Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red’s Keanu Reeves-starring RPG, just got another delay. Here’s what you need to know.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a massive dystopian RPG from CD Projekt Red, the studio behind the acclaimed Witcher series. After a second delay, the game is set to launch on Xbox One, PC, and PS4 on November 19, with a Google Stadia release coming later in the year.
Although its release comes towards the end of the current-generation, Cyberpunk will also move into the next generation, with Xbox Series X and PS5 releases confirmed.
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 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 hoping we’ll 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.
[Update: The Cyberpunk 2077 stream is happening today. Here’s how to watch the Cyberpunk 2077 Night City live stream and what to expect.]
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.
The Cyberpunk 2077 release date is November 19,2020. 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 it got a second delay to September… and now a third delay to November.
The reason for the Cyberpunk 2077 delay to November 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.
The most recent 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.
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.
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:
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.)
We were treated to a Cyberpunk 2077 trailer during E3 2018 which you can watch below:
Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire streamCD Projekt Red is hosting the Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire live stream later today, where we’re sure to get our best look yet at the upcoming dytopian RPG.
Originally planned for June 11, the Cyberpunk 2077 stream was postponed to June 25 (that’s today!), with the developer saying «more important discussions are happening right now and we want them to be heard».
But what are we expecting from the Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire live stream? CD Projekt Red has the stream will run for 25 minutes and we can expect to see a brand new trailer, fresh gameplay footage and an in-depth chat with the devs about a Cyberpunk 2077 feature called «braindance» — a form of VR entertainment in the Cyberpunk universe.
Xbox One controller easter eggThe Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One controller is apparently hiding a fun easter egg for fans. As reported by Reddit user UglyDucklingTaken, the back of the controller features a QR Code which, when scanned, takes players to an unlisted video of a track from the game’s soundtrack: «The Ballad of Buck Ravers» by in-game band SAMURAI.
This comes after those who purchased the special edition Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X console discovered a hidden message on its back that can only be discovered using UV light. The message was found to read (via VG247) «Many languages, one message» followed by Thank You in multiple languages.
Coming to Stadia laterCyberpunk 2077 will not be available on Stadia when it launches on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on November 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 November 17 and December 31 2020.
M for MatureIt 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.»
Cyberpunk coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X — with full blown, next-gen version coming at a later dateCyberpunk 2077 will officially release on PS5 and Xbox Series X. The game will also be backwards compatible on both consoles meaning your PS4 or Xbox One version of the game will work on their respective successor from day one.
In addition, CD Projekt Red confirmed on Twitter that a «later upgrade to Cyberpunk 2077, taking full advantage of the next-gen hardware, will be available for free» on both next-gen consoles.
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 leakSo, 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 titleWe’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.
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 supportNvidia has announced that it will support Cyberpunk 2077 on its GeForce Now streaming platform when the game launches in November 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.
