Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Will Overhaul Netrunners

Cyberpunk 2077 fans are eagerly awaiting its expansion. With the game launching in such a horrible state, the development team at CD Projekt Red had cut back a lot of plans they initially had for post-launch content. Fortunately, fans are getting one expansion for the game, which will likely bring out plenty of players back into the mean streets of Night City. We know that Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is set to launch next month, and with it comes a brand new area, storyline, and gear. However, we recently learned that Netrunners will get a nice overhaul. 

Thanks to a report from GamesRadar, we’re finding out that Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty game director Gabrial Amatangelo had spoken about Netrunners in particular during a recent livestream. The CD Projekt Red developers highlighted that the development team wanted to offer more gameplay experiences for Netrunners, and as a result, you can expect a few changes. Of course, with the popularity of the Cyberpunk 2077 anime series Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunners, we’re sure that there was some incentive to add a bit more gameplay mechanics for Netrunners. 

Essentially, the developers wanted to make Netrunning feel easier for newcomers. A big change-up is that players can now queue up a series of hacks on a target. However, depending on the different hacks you add to a target could trigger some unique outcomes. But there weren’t any examples offered, so that might be something you’ll want to explore when the expansion releases into the marketplace. Furthermore, as noted in the publication, there will now be the added bonus of getting RAM regenerated for your character after successfully dealing damage to a target. This should allow you to throw out some more hacks during combat and the heat of battle.

Phantom Liberty is bringing so much more to Cyberpunk 2077 than just an overhaul to Netrunners. We have seen footage showcasing the gameplay where players can expect new weaponry and even the ability to fire their guns while driving. But if you want to go one step further, some vehicles will now have the ability to mount weapons within them, so you’ll have far more firepower while barreling down the streets of Night City. 

If you haven’t been keeping tabs on the expansion, Phantom Liberty is not set to be a standalone experience. Instead, this new content and storyline is featured within the base game campaign. You’ll unlock a new spy thriller scenario, a brand new area called Dogtown, additional quests, and more. Fortunately, you can skip right to the new expansion if you don’t want to play the campaign over again. However, with the new overhaul to the gameplay mechanics and systems, you might be keen on going through the entire game all over again when Phantom Liberty drops on September 26, 2023. With that said, it’s worth noting that this expansion will only be available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.