Some of the most formidable foes in the dystopian society of Cyberpunk 2077 are cyberpsychos, but as it turns out, they may have been gravely misunderstood this entire time. There's no denying that these killers are dangerous and violent, oftentimes being the cause of some gruesome crime scenes. However, a personal explanation from Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk universe, grants players a new perspective that's not quite so black-and-white.
V will encounter no shortage of cyberpsychos in Night City, especially while working with Regina Jones. The cyberpsycho sightings themselves may quickly become repetitive gameplay-wise, but the stories behind each incident are unique and usually quite emotional. Plus, those who have seen the anime spinoff, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, will be familiar with the particularly tragic story of David Martinez, whose jacket in Cyberpunk 2077 even alludes to his unfortunate fate. But it looks like David isn't the only one to have used cybernetic implants as a destructive coping mechanism.
Cyberpunk 2077's Cyberpsychosis Is Dependent On Mental Health
In a Reddit thread, Mike Pondsmith reveals what actually causes cyberpsychosis in Cyberpunk 2077. He describes it as "a disorder that in part depends on the subject's overall internal susceptibility," going on to compare it to things like alcohol addiction and steroid abuse. In his eyes, not everyone who loads up on chrome will become a cyberpsycho, and not everyone who is a cyberpsycho will be decked out in cybernetics, either. It has more to do with a person's current state of mental health, and if they possess addictive tendencies.
Cyberpsychos In Cyberpunk 2077 Deserve Better
This paints even Cyberpunk 2077's worst cyberpsychos in a heartbreaking light. It's no secret that those suffering from cyberpsychosis aren't exactly in their right mind, but this information proves that they truly never intended to become the monsters that Night City views them as. Experiencing a traumatic event - as many of the cyberpsychos from Regina Jones' quest line have - simply pushes them over the edge, and thanks to the inherent level of stress that comes with living in Cyberpunk 2077's dog-eat-dog society, their bodies are unable to handle the emotional toil.
As Mike Pondsmith writes, this is why some people are able to handle more cyberware implants than others. Since the release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the community has wondered why V never seems to fall victim to this condition, even going as far as to use a mod to emulate cyberpsychosis in Cyberpunk 2077. But the absence of this feature may have been an intentional design choice to portray V's mental fortitude, even amid all the trauma they have experienced during the game's events.
It turns out that Regina Jones was right in asking the player to spare cyberpsychos and bring them in alive. She believes that there's a way to rehabilitate these poor Night City citizens, and she may indeed be on to something. So while there doesn't yet seem to be a way to cure cyberpsychosis, it'll hopefully be an avenue for the Phantom Liberty DLC or Project Orion to explore - and a way for Cyberpunk 2077's misunderstood cyberpsychos to get a second chance in the future.
