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CD Projekt RED’s new offering, Cyberpunk 2077, has been long in the making, but it’s almost here – barring any more delays, that is.
The futuristic RPG, which is adapted from the ’80s tabletop game Cyberpunk, has been in the works since 2012 and will be the developer’s first title outside of its The Witcher franchise.
But before Cyberpunk 2077 officially arrives on your favourite consoles, here’s everything we know so far about the game.
What’s the latest news?
- Cyberpunk 2077 story will be shorter than ‘The Witcher 3’ due to complaints
- Watch the world of Cyberpunk 2077 come to life in two brand new trailers
- Cyberpunk 2077 devs reassure that the game won’t be delayed again
What is Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 is a long-awaited action RPG game from CD Projekt RED. It was initially announced back in 2012, with the game’s first teaser released in January of 2013. Watch that trailer below.
The game is adapted from the ’80s tabletop Cyberpunk franchise, which was written by Mike Pondsmith, who is also a consultant on Cyberpunk 2077. The dystopian game takes place in the fictional coastal metropolis of Night City, located in between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and follows a mercenary named V.
Who is developing Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 is being developed by CD Projekt RED, which is best known for its critically acclaimed The Witcher series. Notably, Cyberpunk 2077 will be the developer’s first-ever non-The Witcher game.
The upcoming game will also be the first to use the developer’s next-gen REDengine technology. It will feature ray tracing and other graphical updates to ensure the game will have a “wow factor”, producer Richard Borzymowski previously said. Other features of the game engine have yet to be announced.
When will Cyberpunk 2077 be released?
During a financial results report in September, CD Projekt RED chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz reassured players that Cyberpunk 2077 would not be delayed again. He noted that “when we meet again in this format, Cyberpunk 2077 will have already been released,” while confirming that the next report is slated for December.
In June 2020, CD Projekt RED pushed back the release of Cyberpunk 2077 for the second time to November 19. CD Projekt RED cited the size of the game for its delay, saying that it needed to “properly go through everything, balance game mechanics and fix a lot of bugs”.
Cyberpunk 2077 was first delayed in January 2020. CD Projekt RED postponed its release from April 16 to September 17 to work on “playtesting, fixing and polishing”.
“We want Cyberpunk 2077 to be our crowning achievement for this generation and postponing launch will give the precious months we need to make the game perfect,” the developer had said.
What is the plot for Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 revolves around V, an outlaw mercenary who goes after “a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality”, as described on the game’s official website. Players will take control of V, a character that’s completely customisable. Everything from its body type, voice and even backstory can be personalised to a player’s liking.
Cyberpunk 2077 will also include a slew of gangs and factions that can be befriended, depending on your in-game choices.
The main plot of Cyberpunk 2077 is set to run shorter than CD Projekt RED’s last game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Senior quest designer Patrick K Mills said that the team decided to make the main story more compact as “tremendous amounts of people played through [The Witcher 3] really far, but never made it to the end”.
Is there a trailer for Cyberpunk 2077?
CD Projekt RED released two new trailers for Cyberpunk 2077 during the third Night City Wire stream on September 18. The first took a look at the upcoming game’s city, exploring the various districts and locations available to discover, from the high-rising skyscrapers in an area reminiscent of Blade Runner to the rundown criminal underbelly.
Meanwhile, the second trailer focused on the gangs inhabiting Cyberpunk 2077, showcasing a wide range of diversity between them all. Gangs can hire you as you complete side quests and explore more of Night City. As the story advances, various factions will become intertwined with the narrative the further you assist them with quests.
During the Night City Live stream, held in June 2020, CD Projekt RED released a brand-new cinematic trailer for Cyberpunk 2077, titled The Gig. The clip is said to be the prologue of the game, all happening within the first few quests.
In August 2019, CD Projekt RED released a “deep dive” trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 which previewed the game’s gameplay, storyline and locations, as well as mild spoilers. However, the studio also noted that everything in the clip was “potentially subject to change”.
At E3 2019, the developer released a cinematic trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 that featured an appearance from actor Keanu Reeves.
CD Projekt RED unveiled the first trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2018, five years since its initial reveal. The clip did not feature any in-game footage.
What will the gameplay for Cyberpunk 2077 be like?
Cyberpunk 2077 level designer Max Pears has confirmed that the wall running feature, first previewed during the 48-minute gameplay session in August 2018, has been cut form the game.
Pears noted that it was “something that we removed due to design reasons”, adding that “there’s still going to be a lot of flexibility in how you move, that’s for sure”.
In June 2020, during the Night City Live stream, CD Projekt RED unveiled the Braindance mechanic. The ability will allow players to dive into the histories and memories of other NPCs, looking at the past from another character’s perspective.
Watch the first episode of the Night City Wire stream below; the Braindance segment starts at 11:09.
In August 2018, CD Projekt RED unveiled a 48-minute walkthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 that showed off its mostly first-person gameplay. Third-person perspectives will be utilised during cinematic cut-scenes, while driving in vehicles and in the inventory screen.
Although CD Projekt RED does not describe Cyberpunk 2077 as a shooter – quest designer Patrick Mills previously told Gamesradar that “it’s an RPG before it’s a shooter” – in-game footage has shown that there will be a heavy emphasis on gunplay combat.
In addition, the game will also feature a full melee combat system that includes mechanics such as blocking and parrying. One such melee weapon is the Mantis Blade, which is shown in the walkthrough video, that allows players to scale walls.
Watch the full walkthrough below.
Cyberpunk 2077 is also said to have more romance options than The Witcher 3, according to lead quest designer Paweł Sasko. In response to a fan, the designer stated that “romancing is something heavily present in Cyberpunk, and players will be able to form meaningful connections with other characters as well as go for one-night stands”.
“Since we’re not bound by a predefined character like in The Witcher anymore, the game will feature romance options going beyond heterosexual,” Sasko added. His messages have since been archived on Reddit.
Players will be able to specialise in three different classes in Cyberpunk 2077:
- Techie, a crafter
- Netrunner, a super hacker
- Solo, combat-focused mercenary
However, players will not be locked-in to one class and will have the freedom to discover their own playstyles.
“Unlike with the original [Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop game] where you’re locked into one of those things and then could pick and choose a bit, in ours we want you to be able to pick and choose very fluidly and freely to play the way you want to play,” quest designer Patrick Mills told Eurogamer in 2018.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 a multiplayer game?
In September 2019, CD Projekt RED confirmed that it is working on a multiplayer mode for Cyberpunk 2077. However, the game will initially launch as a single player experience.
Back then, the developer stated that “the plan for now is to deliver Cyberpunk 2077 in April, then follow up with DLCs (free!) and single player content, and – once we’re done – invite you for some multiplayer action”.
Check out its statement below.
2/2 The plan for now is to deliver Cyberpunk 2077 in April, then follow up with DLCs (free!) and single player content, and — once we’re done — invite you for some multiplayer action.
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) September 4, 2019
However, Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed twice since then, and will only be released in November 2020. It’s currently unknown if these postponements have affected plans for a multiplayer mode.
What platforms will Cyberpunk 2077 be released for?
At launch, Cyberpunk 2077 will be available on the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A Google Stadia version is scheduled for release by the end of 2020.
The game will also be ported over to next-gen systems, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, sometime in 2021. The developer has also confirmed that owners of Cyberpunk 2077 on current-gen consoles will be able to upgrade to the next-gen versions for free.
Are there any Cyberpunk 2077-related releases?
In June 2020, CD Projekt RED announced that Cyberpunk 2077 would be receiving its own comic book series, in partnership with publisher Dark Horse Comics. Titled Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team, the series will follow an emergency medical technician (EMT) employed by Trauma Team International, Cyberpunk 2077’s largest medical service provider.
During the same month, at the Night City Live stream, CD Projekt RED also revealed that an anime companion series for the game will be released on Netflix in 2022. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will be helmed by Studio Trigger and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, who have previously worked on animes such as Promare and Kill La Kill.
Watch the trailer below.
There is also a limited-edition Cyberpunk 2077-themed Xbox One X console on the way. The bundle includes a custom console, controller, a physical copy of Cyberpunk 2077 as well as “the future first expansion release”.
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