In addition to a new story, Cyberpunk 2077's next major update may finally fix the game's biggest issue aside from its post-launch instability. While Night City is a treat to look at, there isn't a lot of interactivity to truly get lost in it. According to files discovered during a recent leak of the game's expansion, CD Projekt Red plans on addressing that and putting the game another step closer to the ambitions laid out before its release.
Cyberpunk 2077, released in December 2020, was CDPR's next major RPG after the massively successful The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Due to the latter turning the developer into something of an industry golden child overnight, Cyberpunk immediately became one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. Unfortunately, CDPR gave into the pressure that came with such lofty expectations and released the game well before it should have, resulting in a nearly unplayable experience for last-gen console players at launch despite months of crunch for Cyberpunk. The issue was so severe that Sony actually removed the game from PlayStation's digital store.
In the year and a half since the game's release, CDPR has put out a slew of updates to improve stability and also implement various quality-of-life changes. Additionally, Cyberpunk's current-gen update was finally released and it improved performance and stability on the Xbox Series consoles, PlayStation 5, and PC even more. The next big update will likely come in early 2023 when the expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 releases; but thanks to an alleged leak that came out the day of the developer's earnings report, the plot of the expansion has seemingly been largely revealed.
How Cyberpunk 2077's Expansion Will Improve Its Open World
Aside from the story spoilers, the Cyberpunk 2077 leak also included other things that will be added into the game. This includes more than a dozen side stories that will continue making the world feel more lived in, which has been one of the main criticisms of the game. Night City is masterfully designed and its various districts have their own character that makes it feel like a real city, but there isn't a lot to do outside of the main plot and quite a few cool side quests in Cyberpunk 2077.
According to the leak, new types of activities called Mini World Stories and Street Stories will be added with the expansion. It's unknown how many Mini World Stories there will be, but it seems like there will be 13 Street Stories. Also unknown is what these new activities will involve, but it's safe to assume by their names that they'll continue to flesh out the world of Cyberpunk 2077. The map is currently filled with gigs, which are often simple "shoot this" or "go get that" tasks that only take a few minutes and reward the player with a small amount of money. With an apparent emphasis on telling more stories throughout the city, these activities will surely help make the open world feel more alive.
The new stories are a step in the right direction, but there's still work to be done to make the world as immersive as CDPR promised it would be prior to Cyberpunk's release. In addition to these side stories, Night City needs other ways to the time aside from the usual loop. A rumored gigs DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 is one way that could change. Coming from the same developer that introduced players to the hit mini-game GWENT, it's hard to believe they're incapable of also creating a similarly addicting experience for Cyberpunk 2077. The city, for the most part, is nothing more than window dressing, and the game needs more ways to make the player feel like an everyday resident.
