Cyberpunk 2077: Everything we know from E3, trailers and beyond – CNET

Way back in January 2013, CD Projekt Red released a stunning trailer for Cyberpunk 2077. Since then, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were released, CD Projekt Red took the world by storm with The Witcher 3 and its expansions, Nintendo went from console laughingstock to the top of the world and all the while, fans were left with that sole Cyberpunk 2077 trailer.

But during Microsoft’s E3 2018 press conference, that changed. While we still haven’t gotten an in-depth look at what the game actually plays like, we did get a second trailer that reveals more about the world of Cyberpunk 2077, and the attitude CD Projekt Red is embracing on their ambitious project.

What are you waiting for? The full, new trailer is right here:

While fans were left in the dark for years, CD Projekt Red was adamant that the game is still under development, but no screenshots, gameplay footage or demos have surfaced in the five years since the first trailer. But as we now know, rumors circulating about the game finally making an appearance, particularly after CD Projekt Red filed a new trademark for Cyberpunk 2077 prior to the conference, ended up being true.

What’s up with the world of Cyberpunk 2077?

To understand Cyberpunk 2077, you first have to know Cyberpunk 2020. The latter was a beloved role-playing game from the late 1980s and early 1990s that incorporated many of the cyberpunk tropes. There’s cybernetic enhancement, nefarious corporations, devious punk rock hackers, neo-noir aesthetics, freaky future drugs and trench coats. So many trench coats.

In the world of 2020, the US sits at the mercy of megacorporations after the world basically goes to hell. These megacorps become fiefdoms with their own areas of interest and secret plots to gain dominion over the others. Within that combative environment rests California’s Night City, where players would play out their adventures as corporate raiders, rebel rock-and-roll stars, street doctors or cyborg plain-old assassins.

Though Cyberpunk itself has fallen in popularity, its influence can be seen in everything from the most recent Blade Runner to the (soon-to-be-defunct) Android: Netrunner card game. Cyberpunk 2077 would pick up the series 50-plus years later, with the trailer hinting at robotics far advanced beyond what was seen in the original pen-and-paper RPG. And beyond things looking appropriately cyberpunk-y, the state of the world and the many megacorps is pretty much unknown.

Now THAT’S a Cyberpunk logo.

What kind of game is Cyberpunk 2077?

After The Witcher trilogy, and the huge graphical and game design improvements made with each entry, it’s safe to say CD Projekt Red has established itself as an RPG titan. So it’s no surprise Cyberpunk 2077 has been promised to be an RPG rife with player choice, intricate interactions with NPCs and the world that will have an impact on the story and in-depth character customization. But this is all information pulled from interviews with the developers, none of this has actually been seen in action, and is entirely subject to change.

What won’t change is the game’s identity as a single-player, story-driven RPG.

“Even though it’s going to be a very different game than The Witcher 3 with no predefined character, a futuristic world…the product character: it’s going to be just the same as The Witcher 3 — namely a single-player game purchased for a one-off fee,” CD Projekt Red CEO said at a financial conference earlier this year.

So much for that talk about multiplayer.

And in hidden text from the trailer unearthed by devoted fans, CD Projekt Red revealed even more details about what they have in store for us.

“…while this world is full of adrenaline, don’t let the car chases and guns mislead you. Cyberpunk 2077 is a true single player, story-driven RPG. You’ll be able to create your own character and…, well, you’ll get to know the rest from what we show at our booth at E3,” the message says.

What platforms will Cyberpunk 2077 be on?

Given that Cyberpunk 2077’s second trailer premiered during Microsoft’s E3 2018 press event, yes, it’ll be coming to Xbox One and PCs. But given CD Projekt Red’s track record, it’s reasonably safe to say the game will also be making an appearance on the PS4.

When is Cyberpunk 2077 coming out?

At this rate, all we can say is it’ll probably be out by 2077. In the secret text from the second trailer, CD Projekt Red had this to say:

“When we told you we would only release the game when it’s ready, we meant it. We’re definitely much, much closer to a release date than we were back then :), but it’s still not the time to confirm anything, so patience is still required.”

And in case you were concerned, Cyberpunk 2077 will be lacking microtransactions, incremental DLC and so on. From that trailer text:

“Expect nothing less than you got with The Witcher 3. As for DRM, CP2077 will be 100% DRM-free on PC.”

This story will be updated as we learn more from E3 2018.

E3 2018 coverage at GameSpot: Wall-to-wall coverage of the show from our sister site, GameSpot.

E3 2018 coverage at Giant Bomb: Still more commentary and news from E3, from our colleagues at Giant Bomb.

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