Pixel Herald

The path will not be an easy one

Shortly after the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077, the co-founder of CD Projekt Red spoke out in an apology video and announced plans for post-launch support for the game. The goal was to bring Cyberpunk 2077 to its best possible state with as many free updates as possible, before releasing a free upgrade for next-gen consoles (Playstation 5, Xbox X) and a content expansion. However, as the patches to improve the standard game took longer than planned, the next-gen upgrade and expansion were postponed.

Small beginnings

In the first few months after release, CD Projekt Red released patches that solved serious performance problems. Although the game was far from perfect, especially on older consoles, Cyberpunk 2077 celebrated its return to the Playstation Store in June 2021. In February 2022, the long-awaited free update for the new generation of consoles was finally released. The update improved the graphics, brought a more stable frame rate, additional content and many other quality of life improvements.

The power of anime

In collaboration with the Japanese animation studio Studio Trigger, the anime series Cyberpunk Edgerunners was put on Netflix in September 2022. Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, the anime set in the cyberpunk world generated many fans for the game. Shortly after the release of Edgerunners, more players ventured into Night City than ever before. With momentum on their side, CD Projekt Red announced the game’s first and only expansion, a true espionage thriller, Phantom Liberty.

Cyberpunk 2.0.

Update 2.0 was released a few days before the release of Phantom Liberty. The free patch changed the basic mechanics of the game and also added new ones, significantly improving the gaming experience. The skill trees were rebuilt across the board, the players‘ cyberware (implants) were reworked, a new GTA-style police system was added and other features that significantly improved the gaming experience.

With its Phantom Liberty content expansion, CD Projekt Red, which had already released industry-defining expansions for The Witcher 3, upped the ante again. In this espionage thriller, the President’s plane is shot down over Dogtown, a lawless district of Night City. As mercenary V, you have to rescue the president and get to the bottom of why the plane was shot down with a spy played by Idris Elba.

In an extremely exciting story, you have to make several crucial decisions, while you can never be sure who you can trust. The story takes place in Dogtown, a district only accessible to Phantom Liberty owners, which is very different from the rest of Night City and offers new mission types and interesting side missions.
In December 2023, the last bigger update for Cyberpunk 2077 brought players some long-awaited features such as the new Night City Metro.

A look ahead

CD Projekt Red announced a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 with the project name Orion back in October 2022. The game will be developed by the Polish developer’s new studio in North America and will take a few more years before it sees the light of day. Although Orion is to be a sequel, the mercenary V will not return as the protagonist.
There are also plans for a live-action movie set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, which will tell a new story. For the film adaptation, the Polish development studio is cooperating with Anonymous Content, the company known for True Detective, Mr. Robot and The Revenant. Additionally, a new animated Cyberpunk project has recently been announced at Netflix .

After a disastrous launch and a plethora of negative headlines, the developers at CD Projekt Red made the impossible possible. Three years after its release, Cyberpunk 2077 is being celebrated by gamers and critics alike. Even with gigantic production costs, the game is a financial success with 25 million copies sold and the franchise has a bright future ahead.