Cyberpunk 2077 has been available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC since December 2020, offering the full single-player Night City experience with Keanu Reeves, tons of side missions, and nearly as many bugs. Despite the game’s rough edges, it’s a fascinating look at the future, and CD Projekt Red has promised there will also be a Cyberpunk multiplayer experience eventually. But just when will we be able to play this, and what will it include?
When is Cyberpunk 2077 getting multiplayer?
If you were hoping to play a Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer experience soon, then we have some bad news for you: The experience likely isn’t going to release until at least 2022. Though it’s already playable at CD Projekt Red, significant development time remains on the project and it’s being developed separately from the main game. Despite this, it will be available for free to anyone who bought Cyberpunk 2077.
Prior to Cyberpunk 2077’s release, CD Projekt Red said that news on the multiplayer component would come in the first quarter of 2021. Given the problems the game has had since launch and the development timeline for other elements, such as post-launch DLC, this could also be the case for any announcements.
What will Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer include?
CD Projekt Red has kept the specifics on the Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer experience under wraps, but apparent leaks from dataminers suggest it could contain a heist gameplay mode. Given the crime system in place in the game already and its mix of on-foot and vehicular gameplay, this seems like a plausible inclusion. However, it has yet to be confirmed officially.
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Hitman 3 – Cloud Version for Nintendo Switch will be released on January 20, 2021 – the same day as PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia.
Announced on Twitter by IO Interactive, Hitman 3 – Cloud Version is the exact same version as the other platforms, but is a cloud-based version that requires a persistent internet connection to play.
Ahead of its release, we were able to get one final preview of Hitman 3, in which we said “Hitman 3’s sandbox is vast and filled with many toys. Sure, it still has some cheesy dialogue and voice acting, as well as some goofy animations, but overall I’m extremely impressed by what I’ve played so far.”
Hitman 3 is the end of the trilogy that began with the first Hitman in 2016. Alongside taking Agent 47 to new locations like Chongqing, this new game will also bring the rendering, animation, and AI upgrades of Hitman 3 to the missions of Hitman 1 and 2, which are available free of charge to owners of the previous entries.
This Saturday has brought along many great PC related deals for you to look at. There are a ton of entire pre-built machines on sale right now, including many that are powered by the latest and greatest RTX 3000 GPUs. If that’s not your thing, we also have a few other nice deals on Final Fantasy Art Books, an LG Ultrawide monitor and more.
Alienware gaming PCs are generally more expensive than most other brands, but you get what you pay for in terms of quality and customer support. Unlike most other vendors, Dell designs its own cases and cooling systems. Their desktops (especially the entire Alienware lineup) feature great build quality and brand-name components. Dell’s customer service is also considered one of the best in the business, especially if you opt for the higher tiered packages.
HP OMEN PCs offer high quality construction at a price that usually beats out most other competitors. Like Dell, HP designs their own chassis. The OMEN 30L and 25L gaming PCs are understated yet very well built. They’ve been around for a while and their customer service is reliable.
These PCs are sold and shipped by Amazon, not a 3rd party marketplace vendor. Some of these configs show a 1-2 month estimate, although often times you’ll receive it much sooner than expected. That said, Amazon carries very low inventory for the rigs (in some cases less than 10 units) so expect them to sell out very, very quickly. There’s even an ASUS ROG config in here!
Adam Badowski, the studio head of CD Projekt Red, has responded to a recent report regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s alleged fake E3 demo and development issues.
“It’s hard for a trade show game demo not to be a test of vision or vertical slice two years before the game ships, but that doesn’t mean it’s fake,” Badowski wrote. “Compare the demo with the game. Look at the Dumdum scene or car chase, or the many other things. What the people reading your article may not know is that games are not made in a linear fashion and start looking like the final product only a few months before launch. If you look at that demo now, it’s different yes, but that’s what the ‘work in progress’ watermark is for. Our final game looks and plays way better than what that demo ever was.
“As for ‘missing’ features, that’s part of the creation process. Features come and go as we see if they work or not. Also, car ambushes exist in the final game almost verbatim to what we showed in the demo. And if we get a bit more granular about our release, the vision we presented in this demo evolved into something that got multiple 9/10s and 10/10s on PC from many renown gaming outlets in the world. As for the old-gen consoles, yes that is another case, but we’ve owned up to that and are working super hard to eliminate bugs (on PC, too – we know that’s not a perfect version either) and we are proud of Cyberpunk 2077 as a game and artistic vision. This all is not what I’d call disastrous.”
Badowski then responded to the claim that many Cyberpunk 2077 developers knew the game would not be ready for release in 2020.
“You’ve talked with 20 people, some being ex employees, only 1 of whom is not anonymous,” Badowski said. “I wouldn’t call that ‘most’ of the over 500-people staff openly said what you claim.”
Lastly, Badowski addressed the claim that Polish-speaking employees would speak Polish in front of non-Polish staffers, which “violated company rules” and made them feel “ostracized.”
“Everyone here speaks English during meetings, every company-wide email and announcement is in English – all that is mandatory,” Badowski explained. “Rule of thumb is to switch to English when there’s a person not speaking a given language in a casual conversation. It is, however, pretty normal for Germans speaking German, Poles speaking Polish, Spaniards speaking Spanish etc. (there are 44 nationalities at the studio, you get the point) when there’s no one else around. We are working in a multicultural environment. If the question is if it’s hard to move to another country, sometimes culture, and work and live there, then the answer is yes. But that’s universal to every company all over the world, and we’re doing what we can to ease that transition.”
Schreier responded to Badowski’s message, saying that “CD Projekt chose not to respond to specific questions or make Badowski available for our article, so it’s interesting to see these comments arriving now.”
He also mentioned that he does regret bringing up the language issue, as it has gotten a “disproportionate amount of attention and is not a particularly big deal,” but also notes that Badowski did not address the “brutal crunch and the unrealistic timeline.”
The Persona train isn’t stopping anytime soon with the upcoming Persona 5 Strikers launching next month. After getting hands-on with the game, I’m mostly impressed with its shift to Warriors-style action combat and happy to be with its familiar cast of characters again for a new journey. In my Persona 5 Strikers preview, I detailed the new storyline, quirks of the revamped battle system, and the ways in which it’s a lighter approach to the original game.
However, I still need room to highlight the little things that I love about the game so far–from the incredible music and flashy menus to great subtle characterizations and cutscenes. These elements have helped elevate the experience beyond a mere hack-and-slash adaptation thus far, and also remind us why we love the original game to begin with. If you want a detailed breakdown of the game’s early-goings, be sure to watch our in-depth discussion below.
New Music Worthy Of Praise
I feel like I’ve written about Persona soundtracks and the work of Atlus’ sound team many times already, but Persona 5 Strikers gives me plenty of reasons to do it again. With folks like Atsushi Kitajoh and Gota Masuoka working with the acid jazz and hard rock foundation set by Shoji Meguro, we have more songs to jam out to.
I found it a bit hard to get past the main menu because the theme song “Strikers” is so damn catchy and groovy, perfectly looping forever. While we don’t get the iconic “Life Will Change” when things reach a climax in the Metaverse, we do have “Daredevil” which exudes its own sense of unwavering confidence and invulnerability. There’s also a new standard battle theme called “What You Wish For“; however, the chaos of combat sometimes drowns out this uptempo jazz rock track that rightfully deserves multiple listens. That’s just scratching the surface, too.
Remixes Of Our Favorites Tunes
A number of songs from the Persona 5 are used in Strikers and remain untouched, and it’s great to hear those tunes again. But it’s a different kind of excitement to hear old favorites remixed.
I’ve said my piece about Strikers’ remix of “Last Surprise” in great detail, but I’ll say it one more time here: this melodic punk/metal twist to Persona 5’s heralded battle theme may even surpass the original version. “Rivers In The Desert” also has a heavier remix that picks up the tempo and layers in some extra distorted guitars. While the original arrangements were just right for the vibe Persona 5 was going for, these new renditions are better fits for the fast-paced action combat in Strikers. They’ll make you wish you could get up and fight shadows yourself.
Letting Your Favorite Be The Star
I mention this in my preview, but what helps spotlight the other members of the Phantom Thieves in Strikers is that you can choose who to take direct control of when exploring the Metaverse, instead of always having Joker take the lead. Folks have their favorite character and now they can be the star of the show. It’s a relatively small thing, but adds a bit of fresh excitement, especially since Makoto can now lead the way darting across cover points, jumping between rooftops, and tearing masks off shadows to initiate an ambush. Really though, it makes this feel more like it’s everyone’s journey, too.
Each Character’s Individuality Shines
In combat, each character functions differently. While they all follow a similar combo pattern, the properties and effects of each of their combos are unique. For example, Haru’s axe swings are heavy and can lead to a spinning AOE attack, while Ryuji can charge up a bat swing for increased damage. Makoto can hop on Johanna and crash through mobs of shadows, and Morgana can do something similar by turning into the cat bus. One of the best things about this cast is their individuality, and it really shines through in the actual gameplay experience.
Morgana’s Little Steppy Steps
I know there are Morgana haters out there, but I love cats vewy much and I have a soft spot for Morgana. Of course, when controlling anyone else in the Metaverse, they’ll take normal human-sized strides while running, but how the hell does Morgana keep pace when you control him? Well, when you do, he does these quick little steps while his big ol’ head is wobbling around, it’s cute uwu.
A Wild Yakuza Reference Appears
In the opening chapter, you’ll be able to walk around familiar areas in Tokyo. You can’t really engage with the world the same way you could in the original game, but you can chat with your friends who are posted up around town. If you approach Makoto by the movie theater in Central Street, she’ll hit you with a wild Yakuza reference.
Way to market a Sega game in a Sega game, I guess they heard we like Sega games. Real talk; you should check out that game or at least peep my Yakuza: Like a Dragon review to see what all the fuss is about–it even made it in our list of the 10 best games of 2020.
Sweet Pre-rendered Cutscenes
One thing I wish Persona 5 (and Royal) had was more animated cutscenes. These were a treat that showed the characters in pivotal story moments with an anime-inspired likeness. While Strikers has a few of its own, there are also pre-rendered cutscenes that are sort of an in-between. They seemed a bit weird at first in a G-mod sort of way, but they’ve been really well done so far, giving a bit more flash and style to the story’s critical moments.
Sophia, Humanity’s Companion
Sophia is one of the new faces in Persona 5 Strikers and joins the squad right at the start. She takes on a human form in the Metaverse and acts as a phone-based artificial intelligence in the real world, earning her self-proclaimed title of “humanity’s companion.” She fits in well with the rest of the crew with her own charm and combat sensibilities, while also being your guide in the Metaverse. She’s a sentient AI without memories, but please, Atlus, don’t make us fight her in some wild plot twist.
The Unnecessarily Swagged Out Menus
In-game menus never looked so good until Persona 5, and Strikers carries that tradition by nearly one-upping the original. Checking your items shifts to a purple spotlight with Haru and Morgana opening a chest, the equip menu shows Joker and Ryuji trying to act hard, the party menu has Joker and Ann sitting on a roof under pink-hued lights–basically, everyone gets to be a showoff and I love it. Sophia, as your shopkeeper, gets her own bubbly menu and animations when you’re buying items and equipment.
Maybe they’re not the best functionally since some transitions aren’t exactly swift, but the cool factor more than makes up for it.
The Phantom Thieves Know What They’re About
The Phantom Thieves don’t trust cops, straight up. Persona 5 made that quite clear, but in case you didn’t pick up on it, Strikers gives you a stark reminder. It’s born out of a distrust for authority figures who have been responsible for the trauma they faced in the past, and they don’t seem to be backing down in this new game.
A new character, Zenkichi Hasegawa, is a detective tasked with keeping an eye on the Phantom Thieves’ movements as they’re suspected of causing abnormal behaviors in the real world again. There’s much more to him than the opening hours let on, but their initial distrust towards him makes no bones about where they stand. Haru says so, and says it with her chest. Yusuke backs her up too. If you have a problem with it, take it up with them.
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IGN serves a global audience, so with The Marksman now playing in theaters, we are publishing our review from Matt Fowler who watched the movie via a digital screener. Read more on IGN’s policy on movie reviews in light of COVID-19 here. IGN strongly encourages anyone considering going to a movie theater during the COVID-19 pandemic to check their local public health and safety guidelines before buying a ticket.
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Liam Neeson’s deep-voiced, grizzled charisma, which has served him super well as a later-in-life action star, isn’t quite enough to pull The Marksman up and out of its formulaic dregs.
The second directorial effort from producer Robert Lorenz, who’s been behind most of Clint Eastwood’s 21st-century films, (including Gran Torino, which this film echos in certain ways), The Marksman — which uses Neeson’s character’s skill with a rifle far too infrequently to warrant that title — is a rather humdrum slice of “good guy with a gun” dad porn. Obviously, Neeson is no stranger to revenge cinema, but this is his first dalliance with problematic grumpiness.
You could see how The Marksman was crafted with an Eastwood-type in mind, complete with Eastwood’s political leanings perhaps, but the film skirts the more serious issues it uses as a backdrop in order to unspool a color-by-numbers tale involving an old Marine teaching disrespectful punks a lesson. In this case, the Marine is Neeson’s Arizona rancher, Jim Hanson, and the troublemakers are Cartel hitmen.
Hanson, whose property rests on the US/Mexico border, is sort of vaguely bigoted. His cantankerous nature is explained-away (ish) by the fact that he’s recently widowed and the bank’s about to foreclose on his land, but he’s still a man who’s perennially bothered and put out by Mexicans crossing onto his property illegally, always reporting them to Border Patrol when he spots them. We also see Hanson needing quick work and being distressed when he’s denied a ditch digging job because of day laborers.
Nothing is said outright about Hanson’s prejudices, which is probably a wise move, but it’s also a cowardly move that works to water down anything potentially interesting. Painting him with a broad “misanthrope” brush feels like a cop-out when you see who exactly, in the movie, he’s peeved with. Things are only winked at here, with phrases like “if only the government would do something about the mess down here” and “the way things are now.” It all just smacks of the creators realizing, as they roll through production, that this, possibly, was the wrong time to make this movie.
Hanson’s fading life, one of desolation, is interrupted by a Mexican mother and son fleeing Cartel assassins and winding up on his ranch. In a quick skirmish with the killers, the mother is mortally wounded, the brother of the lead Cartel goon (Juan Pablo Raba) is taken out, and Hanson finds himself begrudgingly fulfilling a promise to the late woman to take her boy, Miguel (Jacob Perez), to Chicago to be with his cousins. As payment, so that he can prevent his land from being sold off, Hanson figures he’ll use the duffle bag of Cartel cash that the mom was carrying.
As you might expect, Hanson and Miguel bond during their long cross-country pickup truck trek, and the cold codger begins to warm to his companion, eventually seeing this journey as a last-good-deed mission. Ultimately, it’s not a terrible story. It’s watchable, in all the weakest ways that descriptor implies. Just because it’s not fresh doesn’t mean it can’t be effective at times. Tropes exist for a reason, as they are the easiest ways discovered to deliver emotional arcs and morality plays. Of course, Neeson’s playing a reluctant killer here. One who tells Miguel “there’s absolutely nothing that feels good about killing another man.” The movie itself might disagree as the genre is one designed to specifically dish out vengeance.
Vikings’ Katheryn Winnick is wasted here in what’s become the all-too-common “woman on the phone” role, where, as Hanson’s stepdaughter, and a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, she gets a lot of scenes where she has to plead with him to come home and let the system handle things. What starts off as a possibly promising part fizzles out halfway through the film and finds no closure. The movie’s ending feels right enough, and dour enough, though it also just reinforces vigilantism in the ways these types of stories usually do.
It’s been another big week for CD Projekt Red, with studio co-founder Marcin Iwinski releasing an apology for the state the game launched in and a roadmap for its future. But that wasn’t the only Cyberpunk 2077 news to hit this week.
Originally reported by DSOgaming, dataminers have allegedly found references to Cyberpunk’s upcoming multiplayer mode in the game files, including mentions of a heist gameplay mode. Lucy, Jean-Luc, and Jake discuss what the leaks mean, as well as what they’d like to see from Cyberpunk’s multiplayer. They also list off some quality-of-life changes they’d love to see implemented in the game’s single player, including changes to how clothes work, remapping certain keys, as well as fixes for driving issues.
Earlier this week, the gang also broke down CD Projekt Red’s apology and roadmap video and dissected what it means for the future of the game. You can check out that video and the rest of our Cyberpunk content on youtube.com/GameSpot.
