We at CD PROJEKT RED are thrilled with the launch of the Edgerunners update – and with our very first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime hot on its heels (September 13th!), we thought it would be the perfect time to share a few Additional Information. insight into what the two versions have in common. Believe me, it’s more than the name.
In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, we meet David Martinez for the first time when he’s just an unlucky street kid peddling black market braindances (XBD) to help him and his mother Gloria get away with it. ‘get out. His bright yellow jacket – which is passed down to David – becomes a visual cornerstone of the anime, so it’s no surprise we chose to include it in the latest update.
Franchise & Lore Designer Patrick Mills, who worked on selecting the elements that would cross over from the anime to Cyberpunk 2007, agrees:
“David’s jacket was an obvious choice, as it’s an iconic item from the anime that has a lot of meaning. We’re thrilled that people are picking up the item in-game and feeling connected to the story of the anime. anime in a tactile way. For people who haven’t seen the anime, I hope they enjoy it as a cool new jacket to wear around town and pose with in photo mode, but for people who watch the anime and know the backstory, I hope it’s another bridge between the show world and the game world.
This legendary tier item becomes an even bigger catch with the introduction of the Wardrobe, our transmog system. Dropping sleek gear for something with better armor still hurts, but now players can suit up for the dark future without sacrificing their builds.
The jacket isn’t the only thing lying around after David’s explosive and bloody stay in Night City. Players can also experience a new weapon – a shotgun dubbed “Guts” that packs a powerful punch in the real world thanks to DualSense’s Adaptive Triggers feature introduced in the previous next-gen update. Combining the two worlds in a thoughtful and organic way, from item descriptions to dialogue, was at the heart of our concerns when planning this update.
Writer Rafał Babraj was clear about his approach from the start:
“We wanted to bring the characters and story from the anime into our game as immersively as possible, and I think we found an interesting narrative way to do that. But we also wanted to make it a bit mysterious, teasing the anime just enough to pique players’ curiosity and urge them to find out what happened to David and his team in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. We took the personalities of anime characters into consideration and tried to reflect that in the way they communicate in-game or in the descriptions of the items that belonged to them.
Babraj also teased that, “These may be two different stories, but V and David actually have a lot in common – what exactly it is, players and viewers will have to find out for themselves!”
Players can also expect a brand new quest, which leads to David’s jacket and properly connects the two worlds. Quest director Paweł Sasko worked with his team to make sure the game and anime fit together:
“Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners share the same fascinating and dystopian world, but there are obvious differences in the graphic style of the two, so we had to find exciting and logical solutions to tie them together. I asked Danisz Markiewicz, Expert Quest Designer, to look at the anime and come up with some narrative solutions that would build on the story told in Edgerunners and tie it well to the game. He suggested going the route of braindance and actually use a snippet of the anime in the game! I loved this solution and we started exploring our options to achieve this. Thanks to a few other developers, our partners at Netflix, and an extra dash of creativity, we made it a reality. The braindance itself contains two little secrets and I’m curious to read online when our players find out.
When it came to creating connections between the two stories, the process was not just a one-way street, but something organic and collaborative. In the words of Sasko:
“Studio Trigger has done an amazing job of bringing Night City to life in the anime, and those familiar with the game can easily recognize where the key events take place. What I find fascinating is that in the beginning, Trigger was inspired by the game, and then we were inspired by their great work as we set out to enrich the game in the Edgerunners update, which is why the placement of braindance, equipment and all the other small events throughout the quest are tied to the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners storyline very deliberately and intentionally. The quest was designed to be an expression of gratitude on our part to the fans of Cyberpunk 2077 and the Cyberpunk anime: Edgerunners.
The anime-related content we’ve highlighted here is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Edgerunners update. There’s plenty more in store for players, like a playable Roach Race mini-game, additional weapons, quests, and the ability to pose Nibbles in photo mode. For the full feature list, visit the website – and learn more about the anime here. Or better yet, jump into the game and check everything out for yourself!
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS5 for $49.99.
