Cyberpunk 2077’s Biggest Changes Since 1.0’s Launch

When it comes to Cyberpunk 2077, everyone who has heard negative things since its launch should know that the game is fixed. Cyberpunk 2077 is an incredible experience, and the plethora of updates that have been released throughout the past 4 years has helped to build the game back up to the true intentions of CD Projekt RED, and Cyberpunk 2077 as of 2025, doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.

For players who want to reminisce about the biggest changes that have happened since Cyberpunk 2077 1.0, to the players who want to see how this game has evolved to try it themselves, it’s worth checking out the history of 1.0 to see what the game didn’t have upon release, and what it now has 5 years later.

8

Purchasable Apartments

4 New Apartments With Distinct Styles

• Added in: Patch 1.5
• Date Added: February 15, 2022

Coming in with Patch 1.5 was the ability to purchase new apartments. No longer was V restricted to his crib in Megabuilding H10 in Little China, Watson, and instead, V could now spend their hard-earned Eurodollars on some mighty new penthouses and apartments all across Night City. V’s access to 4 new apartments didn’t come cheap, but they had a great visual style for each and every one.

While the new apartments didn’t feature V’s pets and memorabilia, they did feature unique advantages, like the Roach Race arcade game. Some noticeable apartments, like the Corpo Plaza Apartment in the City Center, were great to flex the eddies V had earned on some nice views and nice new digs.

7

The Complete Overhaul of the Night City Police Department

Police Chases, Battles with MaxTac, and Active Patrols

• Added in: Patch 2.0
• Date Added: September 14, 2023

With Patch 2.0, players could experience a true police-wanted system with the NCPD that they have always wanted. From the 1.0 version of Cyberpunk 2077, the police didn’t seem to have any presence. Whether that was a commentary on the lawless and corrupt nature of Night City, or the fact it just wasn’t implemented very well, it didn’t matter when it came to 2.0, as players could have a few run-ins with the police.

Police now enter into car chases with V, and depending on their desired level, V could be in a heap of trouble with different levels of police units depending on the 5-star system. To make things even more hectic, intimidating, and fun, was the fact that a 5-star wanted level brought in MaxTac to treat V like a cyberpsycho, which was essentially a boss fight where players can see if they have what it takes to fight the law and win.

6

An Array of New Vehicles

Alter Vehicle Colors with CrystalCoat and Enjoy New Vehicles

• Added in: Patch 2.2
• Date Added: December 10, 2024

While Cyberpunk 2077 has released plenty of new vehicles into the game since 1.0 across a variety of updates, the 2.2 Patch was perhaps its finest release yet when it came to vehicular detail. Not only did players have access to more cars to fill up V’s garage even further, but they also had the ability to alter the appearance of vehicles with custom paint jobs with one of the most expansive color wheels on the market.

Plenty of vehicles used the new CrystalCoat setting, which allowed an abundance of cars owned by V to alter their colors so that V’s ride could stand out more in Night City. With all the updates including 2.2, V now had an array of vehicles to purchase through Autofixer so that no V had to drive the same car twice.

5

Hang Out With Romance Partners

Invite Romances on Apartment Dates

• Added in: Patch 2.1
• Date Added: December 5, 2023

The many romances that V can intertwine within Night City are part of the immense joy and immersion of Cyberpunk 2077. No matter the player’s favorite romance partner, V could enjoy a night of intimacy with them and seemingly never see them again. That was until Patch 2.1, when players could now invite over their romance partners to hang out with at their apartments (except Dogtown).

Whether players went for Kerry, Judy, River, or Panam, every V could enjoy spending some intimate time with the character that they loved the most. The romance options didn’t allow players to party in Night City, but it did allow them to hang out in apartments, cuddling and sharing in moments of intimacy.

4

Reworked RPG-Like Cyberware

New and Improved Cyberware Systems for An RPG Experience

• Added in: Patch 2.0
• Date Added: September 14, 2023

In the launch 1.0 version of Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberware was still important to creating great versions of V and showed how Ripperdocs could help craft a monster of chrome that could benefit from providing V with extra damage and additional passive buffs and stats. However, Patch 2.0 went even further with the Cyberware system to reintegrate it into the perfect blend of RPG crafting.

The new and improved version of Cyberware provided players with Armor as the primary focus, thus nullifying clothing so that players could wear whatever cosmetics they liked. The removal of Armor from clothing meant that players could look great instead of just wearing whatever had the best bonuses, and now they could look to Cyberware to chrome out their V to craft the ultimate merc, while also watching their Cyberware Capacity to ensure they don’t exceed it and become a cyberpsycho.

3

Riding the Night City Metro System

The NCART Was a Beloved Cut Feature, That Returned For Immersion

• Added in: Patch 2.1
• Date Added: December 5, 2023

There was something quite hollow about seeing the many train lines of Night City in 1.0, knowing that this was cut content that would seemingly be a constant reminder of what could have been. However, with Patch 2.1, the NCART system came into Cyberpunk 2077, and now everyone could ride the Night City Area Rapid Transit and enjoy the highs and lows of public transport.

With each NCART station featuring a unique atmosphere, and each train cart to sit in and travel within having its own set of characters and a rather glum-looking Johnny, players could further immerse themselves in the day-to-day of Night City, and while this change didn’t exactly revamp the entire game, it showed the dedication that CD Projekt RED has when it comes to fulfilling promises to fans.

2

Entirely Revamped Perk System

New Abilities Created Amazingly Detailed Builds for V

• Added in: Patch 2.0
• Date Added: September 14, 2023

With Patch 2.0, the Attributes and Perk system was entirely reworked so that there were far more detail and RPG-like mechanics involved in creating the perfect V. Players had plenty of investment trees to look into with the Attribute Points, and now with Patch 2.0 these Perks were entirely revamped and remodeled to unleash incredible power.

Every build has the potential to be incredible, but now with Patch 2.0, players could create some truly unique builds and show them off to other players. The various enhancements to Perks truly made Cyberpunk 2077 stand out as an open-world RPG.

1

The Phantom Liberty Expansion

An Expansion That Told Further Incredible Stories in Dogtown and Night City

• Added in: Patch 2.0
• Date Added: September 26, 2023

Phantom Liberty was exactly what CD Projekt RED needed after the 1.0 launch of Cyberpunk 2077. It was to be this game’s version of The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Phantom Liberty felt like an entirely new game in Cyberpunk 2077 that also seamlessly adapted itself into the story, weaving in with the vanilla narrative with its own set of espionage missions and interesting characters.

Players had new missions, side jobs, gigs, and a whole new part of Night City to explore with Dogtown. The detail from every aspect of Phantom Liberty’s design is incredible, and those with the PC, Xbox Series X|S, or PS5 version of Cyberpunk 2077 are in for a treat, as Phantom Liberty is a near-essential playthrough for everyone who has the game, especially since it sees further growth in V and Johnny Silverhand, as well as their moral conundrums with working for NUSA and Idris Elba’s Solomon Reed.