Cyberpunk 2077

Lore & Background

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in Night City, an independent megacity and city-state between the Free States of North and South California, functioning as a corporatocracy unaffected by federal or state legislation. Founded in the mid-2040s, the city suffers from rampant gang violence and corporate warfare, exacerbated by a corrupt government and police force. The city relies on robotic technology for everyday functions, and its architecture and fashions derive from four aesthetic eras: Entropism, Kitsch, Neo-Militarism, and Neo-Kitsch. Homelessness and poverty are widespread, but cybernetic modification is common even among the underclasses, leading to cosmetic addiction and high levels of violence. Cyberpsychos—those rendered mentally unstable by heavy modifications—are dealt with by the police tactical unit MaxTac. Privatized health corporations like Trauma Team use paramilitary doctors for rapid medical services, and open carry is permitted for all residents due to constant threats of harm.

The player character V is a freelance mercenary whose background is determined by one of three life paths: Nomad, Street Kid, or Corpo. These choices establish V's starting location, prologue mission, and initial clothing, and unlock unique dialogue options. The game's open world consists of seven regions: the corporate City Center, immigrant-inhabited Watson, luxurious Westbrook, inner-city Heywood, gang-infested Pacifica, the industrial suburbs of Santo Domingo, and the breakaway Dogtown introduced in the Phantom Liberty expansion. The surrounding Badlands are also explorable. The game features a first-person perspective, with third-person available only while driving or during specific story moments. A full day-night cycle and dynamic weather affect NPC behavior, and law enforcement may be alerted if V commits a crime.

The plot follows V, who becomes reluctantly imbued with a cybernetic biochip containing an engram of Johnny Silverhand. As Johnny's consciousness begins overwriting V's own, the two must work together to separate and save V's life by confronting the Arasaka Corporation, a powerful megacorporation acting as the de facto ruler of the city. The game's branching dialogues and player choices can lead to different endings.

Reader's Guide

Cyberpunk 2077 began development after the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine in 2016, with a team of around 500 people using the REDengine 4. CD Projekt launched a new division in Wrocław, Poland, and partnered with Digital Scapes, Nvidia, Q-LOC, and Jali Research, with Mike Pondsmith serving as a consultant. The original score was composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz, with contributions from licensed artists. Upon release in December 2020, the game received praise for its narrative, setting, and graphics, but its gameplay elements received mixed responses, and its themes and representation of LGBTQ+ characters drew some criticism. It was widely criticized for bugs and glitches, particularly on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, leading Sony to remove it from the PlayStation Store from December 2020 to June 2021. CD Projekt faced investigations and class-action lawsuits for downplaying the severity of technical problems, settled for US$1.85 million. Subsequent improvements, the Phantom Liberty expansion, and the 2022 tie-in anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners led to a progressive reappraisal of the game. As of July 2026, it had sold over 40 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time, with a total development and marketing cost between $436 million and $440 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop. A sequel was announced in October 2022 and is in development.

Did You Know?

• The game was removed from the PlayStation Store from December 2020 to June 2021 due to bugs and glitches.
• Keanu Reeves portrays Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rockstar and terrorist whose engram is stored on a cybernetic biochip.
• The Phantom Liberty expansion was released in September 2023 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
• The game sold over 40 million copies as of July 2026.

The Story of V and Johnny Silverhand

Cyberpunk 2077 casts the player as V, a mercenary whose appearance, voice (Gavin Drea or Cherami Leigh), and backstory are fully customizable. The narrative's central conflict ignites when V is reluctantly implanted with a biochip holding the engram of Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rockstar and terrorist brought to life on screen by Keanu Reeves. As Johnny's consciousness gradually overwrites V's own identity, the two are forced into an uneasy partnership: they must confront Arasaka Corporation, the megacorporation that functions as the de facto government of Night City, in order to separate their minds and keep V alive. The game is set in a dystopian California metropolis drawn from Mike Pondsmith's original Cyberpunk tabletop universe. Players choose one of three life paths—Nomad, Street Kid, or Corpo—which shape V's starting location, prologue, and available dialogue options, though none confer mechanical advantages in attributes or leveling.

A Massive Production Spanning Years

Development on Cyberpunk 2077 kicked off in the wake of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine in 2016, and the project ultimately consumed a team of roughly 500 developers working on CD Projekt's REDengine 4. To handle the scope, the studio opened a new division in Wrocław, Poland, and brought in external partners including Digital Scapes, Nvidia, Q-LOC, and Jali Research, while Mike Pondsmith himself served as a creative consultant. The original soundtrack was composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz, supplemented by tracks from various licensed artists. After years of building anticipation, the title launched in December 2020 across PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One, with next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions arriving in February 2022. The Nintendo Switch 2 received the game as a launch title in June 2025, and a macOS port followed in July 2025. The expansion Phantom Liberty dropped in September 2023. All told, the combined development and marketing budget—encompassing updates and DLC—landed somewhere between $436 million and $440 million, placing it among the priciest video games ever produced.

From Scandal to Reclamation

Critics lauded the game's storytelling, atmospheric setting, and visual fidelity, yet its launch was marred by a wave of bugs and glitches, especially on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Sony pulled the title from the PlayStation Store between December 2020 and June 2021 while CD Projekt worked through the issues. The publisher also faced regulatory investigations and class-action lawsuits over what was perceived as an effort to minimize the severity of pre-release technical problems; those legal matters were eventually resolved with a $1.85 million settlement. Some reviewers also raised concerns about the game's thematic treatment and its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters, while certain gameplay mechanics drew mixed reactions. Over the following years, a steady stream of patches and quality-of-life updates, combined with the September 2023 release of Phantom Liberty and the 2022 anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, gradually shifted public perception. By mid-2026 the game had shipped more than 40 million copies worldwide, cementing its place among the best-selling titles in gaming history despite its rocky debut.

Systems, City, and Player Freedom

Played from a first-person perspective, Cyberpunk 2077 offers deep mechanical customization. Players allocate points across five core attributes—Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical Ability, and Cool—with a sixth, Relic, added in Phantom Liberty. The two dominant play styles are Netrunner (hacking) and Solo (combat), and V can reposition using sprinting, cover, double-jumping, and sliding, many of which are unlocked or enhanced through cyberware installed by a ripperdoc. Ranged weapons fall into three categories—Power, Tech, and Smart—each with distinct bullet behavior, and four damage types (Physical, Thermal, Electric, Toxic) can be both dealt and resisted. A fully non-lethal playthrough is possible. The open world of Night City spans seven regions, from the corporate City Center to gang-controlled Pacifica, with the Badlands as an explorable outskirts area. A dynamic day-night cycle and weather system influence NPC behavior, radio stations provide ambient audio, and a technology called Braindance lets V periodically experience recorded memories.