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In 2020, one of the most highly-anticipated game releases of its age hit virtual and physical shelves of game stores around the world. Created by the team behind the much-loved The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red, it had a lot of promise, with footage of the game only hyping up gamers further. When it eventually landed on December 10, it was a broken mess.

The next-gen consoles could just about keep it running for a bit longer than the platforms that most had access to – what with the shortages of the time – but it was still distinctly lacking. While a beautiful visual realization of Mike Pondsmith’s tabletop series, Cyberpunk, it certainly didn’t scratch the itch that it inspired – to experience a deep cyberpunk, futuristic setting.

Other games like the co-op gem The Ascent came along to scratch the itch while the development team knuckled down on improving the game. Cyberpunk 2077 has improved drastically since, creating a vast, worthwhile experience that has inspired more creatives to explore similar settings. Better still, there’s word of multiplayer elements being in the works at the studio.

Inspiring a Cyberpunk Revolution

The sheer amount of hype just around the release of Cyberpunk 2077 was enough to inspire others to delve into such a setting. The fully-realized Night City, the corporatocracy of the Free State of North California, and how the crime lords and underclass exist in this American city create a vivid setting that continues to be drawn on elsewhere.

You only have to look as far as the most competitive corner of entertainment to see what’s trending, and it’s here that you’ll encounter stacks of anti-establishment and cyberpunk games. In the libraries of the best pokies sites, The Rave by NoLimit City blends the techno colors and tracks with the rebellious underground party seen across Night City, while fellow recent releases in Cyber Attack, Cyberslot Megaclusters, and Cyber Vault at the fifth-highest ranked site are more overtly inspired by the popular theme.  

If CD Projekt Red hadn’t cracked on to improve the game to a state expected of a full-priced game, at the very least, perhaps the themes and setting would have faded by the wayside, being soured by the letdown. Instead, the game that lets you capture rogue AIs, hunt Cyberpsychos, race neon-lit streets, hire JoyToys, and even chat with characters played by Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba has popularised a gripping setting that continues to inspire and intrigue.

Multiplayer Inbound

Originally, Cyberpunk 2077 was going to get a multiplayer mode. The assumed template was to launch the expansive single-player world, tweak it as is necessary, and then roll out a mirror world for the online multiplayer action. Essentially, it’d follow the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online formula. In theory, Cyberpunk Online could have been the very real competitor that GTA Online has simply never had.

That was binned a long time ago, though. The game simply launched in a far too shabby state for the team to develop an additional, expansive, and resource-heavy game mode. Sticking to the single-player world, improving it as they have, and building on it was the right call. A lot of goodwill earned up through The Witcher and the run to launch would have evaporated very quickly if a cash-grab multiplayer mode came first.

For Cyberpunk 2077, though, one modder has been keen to bring those multiplayer dreams to life. Still in its early stages, the new mod developed by a single person underwent a test in the summer that enabled 20 players to run around one map. The mod’s test actually worked, too! This CyberMP is one of many mods that have come from CD Projekt Red being very open in allowing the community to toy with the game itself.

From an official standpoint, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 looks to be leaning towards having multiplayer elements much earlier on and from the developers themselves. It has been spotted that CD Projekt Red are looking for a new developer with experience in creating multiplayer games. With the sequel, known for now as Project Orion, being in the early stages of development, fans and news outlets have put two and two together.

Cyberpunk 2077 now offers a complete, immersive, and world-class exploration of the setting that has well and truly brought gamers back on side. The only thing it lacks in the modern space is a way to play in co-op or multiplayer online. Now, there’s a mod that lets you do that, and the sequel’s team seems to recognize the need for multiplayer early on. So, perhaps the next one will be even better for co-op gamers.