Here’s A Basic Guide To All The New Changes in Cyberpunk 2077

Back in 2020, after many years of anticipation, CD Projekt Red released its latest open-world RPG, Cyberpunk 2077. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype, as the game was riddled with glitches and bugs. Much has changed for Cyberpunk 2077 in the three years that have followed, and the game is on the comeback trail with its massive new update and DLC launch.

So what’s the deal with Cyberpunk 2077 now? How much has changed? Is it is new game? How does Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty fit in? Let’s break it down.

Cyberpunk 2077: What’s new?

Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0

In the years following Cyberpunk 2077’s release, many of the urgent game-breaking bugs and glitches have since been ironed out. But CDPR has been diligently continuing to work on the game in the background, prepping a whole new raft of changes it’s labelled ‘Update 2.0’.

While this isn’t a completely new Cyberpunk 2077 game, it is essentially a big renovation of the game’s foundations – providing new ways to play and overhauling different systems.

Some of the significant changes in Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 include:

• New Police system – the NCPD will chase you when you commit crimes
• Vehicle combat – adds the option to engage in combat while driving a vehicle, using pistols, submachine guns, health items and any mounted weapons.
• Combat AI enhancements – improvements to enemy AI
• Perk tree overhaul with fewer perks that are more impactful to gameplay styles
• Skills have been merged into five new branches – Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo, and Engineer.
• More emphasis on Cyberware as armour, rather than clothing items with mod slots.
• New melee weapons and mods

You can see a full list of the changes in Update 2.0 here.

This new update is the most significant one Cyberpunk 2077 has experienced to date, and many reviewers are claiming it is now the game it always should have been. CDPR is even recommending players start a completely new playthrough when returning to Cyberpunk 2077 because the inherent systems have changed that much.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC

This large-scale update goes hand-in-hand with Cyberpunk 2077’s first and only DLC chapter – Phantom Liberty.

This is a brand new story chapter in Cyberpunk 2077 that exists within the narrative for V, but prior to the final chapters. The story takes place in a brand new district of Night City – Dogtown, where players are pulled into missions of thrilling espionage and meet new characters Solomon Reed (Idris Elba) and Songbird (Minji Chang).

The DLC will include new story quests, side quests, areas to explore, dynamic events, items (weapons, vehicles, cosmetics), and an increased level cap of up to 60.

Is it free?

There are a couple more differences between the new Cyberpunk 2077 updates, mainly concerning price.

Phantom Liberty is sold separately as an add-on to the game. Owners of the base game can purchase the DLC for $44.95, or it can be bought in a bundle that includes the base game.

According to GameSpot, the DLC takes about 15-20 hours to complete, which adds a significant amount of extra playtime to the game. One thing to note is that Phantom Liberty is only coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X, leaving out the PS4 and Xbox One systems the game launched on.

The 2.0 update, meanwhile, is free for anyone who has Cyberpunk 2077. If you’re purchasing the game new, it will automatically download the most up-to-date version of the game, but if it’s been a while, you’ll need to update your game to include the latest changes. It comes in at around 60GB, depending on the platform.

When will the new Cyberpunk 2077 updates be released?

Now the good stuff. When can you play all of Cyberpunk 2077’s hefty new updates?

Update 2.0 has already been rolled out, meaning you can update your game to the newest version right now.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has a release date of September 26, and Aussies will be able to begin downloading it from 12:00 am AEST on consoles and from 9:00 am AEST on PC.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is just one of many great games filling out September. Enjoy Night City!