pm or he won't be there. During this quest, make sure you are always supportive of River whenever possible. Flirt with him if given the option and generally do everything you can to show him you're interested in a relationship.
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Aside from that, you need to make sure you head to the correct farm when you reach that point as this can make you fail the quest. You should be able to locate two 'critical' clues during the braindance section which will automatically send you and River to the correct farm. If you're having trouble though, both clues are found in the third braindance sequence. The first is the solar panel at 00:27 in the room next to the one with the computer and the second is the farm model number on the wall between two gates at 01:00.
If you're already past that point and River asks you where you should go, the correct answer is Edgewood farm. Guessing the wrong answer here will fail the mission and the subsequent romance.
Once you reach your destination, you'll need to continue with the quest by exploring Randy's trailer. You can find more info on that in our Cyberpunk 2077 Harris IP address guide or work it out for yourself. Just make sure you don't leave the farm before you've helped River. Once you find Randy, again, make sure you're supportive of River and don't make him do anything alone. When he's considering revenge, choose either "Don't do it, River" or "We both will". Whatever you do, don't let him handle this alone.
With that done, you'll need to wait 24 more in-game hours to receive River's final quest, Following the River. Accept his invitation and continue with the quest as you see fit until you reach the part where you're together on top of the water tower. Kiss him when you are given the option and choose the dialogue options that will show your interest in him. The next morning, choosing "I feel good around you," will secure the relationship. Picking the other option will let you remain friends but no further romance will occur.
