I booted up Cyberpunk 2077 again in 2026, mostly because Night City has a nasty habit of pulling me back... and I found the same tiny, weirdly perfect Mortal Kombat tribute waiting in V's apartment. It's one of those Easter eggs that doesn't scream for attention. It just sits there, smug, on a table, while the city outside keeps yelling. If you missed it during your first run, you're not alone. I nearly walked past it myself. But with the game's later patches and the Phantom Liberty era still keeping Night City alive, this little statue remains a great excuse for a road trip into the Badlands.
What The Easter Egg Actually Is
The reference is a small statue of Scorpion — not the Aldecaldo who dies in the story, but a collectible from the fictional "KO Kombat" series. When I scanned it, the game labeled it as the "Yellow Jacket Warrior." That's the joke. It's a legal-safe, in-world nod to Mortal Kombat's Scorpion, complete with a pose that fighting-game fans will recognize instantly. Night City loves to hide its jokes in plain sight, and this one is almost too cute for a city built on corporate misery.
How I Unlocked It
The key is a side job called "I'll Fly Away." You can't just wander into V's apartment and expect the statue to appear. You have to do a small favor for Mitch, and that means visiting the Badlands before you finish Panam's "Queen Of The Highway" mission. If you've already pushed too far into Panam's storyline, you might lock yourself out of this one. Trust me, choom, I learned that the hard way on an older save.
Here's the short version:
| Step | What To Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Finish "Life During Wartime" and let the story play out at the crash site. |
| 2 | Before "Queen Of The Highway," head southwest of the Nomad camp in the Badlands. |
| 3 | Look for the side job "I'll Fly Away" near the burial site. |
| 4 | Meet Mitch on the hill, then drive north to where the road meets the edge of the world. |
| 5 | Complete the send-off for Scorpion and accept Mitch's gift. |
| 6 | Check V's apartment table later — the statue will be waiting. |
The quest itself is quiet. That's what got me. Mitch is standing next to a burial site, and he wants help honoring Scorpion, the Aldecaldo who died during the Kang Tao operation in "Life During Wartime." There's no boss fight, no big explosion, just a friend asking V to do something decent. The send-off happens north of the camp, where the road runs out and the Badlands does its whole "edge of the world" thing. It's one of those moments where Cyberpunk 2077 stops yelling and just breathes for a second.
Why It Still Matters In 2026
Cyberpunk 2077 has changed a lot since launch, and 2026's version is a far cry from the original release. But this Easter egg hasn't lost its charm. It's a reminder that Night City's best secrets aren't always tied to loot rarity or build optimization. Sometimes they're just a weird little statue and a funeral for a character you barely knew. The game has plenty of pop-culture references, from Blade Runner to Death Stranding, but this one feels personal because you have to earn it through a quiet side job.
I'll be real: I almost skipped "I'll Fly Away" because my map was cluttered with gigs. That would have been a mistake. The statue now sits in V's apartment like a tiny trophy from a road trip I didn't know I needed. It's not going to change your build. It won't help you beat Adam Smasher. But it does make the apartment feel a little more lived-in... and a little more ridiculous, which is exactly what Night City is about.
So if you're replaying Cyberpunk 2077 in 2026 or finally cleaning up side jobs before the credits roll, give Mitch a call. The Yellow Jacket Warrior is waiting.