For a promising game burdened with a tumultuous launch,Cyberpunk 2077has shaken off its reputation and enjoyed enduring popularity, breaking numerous records and passing several milestones, the latest of which comes from Steam. Having launched Patch 1.5 andPatch 1.6 forCyberpunk 2077aimed to fix most of the game’s shortcomings and provide some much-needed quality of life, CD Projekt Red now looks towards the launch of the game’s first (and only) expansion pack.
CD Projekt Red’s collaboration with Netflix yielded ananime series spinoff titledCyberpunk: Edgerunners, and much likeLeague of Legend’scritically acclaimedArcane,Edgerunnershas undoubtedly played a factor in contributing to the popularity of the game. It’s safe to say thatCyberpunk 2077is in a very healthy spot right now, and there is no better way to cement that than to pass a remarkable milestone.
RELATED:CD Projekt Red is ‘Totally, Fully Committed’ to Cyberpunk Franchise
As of today,Cyberpunk 2077is the most played single-player game on Steam, sitting on top of juggernaut roleplaying titles such asPath of ExileandElden Ring. The success ofEdgerunners, the release of Patch 1.6, as well as the 50% discount on Steam, makes checkingCyberpunk 2077out a worthwhile affair for hesitant players who have yet to do so.
While the present situation of the game is bright, continued post-launch support forCyberpunk 2077still remains an uncomfortable question mark for its playerbase. Theexpansion pack titledCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertywill launch in 2023, but CD Projekt Red has made no promises on future content of a similar scale. While many players are hoping that the recent surge in players will have the development team reconsider their current stance, the harsh reality of the situation is that it wouldn’t make a great deal of sense from a company standpoint.
Namely, CD Projekt Red is aware of the potential to further invest in theCyberpunk 2077franchise, but with its rumored sequel and thenextWitchergame both moving onto Unreal Engine 5, the most prudent decision might well be for the developers to focus their efforts into the sequel, and to leave REDengine 4 behind.
WhetherPhantom Libertywill represent the final chapter ofCyberpunk 2077’sstory, the future for the franchise is hardly all doom and gloom. The setting of Night City is ripe for telling new stories, and CD Projekt Red has learned many lessons during the development ofCyberpunk 2077, and one can hope that this wisdom will be carried throughout the development ofCyberpunk 2077’ssequel.
Cyberpunk 2077is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
