Even though it’s nearly five years old,Cyberpunk 2077feels more relevant than ever. Its player count is strong, its community is vibrant and passionate, and the general culture surrounding the game is defined by unfettered excitement—a far cry from the caution and disappointment that characterizedCyberpunk 2077’s famously bad launch. Indeed,Cyberpunkis still having its heyday, and it looks like that’s not going to change anytime soon.
This is thanks to a number of important factors, not the least of which being the elusive 2.3 update, which CD Projekt Red has teased as being a rather significant expansion on the already much-expanded game. But, something else that has had an unexpectedly major impact onCyberpunk 2077’s improved reputation is theCyberpunk: Edgerunnersanime on Netflix, which widened the visibility of Mike Pondsmith’s now-iconic sci-fi world. WithEdgerunnersedging closer to a Season 2 release, it’s bright skies ahead for theCyberpunkbrand.
The Announcement Of Edgerunners Season 2 Is Boosting Cyberpunk 2077’s Player Count
WhileCyberpunk 2077typically averages 30,000 to 40,000 concurrent players on Steam, that number has been bumped up to over 60,000 following the announcement ofCyberpunk: EdgerunnersSeason 2. This echoes the game’s renewed popularity in the wake ofEdgerunners' first season back in 2022, so it’s safe to say that the announcement of the show’s sophomore season is at least partly responsible for the recent spike.
This is good news, since it means that more players will be getting reacquainted with the 2020 RPG while CDPR inches toward the launch of the 2.3 patch. Some long-dormant players may even start an entirely new campaign, meaning that they can enjoy the slew of fresh content added to the game during their hiatus. And depending on how significant patch 2.3 turns out to be, such players may even be setting themselves up for a definitiveCyberpunk 2077playthrough.
Of course, one can’t discount the power of cross-promotion: more active players inCyberpunk 2077means more eyes onEdgerunners, and vice versa.
Thanks to Edgerunners Season 2 and Patch 2.3, 2025 Could Be the Year of Cyberpunk 2077
It’s endlessly fascinating to compareCyberpunk 2077’s current stateto its launch state. Obviously, the game itself has changed quite a bit, but perhaps even more notable are the changes in the public’s perception of it. When it was first released, it was decried as a disaster, and a cautionary tale to big developers against pushing a game out before it’s ready. These declarations were true, of course, but they overshadowed the game’s obvious strengths, and it’s much easier to be optimistic about the property in 2025.
Major updates, especially the 2.0 patch, played a big role in this shifting perception, butCyberpunk: Edgerunnersdeserves some credit as well. Through it, the depth and unique flavor of theCyberpunk 2077world were offered for the world to see—without the severe problems that marred the video game at launch.
It’s not a surprise, then, thatCyberpunk 2077’s player countskyrocketed when the first season dropped, and that it’s happening again upon the announcement of the second. With the confluence of season 2 and patch 2.3, 2025 could wind up being far more impactful forCyberpunkthan many would have first assumed; who knows, maybe patch 2.3 will even tie the game into the show in more concrete ways.
