Cyberpunk 2077’s Netflix anime adaptation,Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, arrived at perhaps the perfect time for the game. During a period when interest inCyberpunk 2077was at an all-time low due to its buggy launch,Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerswent a long way to make the game popular again. Although the show was a prequel toCyberpunk 2077and featured an entirely new cast of characters, it captured the vibe of the game quite well, and it had a compelling-enough story to stand on its own two feet.Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerswas among the few video game adaptations that appealed to both gaming enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike.
Following the success ofCyberpunk: Edgerunners, CD Projekt Red confirmed in August 2024 thata second anime adaptation ofCyberpunk 2077was in the works. This new adaptation was later revealed at Anime Expo 2025 asCyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. Despite having a “2” in its name,Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2is not a direct sequel to the originalEdgerunners. Instead, it will feature a completely different storyline set in Night City, as well as a new cast of characters. Since the show is going to be separate fromEdgerunners, CD Projekt Red and the animation company behind it, Studio Trigger, will have the opportunity to right one of its predecessor’s only wrongs.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Should Be More Connected to the Games
The First Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Did Not Have a Lot of Connections to Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerswas widely regarded as an outstanding show, but if there’s one issue that it arguably suffered from, it was alack of connections to the plot ofCyberpunk 2077. Although they both take place in the same timeline, the stories of the anime and the game have very little in common with each other. Some may see this as a good thing; standalone stories, after all, make it easier for viewers to enjoy a piece of media without having any prior knowledge of its source material. That being said,Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerscould have benefited from being a bit more connected toCyberpunk 2077.
None ofthe main characters fromCyberpunk 2077, like V, Johnny Silverhand, Jackie Welles, Goro Takemura, and Panam Palmer, have a significant presence inCyberpunk: Edgerunners. The only exception to this rule is, of course, Adam Smasher, the Arasaka mercenary who serves as a major antagonist in bothCyberpunk 2077andCyberpunk: Edgerunners. While some ofCyberpunk 2077’s characters do have some minor cameos inEdgerunners, they don’t play a real role in the anime’s plot.
There are a few locations fromCyberpunk 2077that appear inEdgerunners, as well as the respective gangs that rule them, but most of the places in the anime are not directly present in the game.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077 Could Have Been Better By Sharing More Content
Despite having an endearing set of characters, almost none of the individuals fromEdgerunnersshow up inCyberpunk 2077, not even in flashbacks. Although CD Projekt Red didadd someEdgerunnerscontent toCyberpunk 2077after the anime’s launch, most of these features amount to nothing more than Easter eggs and cosmetics. It would have been nice if there were some actual questlines inCyberpunk 2077that featured the protagonists ofEdgerunners, like Lucy and Rebecca, in some way, showing the impact ofEdgerunners' events. Likewise,Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerscould have felt more like a proper prequel if it featured characters like Goro Takemura or Jackie Welles in supporting roles, shedding light on their backstories.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Should Lay the Groundwork for Project Orion’s Plot
CD Projekt Red, Studio Trigger, and Netflix haven’t announced whenCyberpunk: Edgerunners 2will be released yet, but it’s likely that the anime won’t come out for another year or so. Whilethe upcoming sequel toCyberpunk 2077, Project Orion, probably won’t be released by then, CD Projekt Red could add some clues about the plot of the game toCyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. IfEdgerunners 2actually introduces some of the new characters and plot points of Project Orion, players will have an even greater incentive to watch the anime.
