While Cyberpunk 2077 was the subject of a tumultuous launch, the game has done well to significantly build upon itself post-launch. Now, it is finally looking to release expansive DLC through an upcoming expansion called "Phantom Liberty."
Set to be the first significant content release for Cyberpunk 2077, Phantom Liberty will be coming in 2023, and reportedly will not be available for older console generations such as the PS4 and Xbox One. While this may understandably irk a portion of the playerbase, skipping previous console generations might be the best move for this expansion to succeed.
Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty Expansion
The Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 was announced during the Night City Wire broadcast on September 6. As the first major expansion to Cyberpunk 2077, news of the Phantom Liberty expansion has understandably drawn a lot of attention from fans of the title, both old and new.
It is also being widely reported that Phantom Liberty will be the only official expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, meaning seriously high expectations must be met and exceeded by the upcoming DLC. Due to the relative infancy of the announcement, not a lot is known with regards to the details of the plot behind Phantom Liberty, although it is confirmed that Keanu Reeves is set to reprise his role as Johnny Silverhand.
The Phantom Liberty expansion will reportedly see the player engaged in a spy thriller plot, with the main game's protagonist V returning and swearing allegiance to the New United States of America, potentially after some kind of election. Despite the positive attention that the expansion is receiving so far, many are skeptical given how rough Cyberpunk 2077 was at launch, and some are upset at the prospect of PS4 and Xbox One versions getting skipped over.
Why Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Skipping Last Gen Consoles Is Good
When talking about Cyberpunk 2077, it is hard to overlook the fact that the game is one of the most notorious video game launches in the history of the industry. Releasing in a state that was saturated with glitches and technical oversights, the massively anticipated title has had to fight hard to re-establish itself with a spurned fanbase of CD Projekt Red's prior titles.
Considering this, it makes more sense why the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion is set to not feature on last generation consoles. Many fans pointed to the fact that the game had to be optimized for last-gen hardware as a leading factor behind the lackluster quality of the finished product. With Cyberpunk 2077 releasing just one month after Sony and Microsoft's latest consoles hit shelves, the title was limited in its adherence to outdated hardware.
Given the Phantom Liberty DLC may stand alone, it needs to be absolutely perfect at launch to counteract the game's stigma. By only existing on the latest generation of powerful consoles, the Phantom Liberty expansion has a good head start toward being thoroughly optimized and impressive from the outset, which would have a big impact on the ever-changing reputation of Cyberpunk 2077. While some players will miss out on the DLC, the wider satisfaction of players is clearly the primary goal of CD Projekt Red.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
