It’s no secret that I’m in love withCyberpunk 2077. I’m closing in on nearly 200 hours of playtime, and that’s just one run. However, one thing that could make this experience even better is being able to play a multiplayer version with my wife.
WhileCyberpunk 2077was initially going to have a multiplayer component, it vanished like a fart in the wind. However, that hasn’t stopped me from fantasizing about what could have been. Plus, I also need to justify my obsession by getting her into this universe.
A story that needs to be experienced together
For me, the biggest draw to getting her into the world ofCyberpunkisn’t just spending time together but exploring a story together. Sure, we watch movies and shows together, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and discuss everything mentioned afterward. However, being able to actively determine a compelling narrative together? That sounds amazing.
While I understand this could be done with one of us playing while the other watches, this creates a disconnect, however slight, with the person not playing. I want her to see and feel Night City as I have. I want her to stumble across side missions and characters, build relationships, and take on the mighty corporations. I want her to come to her own conclusions aboutmysteries like the Peralez familyor who Mr. Blue Eyes could be.
It’s akin to showing someone your favorite movie. This time, though, they’re taking a starring role. By taking a pagefrom the TTRPG, I could drop in as a random merc and back my lady’s V as she works her way up from Watson to the top of Arasaka Tower. Ultimately, it’s her story. I just want to be there, taking downcyberpsychosalong the way as she navigates the various dilemmas this world has to offer.
Opening up a new genre of games to others
Cyberpunk 2077isn’t one of those games that my wife would normally play. She’s into your 2D platformers likeSuper Mario Wonderand relaxed retreats likeAnimal Crossing: New Horizons. As such, sitting her down in front of the TV and hoping for the best withCyberpunk, which is a serious investment, might not yield the best returns for her.
However, if I could take her hand akin to playing through the variousHalocampaigns, I could almost guarantee she’d see the same appeal forNight Cityand its inhabitants that I do. There’s just something about losing yourself in another world with your best friend that isn’t quite like anything else.
As such, with me acting as backup, I can help smooth out any speedbumps she might encounter. Not a fan of combat? Sit back while I clear these Maelstrom out. Don’t like dealing with quickhacks or minigames? Cover my six while I get my Neo on. Disgusted by the way Brigitte is talking to you? I will quickhack the hell out of her so you can plant a boot through her chest.
Much like playing the Nabbit inSuper Mario Wondercan make me less of a deadweight in her games, I want to be able to introduce her to things outside her wheelhouse without making the learning curve too steep. By being the Sam to her Frodo, we can play through one of gaming’s most engrossing stories.
Whatever happened to Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer?
Leading up toCyberpunk 2077‘s release, developer CD Projekt Red was hyping up a multiplayer mode. In March 2013, CDPR’s Chief Creative Officer, Adam Badowski,said in an interview, “It [Cyberpunk 2077] will be a story-based RPG experience with amazing single-player playthroughs, but we’re going to add multiplayer features.”
As development progressed, theCDPR Twitter accountmadea postlinked to their careers page in regards to the multiplayer mode that was “in the works.” It appears the initial plan was to release the single-player mode in April 2020, followed by additional content and then release the multiplayer portion once that was done.
1/2 Until now, the only thing we said about multi was that it was in R&D. As we’re getting closer to launching ‘single player’ Cyberpunk 2077 in Apr. 2020, we’d like to confirm that multiplayer’s in the works! If you feel like lending us your skills apply:https://t.co/QQV6qsuvhkpic.twitter.com/GHbiS5N3DT
However, as the initial and subsequent release dates came and went due to delays, many not only worried about the single-player component but also the multiplayer version, which was indicated to have been a standalone game.
Following the first delay from June 01, 2025, to Jul 10, 2025, CDPR was asked by an investor during aQ&A sessionif they should expect the multiplayer component in 2021. Chief Commerical Officer Micał Nowakowski responded, “Given the expected release ofCyberpunk 2077in September, and frankly speaking of the series of events we expect to occur after that date, 2021 appears unlikely as a release date for theCyberpunkmultiplayer.”
In another investor call (translated by Seeking Alpha) in November 2020, Chief Executive Officer Adam Kiciński fielded a question regarding multiplayer coming in 2022. “Regarding multiplayer, we haven’t announced any date so far, and actually, right now, it’s not the… I mean, it’s not the moment to talk about any business model for multiplayer, even though we had discussing before, but to avoid any fast in our gaming community, we… I will skip it because we’ll share our thoughts about next year once we update our strategy. It will happen in Q1 next year, and that will be after releasingCyberpunkand that will be the right moment to discuss deeper or all key aspects around future releases. (sic)”
In March 2021, theCD Projekt IR YouTube accountposted astrategy updatethat included information regarding the state of the “online elements.” Essentially, the developer planned to release updates and free DLCs in 2021, a Next Gen release and free Next Gen update in H2 2021, further expansions, and finally, the addition of the aforementioned online elements. It appears that the developer’s plan was to build a solid foundation in their games using the REDengine and then develop an online component that could be integrated into existing games.
The developer remained quiet regarding multiplayer for over a year as it worked to undo the damage that was the arguably catastrophic launch ofCyberpunk 2077. In aninterview withEurogamer, former Senior Quest Designer and Coordinator Philipp Weber said, “The priority was that the main experience will run for the people in a really good state, and essentially, the switch of priorities meant that other R&D projects had to go away. WithCyberpunk, we wanted to do many things at the same time, and we just needed to really focus and say, ‘Okay, what’s the important part? Yeah, we will make that part really good.'”
At this point, it would appear that any hopes or chances ofCyberpunk 2077getting a multiplayer component or standalone release are dead in the water. It took CDPR nearly three years to push out Update 2.0, which abandoned the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which was released on June 18, 2025. This is two full years after the initial timeline.
Since then, thePhantom LibertyDLCwas released on June 24, 2025. CDPR continues to push out updates in support, but there don’t appear to be any official plans to expand further onCyberpunk 2077as it stands.
Holding out hope for Cyberpunk multiplayer
On July 30, 2025, the CDPR Twitter accountmade a poststating thatOrionis a codename for the nextCyberpunktitle. This wasfollowed up with a tweetby Quest DirectorPaweł Sasko, stating that he would be moving the core team to Boston and working with developers from both the Vancouver and Warsaw branches on the next title.
Since then, the CD Projekt IR YouTube account hasposted another investor callon July 18, 2025, wherein Adam Badowski said that the sequel was still in the “conceptual design” stage. This means that it is likely going to be years until we get further information on the title, as hopefully, CD Projekt Red has learned its lesson about abusing the hype train.
Will we see multiplayer in whateverOrionturns out to be? There’s no way to know, and it’s best to be skeptical about what CDPR says until the game is actually out. In the meantime, I can only drop subtle hints that my darling wife should install some cyberware and show some Animals thebusiness end of her smart pistol.
