Cyberpunk 2077’s Secret Balatro Quest Explained

Cyberpunk 2077’s Secret Balatro Quest Explained



Late last year, CD Projekt Red said that its latest game, Cyberpunk 2077, would no longer receive new content updates, as the team was moving on to other upcoming projects, like Project Orion and The Witcher 4. However, out of the blue, the Polish developer announced this week that Cyberpunk 2077 would receive yet another free patch for current-gen platforms. This patch, called Update 2.2, was released on December 10, 2024, and it brought a heap of new cosmetic-focused content to the game. The update, which was designed with the intent of giving players more ways to express themselves in the world of Cyberpunk, added major car customization features, overhauled the game’s photo mode, and improved the character creator.

As is the case with most Cyberpunk 2077 patches, CD Projekt Red didn’t reveal all the new content that was added in Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2. Some new features were left as a surprise for players to find out. So far, fans have already discovered that Cyberpunk‘s latest update has added a new street race in Watson, and that it has increased the color variety of attainable weapons in-game. These new features, while noteworthy, are easily eclipsed by what is perhaps the biggest hidden Update 2.2. addition of them all: a new Balatro-themed side quest.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.2 Added a Secret Balatro Side Quest

Balatro is One of the Biggest Indie Games of the Year

Balatro‘s name may not ring a bell for some gamers, but the game is one of the most critically acclaimed independent titles to be released this year. Created by solo Canadian developer LocalThunk, Balatro is a roguelike deck builder in which players must create synergies by combining jokers with poker hands in order to rack up as many points as possible. Although it doesn’t look all that exciting at first glance, Balatro has been described as highly addictive by many. The game has even been nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards.

Balatro’s New Cyberpunk 2077 Side Quest Tasks Players With Finding Jokers Around Night City

When progressing through Cyberpunk 2077‘s campaign, players may now receive a text message from a person named Jim B. This mysterious individual asks players to “help track down” a group of “rogue Jokers” that have dispersed across Night City, and are plotting and scheming in the shadows to take over “the city’s gambling scene.” If gamers accept Jim B.’s request for help, they must embark on an “unforgettable adventure” across Night City to find and collect images of these so-called Jokers who, in reality, are nothing more than some simple graffiti drawings of the jokers found in Balatro.

This secret Balatro side mission may just be a basic fetch quest, but players who complete it can get access to some solid rewards. After finding all the Jokers that are hidden throughout Night City, Jim B. gives players some new Balatro-themed cosmetics to use, including a T-shirt with an image of a Joker on it and a trophy that can be displayed in their apartments.

Cyberpunk 2077 and Balatro Have a Mutual Relationship

A quest designer at CD Projekt Red named Maria Mazur recently shed some light on the company’s unexpected decision to add a Balatro side quest to Cyberpunk 2077. Speaking to IGN, Mazur said that she was personally a big fan of Balatro, so she was pushing for the idea of collaborating with the game in some way. Mazur stated that she felt “a kindred spirit vibe with Balatro‘s creator, LocalThunk,” and, as such, was very proud that she “was able to introduce Jim B to Cyberpunk 2077.”

Surprising as it may be, this isn’t the first time LocalThunk and CD Projekt Red have collaborated together. Earlier this year, new suits of face cards were added to Balatro in the Friends of Jimbo updates, each of which were based on characters from popular gaming franchises. A card with the likeness of The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia was added to the game, alongside a card featuring none other than Cyberpunk 2077‘s gun-toting rockerboy Johnny Silverhand.

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