Despite throughly enjoying the game and awarding it an ‘exceptional’ rating, many people were disappointed with Cyberpunk 2077 when it originally released in 2020. Courtesy of CD Projekt Red’s over ambition, the game launched with a myriad of bugs, glitches, performance issues, as well as missing features. The latter of which led to an outcry leading to a wave of refunds, lawsuits, and an apology from the developers. The Polish studio promised to fix the game and deliver the content fans expected, but it took almost three years for this apology to come to fruition. With that said, the game is finally getting a massive free update bringing outlandish changes to the action role-playing game. Dubbed Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, the new update will be available starting on 21 September, 2023, and it will be followed by the first major expansion, Phantom Liberty, on 26 September 2023.

What’s new in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0?

Update 2.0 is more than just a patch fixing bugs and improving performance. It also adds new features, content, and systems overhauling the core gameplay and making Night City feel more alive and immersive. Here are some of the main changes players can expect from the Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update:

  • Redesigned Cyberware, perks, skills, and Relic abilities: The progression system in Cyberpunk 2077 was criticized for being shallow and unbalanced, with many perks and abilities being useless or underwhelming. Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 aims to address this by completely redesigning the system and adding new options for customisation and playstyles. Players will be able to equip more cyberware without being limited by slots per area, but they will have a maximum total capacity. They will also be able to unlock new skills by using the corresponding playstyle, such as Headhunter for sniping, Netrunner for hacking, Shinobi for stealth, Solo for combat, and Engineer for crafting. These skills will grant stat increases and extra perk points as they level up. Additionally, the Relic ability tree, which features the game’s most powerful and devastating abilities, will also be revamped with new and refreshed abilities.
  • AI combat overhaul, vehicle combat, and revamped police: Combat in Cyberpunk 2077 was often criticized for being too easy and repetitive, with enemies being dumb and predictable, and police being ineffective and annoying. Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 aims to address this by overhauling the AI combat system and adding new ways to engage in fights. Enemies will be smarter and more varied, with different factions having different behaviors and tactics. They will also react to environmental hazards, such as fire, explosions, or hacked devices. Vehicle combat will also be introduced, allowing players to shoot their weapons from their cars or motorcycles, or use mounted weapons for certain nomad vehicles. Netrunners will also be able to hack and take over enemy vehicles and make them explode. Police will now be more competent and aggressive, with a new wanted system operating on clear and simple rules. Criminal activity will be punished by cops who. chase players relentlessly and escalate their response depending on the heat level. Players who reach the maximum heat level of five stars will encounter a Max Tac mini-boss experience. If players choose to run from the authorities, they will have to deal with car chases and road blocks. If they get caught, they will not be able to surrender peacefully or bribe their way out.
  • New content: quests, weapons, vehicles, and more: Update 2.0 also adds a plethora of new content to Cyberpunk 2077, in addition to the new and revamped game systems. Players will be able to explore new quests expanding on the lore and characters of Night City, such as a questline involving Johnny Silverhand’s former band Samurai. New weapons can be acquired, such as a katana that can deflect bullets, or a cyberdeck that can summon a digital ghost, and there are new vehicles to drive, such as a flying car or a tank. There are also a host of new UI and UX improvements, such as a customisable HUD, or a photo mode. The update also has new music with three new stations added.

What’s next for Cyberpunk 2077?

As great as the Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 is shaping up, it is not the end of the game’s journey. The game will also receive its first major expansion on 26 September 2023, called Phantom Liberty. The expansion adds a brand new storyline, is set in a new district of Night City called Dog Town, features Edris Elba as a new character and comes with a host of new weapons, vehicles and side quests. The expansion will cost US $30, but update 2.0 is free for all who own the game on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Owner, founder and editor-in-chief at Vamers, Hans has a vested interest in geek culture and the interactive entertainment industry. With a Masters degree in Communications and Ludology, he is well read and versed in matters relating to video games and communication media, among many other topics of interest.