Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel Can Make Good on One Chekhov’s Gun Data Shard

Cyberpunk 2077 is filled to the brim with fascinating lore that makes Night City feel even more alive. One of the best ways to learn more about the history of Night City and the outside world is through Data Shards. These collectible digital items contain everything, from images and texts to audio and maps. In Cyberpunk 2077, these Data Shards are hidden all throughout the game, and one in particular deserves to be revisited in its sequel, Project Orion.

Players can stumble upon a Data Shard that reads, “Looking for a career change? Join NetWatch!” The rest of the Data Shard reads like a run-of-the-mill job recruit ad that explains what is to be expected of a NetWatch agent. Project Orion is bound to improve upon its predecessor, and one fascinating route would be to allow players to actually answer the call of this Data Shard.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s NetWatch Data Shard Could Open the Door to a Fascinating Life Path

NetWatch Data Shard Locations in Cyberpunk 2077

• V’s desk, located on floor 33 inside Arasaka Tower. This is specifically during the Corpo-Rat prologue.
• The upstairs of El Coyote Cojo
• On the bar counter inside The Afterlife
• In Yuca during the game’s Nomad prologue

It’s an intriguing piece of lore to come across in the game, but it would be even more exciting if V was able to follow up on the Data Shard’s offer. Whether Project Orion revisits V as a protagonist or features a brand-new lead, being given the opportunity to become a NetWatch agent could be a compelling route for a life path.

One of the biggest criticisms of Cyberpunk 2077 at launch is that the game’s teased life paths were lackluster. The RPG has come a long way since its notorious launch, but the life path concept is still merely scratching the surface. No matter which of the three options a player chooses for V, the only real difference it makes is with the story’s prologue. If CD Projekt Red wants to right the wrongs of Cyberpunk 2077‘s launch, giving Project Orion more dynamic life paths would be a great start. Cyberpunk 2077‘s three options, Nomad, Street Kid, and Corpo could make a return, but adding more options into the mix is a strong way to elevate the game’s role-playing.

Becoming a NetWatch Agent Could Offer a Deep Dive Into the Organization

Each faction and organization featured throughout Night City helps breathe life into the setting, and NetWatch is one of the franchise’s more compelling groups. The role of NetWatch is fascinating, and showcasing more of the cyber policing team sets the stage for Project Orion to explore compelling moral dilemmas regarding internet safety and censorship. Depending on one’s views, NetWatch is either doing a service or keeping the public from valuable information, and getting to actively take part in that role would be a fun role-playing route.

Project Orion Can Take Night City to Greater Heights

Nearly five years later, Cyberpunk 2077 has redeemed itself, especially after the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC. Now that CD Projekt Red has the experience of a rocky launch to learn from, it will be interesting to see how the developer makes improvements with Project Orion.

Project Orion is likely several years away at this point, but expanding the franchise’s world through more dynamic life paths and factions is probably one of the best ways for the sequel to kick things up a notch. The NetWatch Data Shard could simply be a fun way to expand the game’s lore, but it’s also a thread worth following further.

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Released

December 10, 2020

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol