Cyberpunk 2077
OPEN-WORLD ACTION-RPG set in NIGHT CITY (dystopian Californian megacity, 2077) developed by CD PROJEKT RED (Poland). Player creates V — a customizable mercenary chasing biochip that promises immortality. First-person perspective; deep character customization (Solo/Netrunner/Techie); mixture of gunplay + hacking + melee + driving + branching dialogue. Based on MIKE PONDSMITH'S 1988 CYBERPUNK 2020 TABLETOP RPG. Launched DECEMBER 2020 with catastrophic bugs (removed from PS Store); redeemed by PATCHES + PHANTOM LIBERTY expansion (2023). Netflix anime EDGERUNNERS (2022) revitalized brand. 30M+ SOLD.
What is Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 is OPEN-WORLD ACTION-RPG developed + published by CD PROJEKT RED (Warsaw, Poland — makers of The Witcher franchise). Released DECEMBER 10, 2020 for PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox/Stadia after 8-YEAR DEVELOPMENT + multiple delays. GAMEPLAY: FIRST-PERSON perspective (with occasional third-person cutscenes). Player creates V — customizable protagonist mercenary with LIFE PATH (Nomad/Streetkid/Corpo) + ATTRIBUTES (Body/Reflexes/Technical Ability/Intelligence/Cool). Set in NIGHT CITY — sprawling neon-lit CALIFORNIA MEGACITY in year 2077 (successor to Mike Pondsmith's 1988 Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop RPG universe). Main story: V acquires biochip containing digitized personality of ROCKERBOY REBEL JOHNNY SILVERHAND (played by KEANU REEVES) — chip is killing V + must be removed while pursued by megacorps. GAMEPLAY MIXES: gunplay (guns, tech weapons, smart weapons that track targets), melee combat, HACKING (quickhacks — remotely fry enemy cybernetics), STEALTH, DRIVING (cars + motorcycles), + DIALOGUE with branching narrative + relationships. CHARACTER PROGRESSION via cyberware augmentations (arm blades, sandevistan time-dilation, monowire whips) + skill trees. LAUNCH DISASTER: December 2020 release was RIDDLED WITH BUGS especially on PS4/Xbox One (poor performance, crashes, T-poses); SONY REMOVED game from PlayStation Store for 6 MONTHS (unprecedented); CD Projekt shares crashed 75%; class-action lawsuits. REDEMPTION ARC: 2021-2023 patches (v1.5, v1.6, v2.0) dramatically improved game; PHANTOM LIBERTY EXPANSION (September 2023) with IDRIS ELBA as new character = universally acclaimed. Netflix anime CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS (September 2022, Studio Trigger) = massively popular + drove millions of new sales. 30+ MILLION UNITS SOLD by 2024. Cultural rehabilitation complete: from cautionary launch tale to beloved sci-fi RPG. SOUNDTRACK: iconic — mixing punk, industrial, techno (bands like SAMURAI performing Johnny Silverhand's music, Health, Grimes, Refused). NIGHT CITY setting frequently compared to Blade Runner 2049 + Ghost in the Shell + Akira. INFLUENCE: raised bar for narrative-driven open worlds; brand deeply intertwined with Reeves star power.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~3000 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Night City — open-world map (~50 km²) + Dogtown expansion
Country of origin
🇵🇱 Poland
Estimated origin
December 10, 2020 (initial launch); September 2023 (Phantom Liberty + v2.0 major rework)
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Complete V's story arc — investigate biochip, navigate megacorp conspiracies, choose which faction to align with, and decide V's fate. Multiple endings based on choices + relationships.
Rules
Basic rules
CREATE V — choose life path (Nomad / Streetkid / Corpo) + attributes
Life path affects opening + some dialogue; 5 core attributes for stat progression.
EXPLORE NIGHT CITY — accept main + side jobs from FIXERS
Non-linear structure; do side content in any order.
COMBAT: gunplay, melee, HACKING (quickhacks), stealth
Player choice of approach in most missions.
DRIVE cars + motorcycles to reach objectives + explore
Vehicle combat added in v1.5 patch.
MANAGE cyberware augmentations from RIPPERDOCS
Trade humanity for combat effectiveness.
BUILD relationships with 4 ROMANCE OPTIONS (Judy, Panam, River, Kerry)
Some sexuality-locked (Judy = fem V only, Kerry = male V only).
MAKE CHOICES affecting multiple ENDINGS
5 endings in base game + more in Phantom Liberty; determined by relationships + faction alignment.
Scoring
No score — narrative-driven progression; player experience + endings determined by choices + relationships.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Complete main story mission | Advance narrative + earn XP + Street Cred |
| Complete side job | XP + Eddies (currency) + new gear + relationship progression |
| Complete Gig from Fixer | Eddies + Street Cred (unlocks better gigs) |
| Kill enemies | XP + Street Cred + loot |
| Hack terminals + successful quickhacks | Intelligence + Technical Ability XP |
| Complete Phantom Liberty expansion | New endings + Idris Elba storyline |
Win condition · Complete a main story ending — 5 possible in base game (Sun, Star, Temperance, Devil, Path of Least Resistance) + additional Phantom Liberty endings.
Playing area
Called
Night City — open-world map (~50 km²) + Dogtown expansion
Dimensions
6 districts: City Center, Watson, Westbrook, Heywood, Pacifica, Santo Domingo + Dogtown (Phantom Liberty)
Dense urban open-world with vertical cyberpunk architecture; some interior instances (apartments, corporate towers, gangster hideouts).
Equipment
PC (Windows) — recommended: RTX 3070 + 12GB RAM + 70GB SSD
Also on PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Series X/S. Steam, GOG, Epic, PSN, Xbox Store.
PS5 / PS4 / Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One (base game $60; Phantom Liberty $30)
PS4/Xbox One versions perform poorly; PS5/Series X recommended.
Controller or mouse+keyboard
Both fully supported; PC gets ray tracing + DLSS.
Optional Phantom Liberty expansion (Sep 2023, $30)
New Dogtown district + Idris Elba character + branching endings.
Strategies
PICK LIFE PATH matching preferred playstyle — Corpo for dialogue, Nomad for exploration, Streetkid for street cred
Life path affects opening + occasional dialogue options; not game-breaking.
SPEC INTO NETRUNNER (Intelligence) early — hacking trivializes combat
Quickhacks can one-shot enemies + disable turrets from stealth.
OR go SANDEVISTAN cyberware (Reflexes) — slows time; melee god mode
Katana + Sandevistan = broken combo popularized by Edgerunners.
DO SIDE JOBS with named characters (Judy, Panam, River, Kerry) — best storylines
Some side jobs affect main story endings.
COMPLETE PHANTOM LIBERTY expansion — best content in game
Adds 20-30 hours of new content + best endings.
PLAY on PS5 / Xbox Series X / PC (avoid PS4/Xbox One)
Old-gen consoles run poorly even after patches.
SAVE OFTEN — some choices are IRREVERSIBLE + affect endings
Point-of-no-return mission marked as warning.
Terminology
- V
- Protagonist — customizable mercenary player character.
- Night City
- Fictional Californian megacity setting (2077).
- Cyberware
- Body augmentations installed by ripperdocs (arm blades, sandevistan, etc.).
- Netrunner
- Hacking specialist class.
- Quickhack
- Remote hack that damages/controls enemy cybernetics.
- Eddies
- In-game currency (short for eurodollars).
- Ripperdoc
- Underground cyberware surgeon.
- Fixer
- Job broker who assigns gigs.
- Corpo
- Corporate life path option; also refers to megacorporations.
- Johnny Silverhand
- Rockerboy antagonist/ally played by Keanu Reeves.
- Sandevistan
- Time-dilation cyberware; slows time for melee combos.
- Phantom Liberty
- September 2023 expansion adding Dogtown district + Idris Elba.
- Edgerunners
- Netflix anime tie-in (Studio Trigger, 2022).
- Cyberpsychosis
- Mental breakdown from excessive cyberware — lore concept.
Major competitions
The Game Awards nominations (multiple 2020, 2023 for Phantom Liberty)
annual · worldwide · since 2014
Speedrun.com any% (Cyberpunk 2077)
ongoing · worldwide online · since 2020
No professional esports scene — single-player only
n/a · n/a
Where it is played
Governing bodies
CD Projekt Red (developer)
Founded 1994 · Warsaw, Poland
Official site ↗CD Projekt SA (parent + publisher)
Founded 1994 · Warsaw, Poland
Official site ↗R. Talsorian Games (Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop IP holder)
Founded 1985 · Blaine, WA, USA
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Keanu Reeves — Motion-capture + voice of Johnny Silverhand (rockerboy antagonist/ally)
- Idris Elba — Motion-capture + voice of Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty expansion
- Mike Pondsmith — Creator of Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop RPG (game's source material)
- Marcin Iwiński + Michał Kiciński — CD Projekt co-founders
- Adam Badowski — CD Projekt Red head of studio (post-launch redemption architect)
- Various speedrunners — Any% world records under 1 hour
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Start with Streetkid life path — most accessible opening
Corpo has more dialogue; Nomad most freedom; Streetkid most grounded.
- 2
Play on NORMAL difficulty — LEARN combat + hacking mechanics
Very Hard reserved for NG+ runs.
- 3
Follow main story through Act 1 — game opens up massively after
Prologue is ~6 hours; open world unlocks fully after.
intermediate
- 1
Focus on ONE combat style — Netrunner OR Solo OR Sandevistan OR Techie
Split builds are weaker; commit to identity.
- 2
Complete PANAM + JUDY + RIVER + KERRY relationship arcs
Best side content in game; affects endings.
- 3
Explore all 6 DISTRICTS of Night City + collect Tarot murals
Rewards + world-building.
advanced
- 1
Play PHANTOM LIBERTY expansion — best endings + Idris Elba
Requires main story progress to unlock.
- 2
Try VERY HARD difficulty + NG+ mods (PC only)
PC mods extend replayability massively.
- 3
Speedrun any% — under 90 minutes for elite runners
Community rankings on speedrun.com.
- 4
Achieve SECRET ENDING (Don't Fear the Reaper) — Johnny requires 70%+ friendship
Requires specific dialogue choices throughout.
Frequently asked
Is Cyberpunk 2077 fixed after launch?+
YES — dramatically. LAUNCH (December 2020) was catastrophic: bugs, crashes, poor performance on PS4/Xbox One; Sony REMOVED the game from PlayStation Store for 6 MONTHS (unprecedented). Class-action lawsuits + share price collapse. REDEMPTION ARC via 2021-2023 patches (especially v2.0 in Sep 2023) + PHANTOM LIBERTY EXPANSION (Sep 2023 with Idris Elba) transformed the game. Current state (2024-2026) universally acclaimed. Recommendation: PLAY ON PC/PS5/Xbox Series X — never on PS4/Xbox One (still poor performance). Netflix EDGERUNNERS anime (2022) drove new player interest + is highly recommended companion viewing.
Do I need to play with Phantom Liberty?+
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED — Phantom Liberty (September 2023, $30) is CD Projekt Red's best content. Adds: 20-30 hours new spy-thriller storyline in new DOGTOWN district; new character SOLOMON REED (Idris Elba, motion-capture + voice); new relic skill tree + vehicle combat + air drops; NEW ENDING (Path of Least Resistance) considered by many the best ending. Story crosses over with base game — you can start it during Act 2. Playing base game alone loses ~40% of the best content. Buy the ULTIMATE EDITION ($60) which bundles base + Phantom Liberty.
How is Cyberpunk 2077 related to the Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop RPG?+
SAME UNIVERSE — Cyberpunk 2077 is set 57 years after Mike Pondsmith's 1988 CYBERPUNK 2020 tabletop RPG (published by R. TALSORIAN GAMES). Pondsmith is credited as game consultant + appears in Cyberpunk 2077 as Maximum Mike NPC. Modern tabletop version CYBERPUNK RED (2020, R. Talsorian) is set BETWEEN 2020 + 2077 as bridge lore. Netflix's EDGERUNNERS (2022) is set slightly before Cyberpunk 2077's events. Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves) was a pre-existing character from Cyberpunk 2020 lore, not created for the game. The tabletop community has embraced the video game's massive success, driving new interest in Cyberpunk Red.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Cyberpunk 2077— Wikipedia
- Cyberpunk official site— CD Projekt Red
- Cyberpunk 2077 Fandom Wiki— Fandom