Cyberpunk 2077 River Ward Romance Guide

River Ward is a great guy in Night City. In that, he's one of the few good ones left, to be honest. That said, it's only natural that the thought of romancing him may have crossed your mind. Luckily for you, it is very possible. In this guide, we will go over exactly how to romance River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077.

This certified badass is a gentle giant with a heart of gold, so don't break it! But be warned: initiating a romance with River Ward can prove tricky. The option can be missed entirely if you accidentally take too many stray steps. Follow this guide on how to romance River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077 to the letter, and you won't have to worry.

Spoiler Disclaimer: This guide contains key plot details and developments regarding River Ward's storyline in Cyberpunk 2077. If you prefer to discover these aspects organically during gameplay, we recommend proceeding with caution or returning to this guide at a later time.

Who Is River Ward In Cyberpunk 2077?

River Ward is a detective in Night City, desperately trying to make a difference. You first encounter him in the "I Fought The Law" side mission. Overall, this gentle giant has a rich character and a good story, which we will try our best not to spoil.

As such, River is a solid choice as a romantic partner for any feminine V play-throughs of Cyberpunk 2077. If you are about justice and saving the kids and potential criminal investigations, River Ward is the guy for you!

How To Romance River Ward In Cyberpunk 2077

Before we begin, it's worth noting that this romance option in Cyberpunk 2077 is only available to those with a female body type, which may explain why you may have had no luck with his pursuit previously.

I Fought The Law

You will meet River Ward during the I Fought The Law mission in Cyberpunk 2077. However, to unlock this major side job, you must first complete the Act 2 mission Life During Wartime and have Tier 2 Street Cred in either Westbrook, Heywood, or City Center regions.

In some instances, you may have to complete Automatic Love and the Space Inbetween missions for it to activate. Once you complete the mission, Elizabeth Peralez will phone you to give you The Hunt side mission.

The Hunt

During this mission, you will have to save Randy and give River the correct responses when asked. This is incredibly important as this will either make or break your potential romance with River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077

Choose the " I wouldn't let it go if I were you." option when you can. You basically want to agree with River Ward as much as you can. He will invite you out; take him up on his offer by choosing the "Sign me up for that beer." option.

At this point, we are about halfway through teaching you everything you need to know to romance River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077. Hang in there, soldier!

After successfully saving Randy, River Ward will text you to check in on you. When he asks how you are holding up, respond with the "I'm all right. Question is how you're handling all this..." option. He will tell you he hasn't fully decompressed yet but is happy that Randy is alive, and that's all that matters.

Now's your chance to make some moves, so hit him with the "What if I said you didn't have to? We should celebrate - just you, me - somewhere chilled, laidback... Whaddaya think?;] " option. River Ward will be keen and approve of this.

Afterward, hit him with the "I think it's about time I got to know the real River Ward." dialog option. When you see Dr. Packard with River Ward, you will have a chance to appeal to him again. Once there, you must choose the "Hasn't let me down yet" option, which he will greatly appreciate.

Following The River

At the end of The Hunt side mission, you can choose two options that will work in your favor. Pick "Don't do it, River" or take the "I'll help you" option. Either of these is fine and will yield the same result for the romance. After 24 hours in the game, River will call you to start the romance mission, Following The River.

This job is pretty easy, as you will start by stirring the Jambalaya. Just agree with him and keep it playful. You'll then need to grab some rice from the kitchen and sit with River on the patio. After this semi-magical encounter, you can play a game with the children.

In this game, the adults will play against the kids to see who can eliminate all the targets in the combat area. Now, you can miss the targets on purpose to let the kids win, but this is optional. For the sake of the kids, just let them win. 

After this, there will be a dinner scene where you can say, "I do." And no, this is not for his hand in marriage, but it is required to get what you want (that is, to romance River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077). 

After this, you will have to follow River. He will lead you up to the water tower. Once there, you can talk to River and take things further. To do so, choose the "Just don't fall in love..." option. River's response to this will be " Too late."

This will then give you the option to kiss River Ward. Choose this option for obvious reasons. After the cut scene, speak with River and explain your current situation to him.

Afterward, you will be given the choice of telling him you don't want to pursue anything further or kissing him and saying yes. Obviously, choosing the latter will lead to you romancing River. And that's it! You've now romanced River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077. The good guy of Night City is all yours and yours alone. 

We wish you and River Ward a long and healthy relationship. Well, that is until Phantom Liberty arrives. With so many changes on the way and newly added content, you should enjoy this stable relationship while you can. But why stop there? Read our Judy romance guide or Panam romance guide next! 

Oh - and if you're interested in spicing up your gameplay experience, you might want to check out our best Cyberpunk 2077 sex mods. No, we're not kidding.