It wouldn’t be an Arkane game unless the ending had multiple choices and Deathloop is no different. After managing the Herculean task of clearing the loop for the first time, taking down the heads of the various groups, and evading the constant pressure of Juliana hunting you, your reward for these efforts is quite an interesting one.

There are multiple endings that are fairly unique, and whilst very short, they’re varied enough that you don’t feel too disappointed about getting them. Whether it’s your first time stepping into Colt’s shoes, or just another Groundhog Day in the Loop for you, here’s everything you need to know about the endings of Deathloop.

Updated December 10, 2023 By Matthew Mckeown: Arkane is sadly mostly done with Deathloop these days. After the Golden Loop update things have gone quiet, but at least the game is as good as it can possibly be at the moment.

However, there are some interesting things going on behind the scenes. Rumors persist of a potential DLC in the works and even a sequel to either follow up on what happened to Colt or a completely new tale featuring actual time travel and not a menu screen. So until then, here’s a refresher on each ending of Deathloop, including the newer Golden Loop and where they leave off the story.

How Many Endings Are There?

In Deathloop there are three endings in total. They’re tied to a simple choice at the end of the game that’s not difficult to mess up. To obtain them, all you need to do is finish the game and then press or don’t press a button and maybe do a little bit of movement; it’s that simple.

There’s no real good or bad ending, as it kind of falls down to your own personal outlook on life within a constantly refreshing loop. But there is one that’s been picked out by the community as the “best” since it’s the most positive and contains an extra mid-credits scene to rub those warm fuzzy feelings in just a little more.

There are also no extra requirements, additional dialogue trees, or missed sidequests tied to the endings, so you can blitz right through the entire game how you like and then pick whichever one you want at the end.

Whilst you can speedrun to the end goal, there's a ton of story and sidequests you'll miss.

*Deathloop Spoilers*

The Endings

Last chance for those not looking to get spoiled on Deathloop endings, for those that want to risk it or already know, feel free to continue reading.

At the end of the adventure, Colt and Juliana have a final confrontation where they discuss the loop and how it can only continue as long as they’re both alive. This leads them to come to a murder-suicide conclusion, with both of them standing a few feet apart, holding guns to each other's heads as Juliana slowly counts down from three.

How you handle this situation determines the ending, as well as the fate of the Loop, and all those left alive inside that haven’t been absolutely butchered in the chaos. Here’s each ending, along with what you need to do to unlock them and what they could ultimately mean.

Break The Loop

To trigger the Break The Loop ending, Colt needs to follow through on the original plan and kill Juliana and himself to end everything once and for all. Before Juliana can count down from three, you need to shoot her. After she dies, Colt will be encouraged to throw himself off the top of the platform the two were facing off on.

After plunging to his doom, instead of the Pearly Gates of the Afterlife, Colt awakes once again on the beach of Blackreef. But this time, things are different.

The sky is awash with a sickly orange glow, and standing over him is Juliana, alive once more but holding a grudge at Colt for ending the loop. She raises her pistol as if to fire before walking away, leaving Colt alone on the beach but alive. His fate and that of everyone in the Loop after that is unknown.

But it’s assumed that they’re all alive again but without their immortality and that with the frosty reception from Juliana, any attempt to repair their father-daughter relationship is gone right out the window. Especially after all the violent trauma on Julianas Psyche after being murdered by her dad for so many years. But at least death is now permanent, hooray...

This ending has since been changed to the Golden Loop and should be considered non-canon.

The Golden Loop

The newest of Deathloop endings and part of the Golden Loop Update, which came several months after the game’s release and added a bunch of extra items and content, the Golden Loop is a rewrite to the previously established Break The Loop ending. At first, it may seem similar to the Break The Loop Ending, but that’s just because it’s just an extension of the current “Good Ending.” But it does lead to a different conclusion from what it originally was and leaves an interesting open-ended question that sets up a potential sequel or at least a minor follow-up to where our characters end up.

To unlock the Golden Loop Ending, just continue as you normally would to Break The Loop. As it plays out, Colt shoots Juliana point-blank in the face, and she fades away, leaving him alone and with a choice of what to do next. Choosing to throw himself into the void, he awakes on the beach again with Juliana alive and standing over him, about to fire before sighing and leaving quietly against an apocalyptic-looking sky.

However, everyone on the island is alive, aware that the Loop is now broken, and very confused about what’s happening. Some take it better than others, everyone is a bit upset about this new development, but Colt pulls them all together in a ramshackle convoy of cars filled with junk and belongings.

They all set off across the now dried-up seabed to a future and destination unknown. It’s a much more upbeat and lighter tone ending that ties the story off with a nice bow and leaves some interesting places for the story to go.

The convoy of survivors and what happens to them does leave the door open to a future follow-up DLC or sequel. We guess time will tell.

Reset The Loop

The second ending that’s unlockable resets the Loop entirely, putting everything back to square one and restoring the status quo. Choosing this option revives the Visionaries, and you’ll need to take them down all over again, as the previous day's events no longer matter.

To unlock this ending, you need to once again shoot Juliana in the face before she finishes her countdown. However, instead of throwing yourself to your death, just sit in the nearby chair and wait. Eventually, the day will begin to reset as the Loop goes back to how it once was as it sucks Colt back in. The cutscene that follows shows him awake on the beach once more, his previous actions erased, the Visionaries returned to life, and the whole game restarting from square one again.

This is a good ending choice for those who may have missed anything or don't want to finish the game just yet.

Spare Juliana And Reset The Loop

The final ending involves neither Colt nor Juliana killing the other. Instead, they bury the proverbial hatchet and decide to build their relationship within the loop as father and daughter for the rest of time. To get this ending, simply do nothing - Juliana will draw her gun like she’s about to fire, but it’s a ruse to force Colt’s hand.

After neither of them fires, they drop their arms and wait for the Loop to reset once more. However, this time around both Colt and Juliana seem elated and excited about their future together. With an eternity to party, murder, and do basically whatever they want, the two share a cute familial scene about mid-way through the credits.

It’s a more positive ending, as both characters decide to remain in the anomaly like the others, using their superpowered abilities and skills to indulge in their heart’s desire for eternity. Though it may be counterintuitive to the story’s main through-point, it does make sense as they’re the only two that retain their memory; they’re no longer alone and have infinite time and lifespan to be together.

Whilst remaining inside the Loop undermines the point of the game, it's a nicer ending that repairs Colt and Juliana's relationship.

Which Ending Is Correct?

Since there are multiple Deathloop endings, there’s always going to be the question about which one is the good or right one. With Deathloop there isn’t really a proper answer for that outside of it being down to your own personal feelings on the whole time loop situation.

Whilst you could argue that breaking the loop is the “true” ending, since Colt is now free to leave the island despite the world looking like it’s two steps away from an apocalypse, he seems to have made amends with the other Visionaries. Plus, despite Juliana’s warning that they could destroy society, there doesn’t seem to be much of a civilization left, if any. Which renders her point about them being a huge threat mute and leaves the story with an interesting question, what now?

Juliana is also implied to be alive in the new rewritten ending. His only real reminder of his wife and implied sole living blood relative forever, with no threat of aging or dying. Both are an upbeat and happier end to Colt’s tale. Then there’s the third option that carries a more melancholic and nihilistic tone of every action for the rest of time being rendered meaningless since nothing ever changes when the Loop resets.

Whether or not a commentary on not upsetting the status quo and being blissful in ignorance within a safe bubble, it’s considered by many to be the “bad” end to the story, and most tend to avoid it. In the end, it’s all down to personal interpretation, but who wouldn’t enjoy a consequence-free eternity, after all?