Just when you thought that CD Projekt RED was stuck on “oops, all Witcher” mode for its releases, Cyberpunk 2077 gets yet another new update. It’s probably not all that surprising, given that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 recently premiered on Netflix. However, if Update 2.4 proved anything, it’s that the team really likes to add on to the game, making it even better nearly six years later.
Enough reminiscing, though. Here are the ten biggest things you need to know about Update 2.5, and why you should jump back into Cyberpunk 2077, starting with the most obvious new addition…
Edgerunners 2 Prequel Quest
While Update 1.6, aka the Edgerunners 1 Update, offered a quest that clued you in on the fate of David and his team, 2.5 is going far beyond that, instead serving as a prequel to Edgerunners 2. In Clampdown, V will work with King’s team – Meshuga, Miguel and Emily, all reprised by the show’s voice actors – in what’s their last job. Of course, if you watched the first episode of the new season, that last part is a bit fuzzy. Regardless, the development team is staying relatively mum on what to expect…except that it somehow has to do with entering Night City PD.
You’ll need to complete The Heist and two of Wakako’s gigs (which you should do anyway for Byakko) to access Clampdown, but the rewards, including a new gear set based on King, look to be worth it. V even wields his iconic handcannon, though one has to wonder how it ended back with its owner.
Night City Tours ft. Richard Night
Another side quest awaits, but this one leans more towards the…unusual. Instead of hunting down a target or taking on a job, V will embark on a tour of Night City, narrated by none other than the founder, Richard Night. You know, the one who was murdered, leading to the city receiving its name. CD Projekt RED describes this as a lore-focused quest, where you’ll learn from a digital version of the man himself about Night City’s culture and creation. Observing the environment, especially since there’s a mystery to solve, is important, but it’s a far more relaxed outing compared to V’s other escapades.
Edgerunners-Dedicated Radio Station
You’ve hung out with companions and had “I Really Wanna Stay at Your House” blaring over the speakers, reminding you of broken promises and early demises. Occasionally, it comes on 98.7 Body Heat Radio. But what about a dedicated station for other Edgerunners songs, both Season 1 and 2? That’s exactly what HKGN 102.0 FM aims to offer, packing a whopping 16 songs. While the full tracklist has yet to be revealed, “You Can’t Run From Me” is confirmed to be included.
Dual-Wielding Pistols
Aside from the Edgerunners content, however, arguably the biggest new addition with Update 2.5 is Double Trouble, a new perk in the Cool tree that lets you dual-wield pistols. An homage to Jacky, if you will, complete with the ability to wreak absolute mayhem.
Now, there are penalties – each weapon deals 37.5 percent less damage when dual-wielding – but the benefits include 15 percent less recoil and 15 percent less bullet spread. At level 2, your Quick Melee is replaced with Heywood Hurricane, which fires both guns simultaneously for a second with 50 percent more bullet spread. The kicker is that any ammo spent on successful shots – which likely means hitting and not necessarily killing a target – is refilled.
Combine this with other perks like Deadeye, which grants 25 percent headshot damage and weak spot damage, along with no bullet spread at level 3 when you’re above 85 percent stamina, and V can become a menace befitting of a John Woo action flick. The fact that each weapon’s effects are retained, and you can mix and match different types, including Iconics, makes it all the more appealing.
40+ New Arm Cyberware Cosmetics
You’ve created perhaps the best melee build to leap at people with the Mantis Blades and dismember them before they can blink. But what about actually painting that cyberware and really making it your own? That’s where the new Glamdocs come in. Five brand-new characters, each with unique voiceovers and animations, will sell different skins for the Monowire, Projectile Launch System, Gorilla Arms and Mantis Blades. You can even choose from different brands, including Arasaka and the Mox, to really distinguish them, and a painting tool similar to the one used for vehicles. With 40+ new variants, you’re sure to find something nice to look at while running riot through Night City.
New Outfit Sets
Of course, you can match these new cyberware looks with some new threads. To that end, new outfit sets from Maxiwear, Jinguji, NetWatch and IconAmerica will be available to purchase. You can also finally purchase the NUS Infiltrator set, previously exclusive to Phantom Liberty’s Twitch drops, in Kabuki and Japantown. CD Projekt RED also teases another set that will arrive in Night City “soon,” and your guess is as good as ours, but we’re still excited.
Cross-Platform Mod Support
The Cyberpunk 2077 modding scene may seem small, but it’s a dedicated bunch – beyond all the improvements at launch, they’ve resulted in a third-person perspective, even more customization for V, and more. Update 2.5 isn’t just sharing that functionality with Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and Mac users through cross-platform mod support – it’s also adding a dedicated menu for players to navigate and install mods within the game itself. Beyond readable shards, cats in every apartment, and new quests, it may seem a little sparse now, but CD Projekt RED will add more mods over time and expand functionality.
FOV Slider on Consoles and DLSS 4.5 Support
As great as Cyberpunk 2077 runs on consoles – imagine saying that in 2020 – it’s always lacked one particular quality-of-life feature that fans have demanded for a long time: A field-of-view slider. Whether you’ve wanted to see more or less to reduce motion sickness, it’s finally coming to consoles in Update 2.5. But there’s also good news for PC players: DLSS 4.5 is officially supported, complete with Dynamic and 6X Multi Frame Generation, and the 2nd Generation Transformer Model, which the development team says removes all noise.
12 New Minor Arcana
Remember that side quest that involved hunting different Arcana? They served as hints for what’s to come in the story, and you can even use them to get a reading from Misty. Beyond the Major Arcana, this update adds 12 new Minor Arcana, with a unique reward to unlock upon scanning them all. What insights could they provide? You’ll have to collect them all to find out.
New Hairstyles Previously Exclusive to NPCs
Rounding out the character customization features are new hairstyles, or, more specifically, hairstyles that only NPCs could have. Well, they’re finally available for V, and even with some restrictions, it’s a welcome addition all the same. And if these aren’t enough, you can always download mods to expand your choices.
Keep in mind that all of this doesn’t cover minor quality of life changes and additions, including save files now being grouped by different playthroughs, item filters for your apartment and vehicle stashes, new dual-wielding poses in Photo Mode, ray tracing and PS5 Pro improvements, and more. While the team hasn’t confirmed whether this is the final, last update for really real, it’s another excuse to revisit Night City. And for the low, low price of free, that’s good enough for us.
