Cyberpunk 2077 – From a Disastrous Launch to “Very Positive,” Night City’s Six-Year Redemption

Release Date: December 10, 2020 | Developer: CD Projekt Red | Publisher: CD Projekt Red | Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2 (Ultimate Edition) | Genre: Open-World Action RPG | Price: Standard Edition ~$60 USD | Ultimate Edition ~$83 USD (includes Phantom Liberty DLC) | Languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and more

December 10, 2020, is a date that will be remembered in video game history.

More than 8 million copies had already been pre-ordered, and expectations were through the roof. But when players finally stepped into Night City, they were met with what was, by almost any measure, a disastrous launch — texture pop-in on consoles, main quests frequently breaking or getting stuck, and bugs everywhere, turning what should have been a dazzling cyberpunk metropolis into a glitch-filled mess. Players dubbed it “Cyberpunk disaster.” Founder Marcin Iwiński issued a public apology, and Sony even removed the game from the PlayStation Store. The Polish studio that had once reached legendary status with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had fallen from grace overnight.

But the story didn’t end there.

Over the next six years, Cyberpunk 2077 pulled off one of the rarest comebacks in gaming history — going from “Mostly Negative” to “Very Positive” on Steam, with global sales surpassing 35 million copies. As of August 2026, Steam reviews are approaching one million, with an overall “Very Positive” rating.

How an Anime Turned Night City’s Reputation Around

In the darkest days of the game’s launch, it wasn’t just patches that changed how people saw Night City — it was also an anime from Japan.

In September 2022, Studio Trigger’s ten-episode series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners landed on Netflix. The anime follows David Martinez, a street kid who gradually descends into cyberpsychosis. Trigger’s signature hyper-saturated colors, exaggerated action, and bullet-time effects created a surprisingly effective contrast with Night City’s grim, oppressive atmosphere.

The series received widespread acclaim and significantly expanded Cyberpunk 2077‘s audience. During its release, Cyberpunk 2077‘s Steam player count surged, bringing back veteran players and attracting newcomers alike.

On October 20, 2026, CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger will launch a brand-new standalone anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, directed by Kai Ikarashi. It will introduce a fresh cast of characters, but the stage remains Night City.

The 2.0 Update: Basically Half a New Game

If you only played the launch version, jumping back in now might leave you wondering: is this even the same game?

The skill tree is completely different. The old system was full of filler nodes like “+5% damage.” Now, builds genuinely change how you play. Netrunners can spread viruses. Blade builds can deflect bullets. Brawlers can toss enemies around. Each archetype has its own ultimate ability, and build diversity actually matters.

The equipment system has been redesigned. It used to be about comparing numbers. Now, the interactions between weapons, cyberware, and perks are what truly define your build.

The police system finally works. Cops no longer spawn right behind you. There’s now a star-based wanted system — lower levels bring in regular NCPD units, while higher levels escalate to heavily armed tactical teams, with MaxTac arriving at the highest level. You can run, or find a spot to hide and wait for the heat to die down.

Vehicle combat is here. You can now shoot from cars and bikes. Some vehicles come with built-in weapons, letting you engage in road battles with rival gangs.

One player comment nailed it: “Before 2.0, Cyberpunk was a pretty open world. After 2.0, it’s a real role-playing game.”

Phantom Liberty: The DLC That Paid Off the Original’s Debt

The DLC takes place in a new district called Dogtown — once a military no-man’s-land, now a lawless criminal haven. You work with a secret agent named Solomon Reed, and the mission pulls you into a web of espionage, betrayal, and conspiracy.

Length: The main story runs about 10–15 hours, with side content extending that significantly.

Story Quality: If I’d rate the base game’s story a 6 out of 10, Phantom Liberty would be a 9. Idris Elba’s Reed is a standout character. The decisions you make carry real weight — not the kind of “choose A or B and it doesn’t matter” choices. When the final mission ends, you might just sit there for a few minutes, processing it all.

New District Design: Dogtown feels different from Night City — denser, more vertical, packed with ruins and secrets. Exploring often reveals hidden passages, underground facilities, and a much stronger sense of discovery.

New Ending: The DLC adds a new ending route that can change V’s final fate. No spoilers, but let’s just say it feels more “real” than any of the base game’s endings.

Many players feel that Phantom Liberty elevates the entire Cyberpunk 2077 experience to another level.

“High Tech, Low Life” – Why Night City Is Worth Another Visit

The core of cyberpunk is “high tech, low life” — beneath the dazzling neon lights lies the everyday struggle of the underclass. Cyberpunk 2077 tells V’s story, a merc forced to climb from the bottom.

At its heart, it’s a futuristic take on GTA, with street-level conflict driving the narrative. But when the Relic chip — slowly killing V — is implanted, the story shifts from urban crime to a deeply personal tragedy about survival. Crucially, it never devolves into a clichéd tale about selflessly saving the world.

Phantom Liberty pushes those themes of identity, survival, and choice further into espionage, political power, and personal loyalty, adding another layer of political and technological shadow to Night City’s story.

System Requirements & Buying Guide

System Requirements: After 2.0, the official minimum requirements are an i7-6700 / Ryzen 5 1600 + GTX 1060 6GB / RX 580 8GB, 12GB RAM, and an SSD. The recommended specs are an i7-12700 / Ryzen 7 7800X3D + RTX 2060 Super / RX 5700 XT, 16GB RAM, and an SSD.

If your PC is a mid-range gaming system from recent years, running the base game shouldn’t be a problem — the real factors are resolution, ray tracing, and graphics presets.

Which version to buy: If you don’t own the base game yet, get Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game and all DLC — and it’s frequently on sale. If you already own the base game, just buy the Phantom Liberty DLC.

Who Is This For?

Recommended for:

• Players who were turned off by the launch version and want to see what it’s become
• Fans of open-world, narrative-driven RPGs
• Anyone interested in cyberpunk themes and dystopian storytelling
• Players willing to sink dozens of hours into Night City’s atmosphere
• Those who got into the world through Edgerunners and want to try the game

Not recommended for:

• Players expecting a flawless, zero-bug experience (bugs are rarer now, but not extinct)
• Those who dislike first-person perspective
• Players with no patience for heavy dialogue and cinematic storytelling
• Anyone with a PC below the minimum requirements

Should You Return to Night City?

The Cyberpunk 2077 of 2020 and the Cyberpunk 2077 of 2026 are two completely different games.

Many players consider it one of the defining titles of this generation. If you were burned six years ago, it’s time to come back. This game spent nearly six years paying back the debt it owed.

On August 18, 2026, Cyberpunk 2077 marked its 2,077th day since release. Quest Director Paweł Sasko reflected on the journey from launch, through years of patches, to Phantom Liberty, calling it “such a long journey.”

And Night City’s fire hasn’t gone out — the sequel, Cyberpunk 2 (codenamed Project Orion), is already in pre-production at CD Projekt Red Boston. It’s still a long way off, but Night City’s story is far from over.

Copyright Notice: All game screenshots, character images, and related materials referenced in this article are the property of CD Projekt Red and are used for game introduction, review, and informational display purposes.