WhenCyberpunk 2077first launched, vehicle handling was one of its most frustrating aspects. Driving felt heavy, clunky, and sometimes outright unresponsive. Navigation in Night City could turn into a chore, especially during narrative downtime when a player just wanted to enjoy the scenery or take in the dystopian ambiance. Fast travel was functional, but it never felt immersive. Something about the wayCyberpunk 2077treated movement didn’t quite live up to its world’s futuristic promise.
Thankfully, this is rectified byCyberpunk 2077Update 2.3’s AutoDrive. By allowing players to set a waypoint and have their vehicle drive itself to the location, the update not only improves quality of life but fulfills a long-teased fantasy embedded in the setting. This feature, paired with cinematic camera options and integration with the radio system, quietly turnsCyberpunk 2077into a more atmospheric and immersive experience.
Cyberpunk 2077 AutoDrive Redefines Night City
AutoDrive isn’t just about convenience. Players can now treat their rides throughCyberpunk 2077’s Night Citylike a music video: turn on the radio, switch to cinematic view, and immerse themselves in the world unlike ever before in the game’s history. Plus, the addition of rain effects on windshields and the option to just ride aimlessly without a set destination brings a calm, reflective mode to a game usually defined by gunfire and neon chaos.
Developers mentioned that AutoDrive was partly inspired by the many ambient “chill with me in Night City” videos fans uploaded post-launch. This update gives players the tools to make those experiences fully their own.
Self-driving Delamain cabs take this even further. After completingCyberpunk 2077’s “Don’t Lose Your Mind” questline, players unlock the ability to call for Delamain taxis on demand. Along with taking players where they need to go, they bring Delamain’s dry wit and AI musings along for the trip. His quiet re-entry intoCyberpunk 2077’s active systems makes him feel like more than just a side character. He is back in the city’s rhythm, and his functionality now mirrors the themes his arc explored.
Delamain’s Story Gets a Second Life
Delamain was always one of the more understated parts of the game. While some storylines focused on cyberpsychosis, trauma, or politics, Delamain’s arc was quieter, centered on identity, autonomy, and artificial intelligence splintering into different personas. Delamain’s questline is arguablyone of the most disturbing quests inCyberpunk 2077, but once it’s over, he more or less vanishes from active play.
Now, the ability to summon his cabs adds depth to his presence. It creates a continuity between player and narrative, where Delamain still exists, serves, and has something to say. That lingering connection enriches the game’s immersion and supportsCyberpunk 2077’s broader theme of fragmented personhood in a corporate-controlled world. It makesCyberpunk 2077stand out among other RPGseven more.
By re-integrating Delamain post-questline, Update 2.3 helps resolve one ofCyberpunk 2077’s common criticisms that its world often forgets characters after their arcs conclude.
This opens up further possibilities, too. If Delamain is now part of the player’s travel experience, future updates could use that space to re-engage him in emergent dialogue or optional missions.CD Projekt Red and now Virtuos are listening toCyberpunkfans, and the door is proverbially cracked open to other potential content.
Cyberpunk 2077’s AutoDrive Strengthens Immersion
More than a mechanical addition, AutoDrive gives players new ways to experience the game emotionally. The ability to zone out and ride while admiring the neon haze, or even leave the game running as background ambience, speaks to a different use of gaming.
Whether it’s watching the reflections on a bike helmet while riding down the Corpo Plaza strip or sipping a drink at a stoplight, players now have more control over the emotional tempo of their experience. It’s a small change that speaks volumes about how much the game has grown since 2020.
That said, there is still room for improvement; for example,Night City Area Rapid Transit (NCART) stations. In a world where cars drive themselves and AI cabs chat with players, the train system remains static. Making that system interactive could be the next step toward full transportation immersion, giving players more choices about how they move and live in Night City.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
WHERE TO PLAY
Phantom Liberty is a new spy-thriller adventure for Cyberpunk 2077. When the orbital shuttle of the President of the New United States of America is shot down over the deadliest district of Night City, there’s only one person who can save her — you. Become V, a cyberpunk for hire, and dive deep into a tangled web of espionage and political intrigue, unraveling a story that connects the highest echelons of power with the brutal world of black-market mercenaries.
