Highlights
- Cyberpunk 2077 will release a new gameplay trailer on August 22, showcasing the extensive overhaul of Phantom Liberty and its aim to rebrand the game's reputation.
- The upcoming expansion pack, Phantom Liberty, looks to address and improve upon the most criticized aspects of Cyberpunk 2077, including law enforcement, NPCs, skill trees, and cybernetics.
- Despite facing tough competition from other highly-anticipated games, CD Projekt Red is confident in its vision for Phantom Liberty.
Cyberpunk 2077 is fast approaching its release of Phantom Liberty, and fans of CD Projekt Red's first-person shooter can expect to see a brand-new gameplay trailer on August 22. Though the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 left a bitter taste for many players that bought into the hype, the once-controversial title's climb on the road to redemption is almost done. Whether it succeeds in rebranding its reputation along the lines of Final Fantasy 14 or No Man's Sky remains to be seen, but it's hard to deny that Phantom Liberty's extensive gameplay overhaul is an ambitious attempt.
From a rebuilt law enforcement system and better NPCs in the open world to completely redesigned skill trees and cybernetics, Phantom Liberty is designed to give players a version of Cyberpunk 2077 closer to the original developer vision. Though the patches have managed to fix the technical issues that plagued Cyberpunk 2077 on release, as well as offered several quality-of-life features missing from the game, Phantom Liberty is CD Projekt Red's chance to overhaul Cyberpunk 2077's most-criticized aspects.
A tweet by Geoff Keighley and Cyberpunk 2077's official account teased the release of a new gameplay trailer on August 22, during the opening night of Gamescom 2023 at 2:00PM ET. Given its release date of September 26, it can be assumed that this will be the last trailer for Cyberpunk 2077's first (and final) expansion pack before launch. Phantom Liberty's playtesters have praised the upcoming overhaul, and expectations have been suitably raised for Cyberpunk 2077 once again.
However, the gaming landscape is far different in 2023 compared to 2020. The staggering success of Baldur's Gate 3, coupled with the highly-anticipated release of Starfield means that Phantom Liberty will be facing some competition. Though Cyberpunk 2077 frequently enjoyed discounts in the past few months, players interested in the full experience will need to set aside $29.99 to purchase the upcoming expansion. Featuring Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, CD Projekt Red spared no expense in giving Phantom Liberty the same star power that the original game enjoyed.
Regardless of how its launch goes, the developers are confident in their vision for Phantom Liberty, as Cyberpunk 2077's sequel will be helmed by its director. Given that Phantom Liberty was allegedly developed without crunch, Gabe Amantangelo has not only altered the direction of Cyberpunk 2077 as a franchise but also the work culture of CD Projekt Red as a company. Hopefully, Phantom Liberty will be remembered as a return-to-form for the studio that brought The Witcher 3 to the gaming world, as players will get one last glimpse into its gameplay on August 22.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Phantom Liberty launches on September 26.
