Everything you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer

Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer follow-up is in jeopardy.

While Cyberpunk 2077's launch was less than stellar, fans are still eagerly awaiting future updates, DLC, expansions, and even a promised multiplayer update. This mode was promised prior to Cyberpunk 2077's release, but CD Projekt Red confirmed it wouldn't be there at release well before launch.

Now, new comments from CD Projekt Red suggest that it might have canceled the project as the studio focuses on fixing Cyberpunk 2077 and working on future The Witcher and Cyberpunk games. This is everything that we know about Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer so far.

When is the Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer release date?

CDPR announced in January 2020 that the game's multiplayer would not be ready for players until "after 2021." As such, the most likely release window for Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer is 2022. This could possibly be pushed back even further depending on how long the developers need to patch the game up to a working state and complete all of the DLC and expansions.

Unfortunately, it’s starting to sound like we might not get it at all. During a March 2021 strategy update (video below) CD Projekt Red President Adam Kiciński gave a dour update on the project. “Previously, we hinted that our next AAA would be a multiplayer Cyberpunk game, but we have decided to reconsider this plan given our new more systemic and agile approach,” he said.

“Instead of primarily focusing on one big online experience or game, we are focusing on bringing online into all of our franchises one day.” Basically, it sounds like CD Projekt Red might want to incorporate online elements into future Cyberpunk or The Witcher games instead of just having a standalone multiplayer Cyberpunk game.

Large-scale open-world games take a monumental effort to polish for release, so it's not uncommon for their developers to release multiplayer components after the single-player portion's release. Rockstar Games released Red Dead Redemption 2 Online in May 2019, about seven months after the launch of the game.

It’s possible that the promised Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer will see the light of day, but its release now seems to be in question.

What platforms will Cyberpunk 2077 be on?

Cyberpunk 2077 is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions slated for 2021. As such, we would assume that the multiplayer expansion will be on all of the same platforms. Following the game's disappointing last-gen versions, we wouldn't be surprised if the multiplayer abandons PS4 or Xbox One if it does manage to come out.

The game's single-player already seems like too much for PS4 and Xbox One to handle, and multiplayer will only make things more intense. As CDPR has not officially commented on its platforms and the project now seems to be shelved, we can't say for sure whether the multiplayer will come to not just last-gen systems but any platform.

Is there is a Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer trailer?

Unfortunately, CDPR hasn't revealed any gameplay or even cinematic elements for Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer features. But during the company's November 25, 2020 earnings report, it shed some light on its vision for the complementary game mode, and they sound much beefier than CDPR has previously teased.

What Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer details have been revealed?

Throughout Cyberpunk 2077's long march to release, CPDR has only provided tidbits of information about its multiplayer game mode. Back in 2013, managing director Adam Badowski told Eurogamer it was more of a fun perk instead of a core element of the game.

"It will be a story-based RPG experience with amazing single-player playthroughs, but we're going to add multiplayer features," he said. CPDR changed its tune about the scope of Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer before its possible cancellation and made it sound quite ambitious.

For starters, CDPR CEO Adam Kaciński isn't even calling it a multiplayer "mode" anymore. He touted that it's a "standalone production" that sounds like it's getting close to the same kind of attention the story mode did. "We don't call it modes. It's a separate dedicated production, a big production," Kaciński said.

"We think about it as a standalone product. Obviously, it's not entirely standalone as it comes from the universe of Cyberpunk and is very much related to the concept of single-player Cyberpunk we came up with. But from our perspective, it's another independent production and independent team of people works on it."

On January 11, DSOGaming claimed to have a source that data-mined the game's executable file and found more information about its multiplayer. The leak claims that multiplayer will reportedly have two modes, Heist and Deathmatch.

Heists appear to be a mission-based mode more akin to the single-player, while Deathmatch obviously is a competitive mode where players can fight each other. The other code data-mined on reveals minor messages and details, most of which are related to character classes, players dying and respawning, and other player ranking information.

In the same presentation where Kiciński put the Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer games’ status into question, he highlighted how online features would work in future CD Projekt Red games. “We are building an online technology that can be seamlessly integrated into development of our future games,” he said.

“This technology will power online components we choose to introduce in our games and will ensure we can do so without any great technological debt. With this technology in place, we can start to grow an online community.”

For now, it seems like multiplayer elements will just be integrated into the next Cybeprunnk title seamlessly, rather than the standalone multiplayer game that has been talked about recently. It appears that online features in Cyberpunk have come full circle, reverting back to the fun perks mentioned in 2013.

When will he hear more about the Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer?

Kaciński promised a multiplayer update during the first quarter, and we did get one! It was a positive update, but we did learn about the status of Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer nonetheless. As for when we’ll hear about a new Cyberpunk game with multiplayer, it likely won’t happen until much closer to the game’s release.

During the same presentation where Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer’s future was brought into question, SVP of Business Development Michal Nowakowski made one thing very clear about CD Projekt Red’s future marketing plans. “Going forward, our campaigns will be much shorter,” he said.

“We’ll wait until much closer to a game’s launch before we start showing things like trailers, demo, going in-depth about mechanics, etc.” While he does admit the studio might still tease projects at early stages, it sounds like we will have to wait until very close to the Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer game’s launch (if it’s even still happening)

Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia.