Cyberpunk 2077 is a massive dystopian RPG from CD Projekt Red, the studio behind the acclaimed Witcher series. After a delay, the game is set to launch on Xbox One, PC, and PS4 on September 17, with a Google Stadia release coming later in the year.
Although its release comes towards the end of the current-generation, it looks like Cyberpunk will also move into the next generation, with an Xbox Series X release confirmed and a PS5 one highly likely to follow.
Set in Night City, a corporations-controlled metropolis in the Free State of California, Cyberpunk 2077 is set to be a vast open-world game that allows players to play through numerous branching storylines and experience the neon-drenched, gritty cities and futuristic gadgets and weapons associated with the the cyberpunk sci-fi genre.
Through an extended Cyberpunk 2077 trailer as well as a hands-off demo at E3 2019, we’ve had the chance to see some of the scale of the game. But we’re likely to get our best look at Cyberpunk 2077 yet during CD Projekt Red’s Night City Wire stream that’s taking place on June 25.
While we wait for that, here’s all the news, trailers, and announcements we’ve had on Cyberpunk 2077 so far. Or, if you can’t take the anticipation ahead of the game’s 2020 release, check out our thoughts on the Cyberpunk RED tabletop role-playing game instead.
Cut to the chase
- What is Cyberpunk 2077? A brand new IP from CD Projekt Red starring Keanu Reeves
- What’s the Cyberpunk 2077 release date? September 17, 2020
- What systems will Cyberpunk 2077 be released on? PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, GeForce Now, Google Stadia and PC
- Will it come to next-gen consoles too? Confirmed for Xbox Series X, while PS5 seems likely – there will even be a “full-blown next-gen” version of the game after the consoles launch
- Is it not coming to Switch? Sorry, Nintendo fans – while the Witcher 3 was somehow ported to Switch, it seems unlikely the hardware could cope with what Cyberpunk is promising
What is Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 is a neon cyberpunk game that has The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red moving from a gritty, high fantasy world to an equally gritty, science fiction world metropolis. It’s based off the pen-and-paper RPG of the same name, but plays a hell of a lot like The Matrix game we’ve always wanted.
We caught our first peek at the game behind closed doors at E3 2018 – you can check out what we saw in the 48-minute walkthrough video below (in the trailers section).
Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that looks vastly different from its developer’s The Witcher series, with towering neon skyscrapers, bionic enhancements and a focus on vertical movement rather than wide open plains. It’s also all in first-person.
At E3 2019 we learned a lot more about the plot of the game, which features the one and only Keanu Reeves. Reeves plays a character named Johnny Silverhand who’s embedded in a biochip that’s placed in the main character’s brain.
In order to unlock the secrets to the biochip, what basically becomes the main thread of the game, Silverhand will guide you to Alt Cunningham, the most legendary net runner of all-time. The only problem? She’s dead. But her consciousness lives on the web and you’ll need to do whatever it takes to track her down – including, but not limited to, befriending or eliminating leaders of the biggest gangs in Night City.
Cyberpunk 2077 release date
The Cyberpunk 2077 release date is September 17, 2020. It wasn’t always that way, as the game’s first official teaser trailer stated it would come out “when it’s ready.”
It didn’t have a solid date attached to it until the E3 2019 trailer, which gave it an April 16, 2020 launch date. That was the constantly touted Cyberpunk 2077 release date for six months until the latest (and hopefully last) delay.
The reason for the Cyberpunk 2077 delay to September isn’t because the game isn’t done. CD Projekt Red says it’s finished, but more time to fine-tune the expansive game is necessary. It is, after all, a massive RPG.
Cyberpunk 2077 trailers
The latest Cyberpunk 2077 trailer is a 15-minute deep dive into the game’s lore, world, and gameplay. If you don’t mind spoiling some of the visual treats in store – including what it’s like to actually step into cyberspace – check out the video here.
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E3 2019 gave us an incredibly slick trailer, with a look at some new characters, weapon-play – including Keanu Reeves, who will be playing the rock star Johnny Silverhand. Get your fix in the trailer below.
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In March 2019, we got yet another video, this time of the development team gearing up for the E3 2019 showcase event. Those hoping for a 2019 release may want to start to brace themselves however – though the game remains without a release date, the suggestion of the video below is that development is still in full swing, and a release date may be some time away yet:
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After a veritable truckload of hype, CD Projekt Red released 48 minutes of gameplay footage, based on the demo journalists saw at E3 2018.
In it, you’ll see what gunplay looks like, character creation and backstory assignment, plus how you’ll upgrade yourself via cybernetic enhancements. You’ll meet some of the characters in Cyberpunk’s seedy crime circuit and explore the city on foot and in vehicles. (Quick warning: the trailer contains nudity, violence and swearing.)
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We were treated to a Cyberpunk 2077 trailer during E3 2018 which you can watch below:
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Cyberpunk 2077 news and features
Coming to Stadia later
Cyberpunk 2077 will not be available on Stadia when it launches on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on September 17. This was revealed in an unrelated press release (via ArsTechnica) which states that the Google Stadia version is “set to launch in the same year”. Though there’s no solid date attached to the Stadia launch, this at least tells us it’ll be between September 17 and December 31 2020.
Night City Wire
CD Projekt Red has announced that there will be a special Cyberpunk 2077 announcement stream taking place on June 25, called Night City Wire. We currently don’t know any details about the stream, or what time it will take place, but we’re expecting to see more gameplay footage from the upcoming dystopian RPG.
The stream was originally scheduled to happen on June 11 but was postponed by CD Projekt Red.
We decided to move Night City Wire to Jun 25th. We still look forward to sharing new information about CP’77, but more important discussions are happening right now and we want them to be heard. We wholeheartedly stand against racism, intolerance and violence. Black Lives Matter.June 2, 2020
M for Mature
It looks like Cyberpunk 2077 will have a Mature rating. Alongside its rating the ESRB has given some information on what aspects of the game have led to that rating, citing “blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content and use of drugs and alcohol.”
PS5 and Xbox Series X set to get ‘full-blown next-gen’ Cyberpunk 2077 – but not at launch
That’s according to CD Projekt, the parent company of Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red, which suggested during a recent earnings call (via VGC) that, while the game will still release in September and will be available on Xbox Series X “from the get-go”, an enhanced, next-gen version will be released at a later date.
“In terms of Microsoft’s console, like I said, we have officially confirmed both the update and the cross-gen availability, meaning that you’ll be able to play the game from the get-go on the next-gen,” CD Projekt SVP of business development Michal Nowakowski said during the call.
“However, when it comes to a proper, full-blown next-gen version, that’s going to come later, we haven’t announced when and I don’t have a new comment here on that.”
So far, Cyberpunk 2077 has only officially been confirmed for Xbox Series X. CD Projekt Red previously confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will make use of the Series X’s Smart Delivery feature, offering players the chance to upgrade their Xbox One version of Cyberpunk 2077 to an Xbox Series X version for free – and now that decision makes a bit more sense.
A CD Projekt Red spokesperson has confirmed to VGC that the “full-blown next-gen version” Nowakowski referred to is the previously announced Xbox Series X upgrade.
But what about Sony? CD Projekt seemed to suggest during the earnings call that Cyberpunk 2077 will be coming to PS5 – we can’t see why it wouldn’t – but that the company is waiting for Sony to make the announcement first.
“There’s no official announcement coming from PlayStation so we really can’t confirm or deny anything,” Nowakowski said. “It’s PlayStation that first needs to address these issues and then we’re happy to make a comment, but we can’t jump the gun ahead of them.”
Committed to no further delays
CD Projekt Red has it is aiming to avoid another delay to the game’s release despite the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. In a message posted to Twitter, the developer has said it’s upgraded its equipment and infrastructure so that its staff can work from home “for as long as it is needed” adding that “while this all is a bit new to everyone, we are rising to the challenge and showing no signs of stopping in our effort to bring you some kick-ass role-playing action in September.”
Hopefully the studio’s efforts will be as successful as it hopes and will avoid any delays but, of course, the health and safety of the studio’s employees is far more important than that.
Many of you are probably wondering how things are at CD PROJEKT RED right now. Here’s a short update. pic.twitter.com/aWfHobgtoMMarch 16, 2020
Submitted for age rating
Cyberpunk 2077 has reached an important stage: it’s been submitted to age ratings agencies around the world. The news comes from CD Projekt Red Head of Studio Adam Badowski who tweeted that the game has now been sent out to PEGI, ESRB and others, adding that while the team awaits the rating it is “polishing technical aspects and playtesting it”.
This is an exciting reveal to fans after the game’s five month delay and Badowski notes teasingly that the game is “looking better and better with each passing day”.
We just submitted @cyberpunkgame to age rating agencies around the world (PEGI, ESRB, etc.). While we wait for the game to get rated, we work on polishing technical aspects and playtesting it. Game is looking better and better with each passing day!March 10, 2020
Based on ratings for The Witcher 3 and what we know already about Cyberpunk 2077, it seems likely that the game will receive a high age rating.
Who are the Tyger Claws?
As we’re approaching the release of Cyberpunk 2077 new information on the game has been a little limited and CD Projekt Red has been keeping quiet. But a recent video posted to YouTube by Madqueen Show (via VG247) is purporting to reveal one of the gangs that will roam Night City when the game is released: Tyger Claws.
The gang, which also exists in the tabletop RPG of the game, is described in the video as being “a Japanese booster gang” which “settled in the district of Westbrook, also known as ‘Japantown,’ the part of the city where people go when they’re looking for thrills. As they are the protectors of the Japanese community at large, it is thought they are backed up by one of the most powerful megacorporations of Cyberpunk 2077: Arasaka.”
The contents of the video haven’t been confirmed by CD Projekt Red but adding some credence to it is a Tyger Claws poster over on the official Projekt Red store which describes Tyger Claws as a Night City gang hailing from Japantown. Another gang poster features a group called the Valentinos from the barrio.
Grimes tells all in apparent gameplay leak
So, we knew that the pop star Grimes was going to feature on the soundtrack, but she’ll also be voicing a character within the game – a character we now know a decent bit about.
Grimes appeared on a live stream in late February, and spoke about her involvement in Cyberpunk 2077 as the singer / performer Lizzy Wizzy, possibly revealing more than she was meant to, with mention of how her in-game character appears and the rather sci-fi situation she finds herself in. Spoilers below, obviously.
The YouTube video was quickly pulled, but this thread on Reddit features a “summary” of what was mentioned (meaning this may not be perfectly verbatim):
“I did my voice acting for Lizzy Wizzy, that game is going to be fucking good. I mean I haven’t played it, but I saw someone play an hour of the game. The game was fantastic, and I play a pop star who committed suicide on stage, and they had to quickly come and preform emergency surgery and replace her whole body with cybernetics while she was dead for an hour and then she finished the show as a cyborg. One of the greatest pieces of performance art ever made.”
Confirmed for Xbox Series X – as a Smart Delivery title
We’ve been speculating about Cyberpunk 2077 coming to next-gen consoles for a while now, but this is the first time we’ve had official confirmation.
The official Twitter account for the game responded to news of Microsoft’s new Smart Delivery feature – which allows Xbox owners to access souped-up versions of previously-purchased games, even after switching to a next-gen console – stating that anyone buying Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One would get the game for free on Xbox Series X.
Gamers should never be forced to purchase the same game twice or pay for upgrades. Owners of #Cyberpunk2077 for Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X upgrade for free when available. https://t.co/nfkfFLj85wFebruary 24, 2020
It’s a big incentive to buy early, rather than wait for the improved graphical power of the next-gen console. We doubt PS5 will have the same feature, though you can be sure we’ll get official word on the game coming to the next-gen PlayStation console too.
As to when the next-gen versions will land? The tweet only says “when available”, though we expect it will happen some time in 2021.
Nvidia GeForce Now support
Nvidia has announced that it will support Cyberpunk 2077 on its GeForce Now streaming platform when the game launches in September 2020. This is good news for those who can’t stretch for a brand new expensive gaming PC but would like to enjoy the game’s promised ray-traced visuals as they’ll be able to play it with RTX On.
You’ll have to buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam before playing it on GeForce Now but this is a big win for Nvidia after losing Activision Blizzard’s games.
🌗 Next stop: Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to GeForce NOW at launch.More info → https://t.co/DuK53ktkrh pic.twitter.com/hjNVsom58fFebruary 19, 2020
VR not happening
It seems that a virtual reality element was considered by CD Projekt Red for Cyberpunk 2077 but was ultimately found to not be viable. In an interview with OnMSFT, producer John Mamais said that VR is “very experimental and niche” and therefore just wasn’t a great fit for the game. “We tried,” he explained, “We were thinking about VR but, yeah, we’re not doing anything with VR.”
Mamais wasn’t particularly forthcoming on the topic of a port for Nintendo Switch, either, saying it’s unlikely but that similar things had been though of The Witcher 3.
“I don’t know if Cyberpunk 2077 would work on the Nintendo Switch. It might be too heavy for it. But then, we did put Witcher 3 on it and we thought that would be too heavy too, but somehow we pulled it off.”
Big names on the soundtrack
CD Projekt Red used The Game Awards to give players a better idea of the music that will feature in Cyberpunk 2077 and set the tone for exploring Night City. A behind-the-scenes segment confirmed that artists including Run the Jewels, Refused, Grimes, A$AP Rocky, Gazelle Twin, Ilan Rubin, Richard Devine, Nina Kravitz, Rat Boy, and Tina Guo will appear and there are more to be confirmed. You can watch the segment for yourself below:
So, what does Night City sound like?@runjewels @Refused @Grimezsz @asvpxrocky @gazelletwin @IlanRubin @RichardDevine @NinaKraviz @DeadlyHunta @RATBOY @Tinaguo#TheGameAwards #Cyberpunk2077 pic.twitter.com/f5ayGtVgTX13 December 2019
Game map
An official art and lore book for Cyberpunk 2077 has appeared on Amazon and its cover gives us a look at part of the game’s map of Night City. The map shown on the cover isn’t massive but it is dense and it looks like it doesn’t cover the whole game world—cutting off at the edges suggests that exploration will extend beyond the city walls, correlating with earlier interviews with Pawel Sasko which revealed an external area known as the Badlands will be explorable. Not only that, the fact that we’ve previously had a glimpse at a city metro map makes us think Night City will be about exploring vertically as well as horizontally.
Reddit Q&A reveals more details
More has been revealed about the depth of Cyberpunk 2077 in a recent Reddit Q&A in which a user has recounted information from their attendance at a Q&A day with CD Projekt Red in Poland.
According to the poster, the game’s day and night cycle will have an impact on quests; at certain times of day, for example, a location may be more or less guarded which could impact your likelihood of success. Weather, though, won’t have an impact quite so severe although in-game characters will react to it.
The game’s crime system has been revealed as being similarly dynamic— so police won’t jump on you for a small crime like, say, assault on a particular individual. But they will “absolutely try to fry your ass” for more extreme things like causing harm to large groups of people with a gun or vehicle.
Quests in the game will be wide-ranging, branching and evolving, even impacting one another. And the game won’t necessarily end with the completion of the main story; you can opt to keep playing. Replayability is said to be higher with this game than The Witcher 3.
As far as customization goes, the developer has acknowledged that players are interested in car customization but has asked for more patience before saying anything with regards to any plans, while, interestingly, there won’t be an option to buy a new apartment. Instead V’s apartment will evolve and change depending on the paths that players take when playing the game and it’ll feature options within it for customization and expression though what they are has not been confirmed.
Post-launch content
We’re still a long way away from any kind of post-launch content for Cyberpunk 2077 but fans have been thinking about how CD Projekt Red may consider monetising it. Well, the studio doesn’t seem to have locked down any definite path just yet but it is being considered and the most likely scenario appears to be that the game will follow in the post-launch content footsteps of The Witcher 3.
In an interview with GameSpot at PAX Australia, the head of CDPR’s Krakow office, John Mamais said “I think it’s a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game. It seems like it’s very profitable, though. It’s probably a hard decision for the guy that runs the business to decide if we should do it or not. But if everyone hates it, why would we do something like that and lose the goodwill of our customers?”
As far as Mamais is concerned, the Witcher 3’s model which saw free DLC launched with big paid expansions was “a good model” which “worked pretty well.” As a result, Mamais added “I don’t see why we wouldn’t try to replicate that model with Cyberpunk 2077. We’re not talking about that yet, but it seems like that would be the smart way to go.”
Photo mode?
Let’s face it, we all want to take pictures of Night City and there have been hints that this may be possible when the game launches. The developer told fans previously that there were plans to include a photo mode in the game and a recent video posted to Twitter has suggested that may still be the case.
The video shows a scene of the Night City skyline while the symbol of a camera shows briefly. The hashtags on the tweet itself read Capture Cyberpunk and Photos From Night City. This makes a photo mode seem very likely and given it’s a feature found in most big budget games these days that may not be entirely surprising. However, the game’s first person perspective may present some challenges if CD Projekt Red wishes to allow players to take pictures which will include their fully-customised avatars.
#CaptureCyberpunk#PhotosFromNightCity pic.twitter.com/7YRwEevkjIOctober 7, 2019
No Reeves romance for you
We know, you’re devastated. We all are. But it’s now been confirmed that Keanu Reeves is not a character you’ll be able to romance during Cyberpunk 2077 (via PCGamer).
What about multiplayer?
After repeatedly stating that multiplayer elements were in R&D but saying nothing more, CD Projekt Red has confirmed on Twitter that it’s definitely in the works. So far, the plan appears to be to release the game in September as a single-player experience and then follow this up with various single DLCs that will be free to download and play, after which players will begin to be invited for “some multiplayer action.” Multiplayer is, then, slightly down the road but it is coming.
1/2 Until now, the only thing we said about multi was that it was in R&D. As we’re getting closer to launching ‘single player’ Cyberpunk 2077 in Apr. 2020, we’d like to confirm that multiplayer’s in the works! If you feel like lending us your skills apply: https://t.co/QQV6qsuvhk pic.twitter.com/GHbiS5N3DTSeptember 4, 2019
Character creation will be gender fluid
In an interview with Metro, senior concept artist Marthe Jonkers clarified that players would be able to customize their characters’s gender expression in a much more fluid way than traditional RPGs – with two masculine / feminine body types and voices you can mix and match as you please.
Jonkers said that “you don’t choose your gender anymore. You don’t choose, ‘I want to be a female or male character’ you now choose a body type. Because we want you to feel free to create any character you want.”
GTA-style radio
You can listen to some music GTA-style while cruising about in your vehicle.
Coming to Stadia
Cyberpunk 2077 has been announced for the Google Stadia streaming service for games.
Spin-off card game
Forget Gwent—Cyberpunk 2077 is getting its very own spin-off card game called Afterlife that will launch sometime in 2020. The game is being made in collaboration with board game publisher Cmon, whose listing for the game reads:
“The game thrusts players into the dark alleyways of Night City, where ruthless gangs clash with corporations in an endless war for money, power, and control.
“In Cyberpunk 2077: Afterlife, players become Fixers, the data brokers and masterminds in Night City that recruit cyberpunks, equip them with gear, and send them out on missions. But nothing’s free in Night City. Players need to balance between what they want and what they can actually afford. Using an innovative drafting mechanic and special dashboard, players must decide which cards they want to buy, and which to sacrifice for funds in order to purchase new ones.
Each successful mission raises the player’s Street Cred, with mission survivors becoming Veterans, imparting their knowledge and experience to newer recruits. In this chrome-infused world, Street Cred is the only currency that truly matters.”
Hardcore mode that says goodbye to UI
In an interview with Wccftech, CD Projekt Red’s Alvin Liu discussed hardcore mode, revealing that it will get rid of the game’s UI to provide a “real challenge” for players. That means there’ll be no markers or indicators telling you where things are or what level of enemy you’re going up against. It’s real immersion in Night City and the desert beyond with the potential for real frustration.
Of course, it’s not just the hardcore players that are being catered to in Cyberpunk 2077; Liu revealed that there will also be modes for those who are less experienced with first person games and shooters and wish to enjoy a more laidback experience.
“If you want to play more casually for the story and maybe you’re not experienced with shooters, which was a real big concern for us. We want to tell a story and maybe you’re a big fan of The Witcher and you’re not comfortable playing a shooter, we have settings available for that.”
Liu explains that as well as settings for less experienced players, there will also be weapons. The smart gun, for example, will help players to aim. Though it comes at the cost of the smart gun being a weaker and slower weapon. It will, however, be a good start for those looking to get to grips with the aiming system.
For those unfamiliar with first person games, there’s also going to be a Field of View slider. Making more of the game world visible through the eyes of the avatar should alleviate that sense of tunnel vision that comes from trading third person view for first person and the potential for nausea this can cause some players.
Environmental hazards
In an interview with Wccftech, UI director Alan Liu revealed Cyberpunk 2077 will feature dynamic weather such as acid rain and other environmental hazards.
Settings available for those uncomfortable with FPS
The game includes a number of difficulty levels for those who may struggle to adjust to playing an RPG in the style of an FPS.
Cyberpunk 2077 will look just as good on console as PC
In an interview with Wccftech, UI director Alan Liu was asked about the challenges of optimizing Cyberpunk 2077 for low-end hardware.
“Actually no, we have a very custom engine, the RED Engine,” Liu responded. “And actually, we’re targeting consoles as first-class platforms and it looks amazing there. So obviously, if you spent, you know, $2,000 building your PC rig, it’s going to look better on that. But the graphics are quite amazing for what you’re going to get from Cyberpunk 2077 on consoles and low-end PCs.”
Could we see a movie adaptation in the future?
In an interview with VGC at E3 2019, Pondsmith admitted that Keanu Reeves’ involvement in the game has made the possibility of a Cyberpunk movie adaption much more likely.
“I can’t really say anything on that,” Pondsmith told VGC in response to whether he is optioning the Cyberpunk movie rights. “But with Keanu Reeves being tied up in things, it’s become much more of a possibility.”
“At this point we are teaching people about this new kind of cyberpunk. My favorite film is Blade Runner, but I recognise inherently that it’s a cerebral film and 2049 was even more cerebral. A cerebral film is not necessarily going to allow other people to enter that space and understand it, but at the same time you don’t want to do it totally action.”
Keanu Reeves’ band gets its first single
If the appearance of Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 as a rock star wasn’t enough, punk band Refused are creating the music for his in-game band (named Samurai). And if that wasn’t enough, Samurai have released their first single, Chippin’ In – presumably something to do with microchips – so you can start getting a sense of Night City’s soundscapes already.
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There may or may not be three games in development
Polish news site Bankier reported that CD Projekt President Adam Kiciński had confirmed the existence of yet another AAA game set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, likely being the planned follow-up to next year’s game – with a secondary team apparently working on a multiplayer mode too. CD Projekt has refuted the claims, while refusing to be drawn on whether a sequel could appear down the line. To be fair, they’re probably focused on getting the main title out first.
Take your pick of protagonists
Instead of a set lead character like the Witcher, it sounds like we’ll have a few options to choose from. Cyberpunk 2077’s lead quest designer, Paweł Sasko, has commented that “The player in Cyberpunk 2077 can create a custom character that has one of three origin stories, that we call Lifepaths,” each with their own “starting location and story background that are strongly connected with the origin story” (via VG24/7). The three choices are Street Kid, Nomad and Corporate.
There will be romance
Fans of The Witcher 3’s romantic sub-plots will be happy to hear that CD Projekt is bringing something similar to Cyberpunk 2077. In an interview with GamesRadar, the game’s Quest Designer, Mateusz Tomaskiewicz, confirmed that players will be able to have relationships with different “entities”, all of whom will have their own stories, goals and ideas for you to engage with. He stopped short of confirming just how many romance threads players will have the option to pursue and whether or not one of them will be with Keanu Reeves. It seems unlikely, though.
There will be no morality system
Players won’t be constrained by any kind of morality system in Cyberpunk 2077 it has been confirmed by Mateusz Tomaskiewicz in an interview with GamingBolt. Given the complex nature of the decisions players made in The Witcher 3, this decision to favor the grey probably won’t come as much of a surprise. This means that if you want to play through the entire game without killing anyone you absolutely can. Or if you want to be the next Angel of Death you can do that too. You just have to invest in the right in-game skills to do so.
There’s more than Night City
From what we’ve seen so far, the setting of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 looks like a mighty impressive, expansive and very neon place to explore. But it won’t be the only location in the game to explore.
In an interview with VG247, the Lead Quest Designer, Pawel Sasko, revealed that players will be able to go beyond the walls of the metropolis and explore an area known as the “Badlands”. Largely desolate and populated by Nomads, this area will have its own quests. You can even start the game as a Nomad and begin your story outside of the city.
Multiple Endings
In an interview with CD Projekt, YouTuber Yong Yea got confirmation that Cyberpunk 2077 will have multiple endings. It’s not been confirmed just how many there will be but this ties in with the expansive image of the game that’s being presented and the idea that players are crafting a highly personal story.
New Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay shown at E3 2019, but not playable
At E3 2019 we got the chance to see Cyberpunk 2077 at a behind-closed doors demo centered around Pacifica – the southern-most region of Night City – and Keanu Reeves’ character, Johnny Silverhand. The weirdest part? Keanu may in fact be the key to immortality. Yes, you read that correctly.
Inside Pacifica, two gangs – The Animals and The Voodoo Boys – are fighting for supremacy. In order to meet Bridgitte, the head of the Voodoo Boys, you’ll have to first deal with her lieutenant Placide, who wants you to infiltrate The Animals’ hideout. Your goal, at least you’re told, is to find a high-tech van that’s monitoring all the network traffic in Pacifica.
To get to this van, you’ll have to make your way past The Animals’ crew. The reason they’re called The Animals, it turns out, is because they take a drug that enhances their muscle mass. To get through them you’ll either need to fight your way through – a risky proposition – or sneak your way into the hideout.
Customization: perks, skills and attributes
You’ll customize your character’s look; you’ll customize their backstory; you’ll customize their base skills and you’ll give them perks that make them who they are. If you want a ninja samurai who came from the streets and is skilled in firearms and hand-to-hand combat, you can make that. If you want a net runner super hacker that can take over turrets and jack into enemies, you can make that, too.
The choices are vast, and while they’re not completely limitless, CD Projekt Red doesn’t want to confine you to a single play style or set path.
The reasoning behind that, it seems, is to better mirror the game’s source material – a 30-year-old tabletop role playing game called Cyberpunk (however, there was also a later edition called Cyberpunk 2020).
Behind all of the hacking and gunplay lies a fairly complex RPG – the perks screen we saw during our demo had more than 20 perks to choose from and level up. These perks impact how your character plays, but can also impact what choices you have in conversations with the world’s NPCs.
Vampire Bloodlines and Deus Ex were inspirations for the game
Given it’s based on a tabletop roleplaying game and Cyberpunk is already a massive sub-genre in science fiction, we knew Cyberpunk 2077 hadn’t been totally pulled from the ether without any kind of influence. But we’re always interested to find out about some of the more subtle influences on the game and the way it plays, some of which Quest Director Mateusz Tomaskiewicz has revealed in a recent interview with gaming publication AreaJugones.
Tomaskiewicz said that games such as Deus Ex, Vampire Bloodlines and Elder Scrolls had influenced him in his work on Cyberpunk 2077’s quests. He cites the original Deus Ex as a particular influence and praises the ways in which it gives players the freedom to complete missions in multiple ways. This suggests we can expect a great deal of freedom and complexity and non-linearity in Cyberpunk 2077’s missions as well as in the protagonist you’ll be using to cause havoc in the game world which is something quite different from the tight gameplay-loop found in The Witcher.
CD Projekt Red is working on two AAA titles – both to be released by 2021
CD Projekt Red has confirmed it still plans to release two AAA titles by 2021. While we know one of these titles will definitely be Cyberpunk 2077, we’re still in the dark about what the second title could be.
This release window was reaffirmed on the official CD Projekt Red forums, with moderator Donata Popławska confirming the studio is sticking to its original roadmap.
“As far as the strategy of the CD Projekt Capital Group for 2016-2021 is concerned, its plans to release the second AAA game by 2021 remain unchanged,” the moderator wrote (translated via Resetera user Antiax).
However, Popławska did not expand on what the second AAA title to be released in this time frame could be.
“We are currently focusing on the production and promotion of Cyberpunk, so we do not want to comment on further projects,” they continued.
For those of you asking, yes, we will be at E3 this year.February 28, 2019
Lady Gaga could be making an appearance?
According to french site ActuGaming, Lady Gaga and CD Projekt Red are collaborating for Cyberpunk 2077 and the artist has already visited the Polish studio to take part in motion-capture – suggesting she will have a character role in the game itself.
In addition ActuGaming claimed the collaboration would be officially announced at E3 2019, with Gaga rumored to be making an appearance at the gaming convention however that didn’t happen.
In 2018 Gaga tweeted a strange mix of letters and numbers, which the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account replied to with “Of course! Of course we will!”, suggesting the A Star is Born actress would be involved with the game in some way or another.
Of course! Of course we will! 😎September 18, 2018
E3 2018 confirmed features
We got to spend some time watching a demo of Cyberpunk 2077 during E3 and we learned some interesting things about the game.
It’s a first person RPG set in a huge open world known as Night City – a metropolis split into six districts, each offering a different environment to explore. During the demo we only saw a small part of one of them.
Players can create their own character called V and embark on their journey to crawl up from the criminal underbelly. This is a dark game and though The Witcher series is mature, this takes it to a new level.
As you’d expect, the game lets you augment your body using various bits of tech – illegal or otherwise – and you can use drugs to enhance your combat, or a kind of digital brain-hack called ‘Braindance’. We know weapons are wide ranging and seriously creative, with smart guns and bullets as well as terrifying Mantis Blades for melee.
There are no loading screens in Cyberpunk 2077 and the story and side quests are branching and numerous, and your choices genuinely impact the outcome. You can read more about how impressed were were by what we saw.
It will be on Steam
Good news Steam fans: Cyberpunk 2077 will definitely be coming to the platform. At the Pareto Securities Gaming Seminar (via PCGamesN) the studio’s CEO Adam Kiciński gave a presentation in which he confirmed that the game would not be exclusive to GOG. There’s been a lot of furore over the Metro Exodus being ‘removed’ from Steam and onto the Epic Games Store, but it looks like CD Projekt Red is steering clear of that minefield.
It’s going to be bigger than The Witcher 3
It would have been a pretty safe guess to say that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be a big game, but in an interview with MCV in 2015 visual effects artist Jose Teixeira said it’s going to be “far, far bigger” than anything the studio has ever done.
In fact, he said that The Witcher 3 was being treated as a learning experience and that they could do better. To do better, the studio has doubled in size with studio head Adam Badowski saying that after The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 needs to be “even better, even bigger, even more revolutionary” than what had originally been planned.
There may be multiplayer
It was confirmed years ago that the game would have multiplayer elements but what exactly they’ll be is unclear. It was said, though, that the game would mainly focus on single player.
The company president said in March 2018 that these elements are not on the table right now, so it’s possible that they’ll be introduced after the game’s release in a sort of online world like GTA Online.
There will be online
As well as multiplayer, CD Projekt’s CEO has confirmed that there will also be online elements to the game. In an interview with Polish tech site Strefa Inwestorow Kiciński stated that “Online is necessary, or very recommended if you wish to achieve a long-term success. At some point, we have mentioned that there will be a certain online element related to Cyberpunk.”
Whether or not the online elements will feed into the multiplayer is unclear.
But there won’t be microtransactions
CD Projekt Red tweeted to quell fears over microtransactions in online components, stating that Cyberpunk 2077 will be “nothing less than” the Witcher 3, adding that players will “get what [they] pay for” with “no hidden catch.”
It appears that while many studios are feeling the need to move to a service model to ensure their titles make money, CD Projekt is staying committed to the story-driven single player experience with Cyberpunk 2077, one which served them very well with The Witcher.