Cyberpunk 2077 release date, districts, classes, abilities, gameplay, system requirements, romance options – everything we know

Following a cinematic trailer and a behind closed doors presentation at E3, CD Projekt Red’s next game, Cyberpunk 2077, catapulted to the top of everyone’s wish lists.

We were excited about Cyberpunk 2077 before that, of course – I mean, this is a new game from the developers of The Witcher 3, one of the best RPGs ever made, after all. The developer says it is bigger and more ambitious than even Geralt’s third adventure. It is going to be huge.

Rather than exploring a fantasy land from horseback, Cyberpunk 2077 has players driving and walking around a sci-fi city – a sprawling metropolis stuffed with people to talk to, missions to complete, and dirty secrets to uncover.

Here’s everything we know about Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2077 release date

Don’t expect it to release any time soon. The E3 demo of Cyberpunk 2077 was pre-alpha, and even the creator of the pen and paper RPG, Cyberpunk 2020, said we can wait a few more years.

Our best bet is 2020, because it gives CD Projekt Red time to finish the game and it would tie in nicely with the pen and paper RPG.

Is Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox exclusive?

Nope. While the trailer at E3 was shown on the Xbox stage, Cyberpunk 2077 is aiming for release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Cyberpunk 2077 E3 demo

Everyone wants to see the Cyberpunk 2077 E3 demo shown to press and influencers behind closed doors at E3, but it doesn’t look like CD PRojekt Red has any intention of releasing it.

This is likely because it’s not as polished as CDPR would like. The Polish studio wants to show the game at its best, and it also wants to avoid another controversy like what happened with The Witcher 3 – CDPR showed that too early and people accused them of downgrading the graphics at launch.

VG247’s Matt Martin saw the Cyberpunk 2077 E3 demo and wrote a big rundown of what was on show, if you fancy a read. The audio from the Cyberpunk 2077 demo leaked as well, but that was quickly taken down by the developer.

Cyberpunk 2077 character creation

In Cyberpunk 2077, you play as a mercenary called V. It’s up to you whether your V will be a man or a woman, and you can completely alter their appearance as you see fit.

It’s a lot like Mass Effect’s character creation system, in that you are also free to shape your character’s backstory and people in the world will react to this choice with different dialogue. The range of options shown in the E3 demo made it look like it will eclipse Mass Effect when it comes to cosmetic options, however.

Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay

Somewhat controversially, Cyberpunk 2077 plays out from a first-person perspective. This more immersive viewpoint was chosen so people could feel the scale of the setting, Night City, and really get in amongst the grime and corruption. Additionally, it plays into the fact that you’re not playing as a pre-set character – you create your own avatar and you embody them completely.

First-person also helps CD Projekt Red deliver a brand new combat system based around guns, melee, and powers. Think of a more fast-paced take on Deus Ex, with optional stealth, deep conversation systems that you can interrupt by pulling out your gun, and more gore.

Cyberpunk 2077 is extremely violent. Every shot blows chunks off your enemies, you can use a katana to dismember people, and there’s even a weapon class that lets you shoot through cover, or even people.

Combat stims play a large role, too. You are equipped with an inhaler and you can huff it mid-battle to get a speed and sense advantage over your enemies.

As you would expect from a CD Projekt Red game, choice plays a large role in Cyberpunk 2077, too, and missions can play out a multitude of ways, affecting later missions and even changing the ending.

You can navigate Night City on foot, in cars, on motorbikes, and even in flying vehicles, though these are automated and you can’t pilot them. You can switch to a third-person viewpoint in vehicles if you want to. All of this works seamlessly and without loading screens.

Cyberpunk 2077 setting

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in Night City, a future metropolis stuffed with gigantic city blocks, winding highways, grimy back alleys, and neon lights. No amount of light can illuminate the dark underbelly of the city, however.

This is a transhuman society where almost everyone has embraced augmentations, melding man with machine to get increased physical attributes, boosted mental power, abilities, and cosmetic enhancements.

Ripper docs are surgical and mechanical experts who work from unlisted clinics, doing work on anyone who has the funds. These are the people you’ll visit if you want a new eyeball that can see through walls. This world is run by the corporations, and the divide between the rich and the poor is a chasm.

We got a Cyberpunk 2020 expert to write us a primer on the world if you want to really dig into the lore of the pen and paper RPG.

Cyberpunk 2077 Night City

CD Projekt Red says Night City is the biggest world it has created. It’s a dense urban hub that you are free to explore, both inside buildings and out. Split into districts with their own distinct personalities, you need to be careful where you wander.

Your character can rent apartments across the city, working out of a skyrise home as your base of operations before taking the elevator down and exploring the city.

Night City, a fictional amalgamation of New York, L.A., and Tokyo, is split into six districts:

• City Center: This is the central hub of Night City and the heart of the corporations that control it. Expect luxury apartments, rich citizens, and the hum of neon signage.
• Santa Domingo: If the City Center is the heart of the corporations, Santa Domingo is the heart of Night City. This is the district that powers the entire metropolis, an industrial zone stuffed with factories, power plants, and generators.
• Pacifica: Don’t wander into Pacifica unprepared. This is where the seedy underbelly of Night City operates in the open. Pacifica is overrun by gangs and full of trouble.
• Watson: Watson is a maze of marketplaces, cramped streets, and a bustling street life. This is the district where the Asian community congregates.
• Heywood: The Latino district of Night City, this is where your adventure begins, acting as your first hub. You live in an apartment here, mingled in among the gangs, the corps, and the other factions of Night City.
• Westbrook: If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Westbrook is home to the rich and the famous of Night City, filled with social spaces, expensive eateries, and with a busy nightlife.

Cyberpunk 2077 classes

Cyberpunk 2077 has a fluid class system, much like Skyrim, allowing you to increase your potency in the areas you are using the most. In other words, you can make decisions but you are never locked into a single playstyle and you are free to experiment. The three class trees you can grow across are as follows:

• Netrunner: These are master hackers who can hijack any system. If you want to manipulate security devices, hack into people’s brains, unlock doors, and uncover encrypted secrets, these are the skills you want to develop. Netrunners can plug themselves into anything and there’s not a system they can’t access. Best for stealthy players.
• Techie: Techies are expert modders. They can craft the best gear, upgrade items and weapons to suit their needs, and can adapt to any situation by using their smarts. Expect to be able to use drones, turrets, and more if you expand your abilities in this specialisation.
• Solo: A lone mercenary, this class specialisation will govern your combat abilities. In the pen and paper RPG, Solos work as hitmen, bodyguards, security detail, and everything in between. Solos are the strongest, fastest, most combat aware class in the Cyberpunk world.

Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer

Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player game first and foremost. CD Projekt Red is hiring for Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer component, but it’s only in the research and development phase. If it is even made, it will likely be released in an update after the game is out.

Cyberpunk 2077 system requirements

While we don’t have any concrete details yet on the specs your PC will need to run Cyberpunk 2077 well, we do know what PC CD Projekt Red used to demo the game at E3. Here’s what the developer was rocking:

CPU – Intel i7-8700K – 3.70Ghz
Motherboard – Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming
RAM – G.SKILL Ripjaws V, 2X16GB, 3000Mhz, CL15
Graphics Card – NVIDIA GeForce GTX1080Ti
SSD – Samsung 960 PRO 512GB M.2 PCIe
Power Supply – Corsair SF600 600W

Obviously, with the game being in pre-alpha, there’s lot of optimisation work to be done yet, to make the game friendlier to lesser systems. Cyberpunk 2077 might look next gen, but CD Projekt Red says it is aiming to release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Cyberpunk 2077 romance options

Yes, you can bang people in Cyberpunk 2077. What did you expect from the people who made The Witcher 3, a game with loads of sex in it?

But where Geralt was a straight dude, Cyberpunk 2077 will let you have sex with whoever you want. Certain NPCs will be straight, some will be gay, and some will be bisexual. It’s up to you who you romp with, so long as they’re up for it.

Cyberpunk 2077 will feature full nudity, but relationships can grow to something more than casual sex.