History of Cyberpunk 2077 in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 12, 2026

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in Night City, a dystopian megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. Players assume the role of V, a mercenary outlaw navigating the dangerous underworld in search of a unique implant that serves as the key to immortality. As V's consciousness begins to merge with a digital ghost from a deceased rockerboy, players must make difficult choices that shape the narrative and the character's fate. The game explores deep themes of transhumanism, corporate corruption, and the loss of individual identity in a hyper-capitalist future. Featuring a complex skill system, customizable cyberware, and a branching storyline, the experience emphasizes player agency within a high-stakes, neon-drenched environment. While initially criticized for technical bugs at launch, the game has since been refined through major updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion, solidifying its reputation as a defining title in the cyberpunk subgenre.

2000: Release of Crimson Skies

During the year 2000, Mike Pondsmith utilized his development experience gained from working on the game Crimson Skies at Microsoft.

2001: Release of Blood Wake

In 2001, Mike Pondsmith continued his development career contributing to the game Blood Wake while at Microsoft.

2005: Release of The Matrix Online

In 2005, Mike Pondsmith applied his industry expertise while working at Monolith Productions on the development of The Matrix Online.

2007: Development of The Witcher

Reflecting on history in 2007, the studio faced challenges during the development of The Witcher due to the indifference shown by author Andrzej Sapkowski.

2011: Pondsmith Reviews The Witcher 2

In 2011, CD Projekt Red sent a copy of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings to Mike Pondsmith, which played a key role in his decision to collaborate with the studio.

2012: Initiation of Cyberpunk 2077 Development

During 2012, CD Projekt Red began preliminary work on Cyberpunk 2077 and established a partnership with Mike Pondsmith following the release of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition.

2013: Creation of Soulkiller and the Arasaka Attack

In 2013, Alt Cunningham developed the Soulkiller AI, a program capable of uploading human consciousness into cyberspace while destroying the biological brain. Following the capture of Alt by the Arasaka Corporation, Johnny Silverhand launched a nuclear strike on Arasaka Tower to rescue her. While the attack allowed Alt to transition into an AI beyond the Blackwall, it resulted in Johnny Silverhand's death and his subsequent digital imprisonment via the very technology Alt created.

2016: Development Commencement

In 2016, following the release of the expansion The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine, CD Projekt officially began the development process for Cyberpunk 2077.

December 2020: Initial Game Launch

In December 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 was officially released for multiple platforms, including PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One.

December 2020: PlayStation Store Removal

In December 2020, following widespread criticism regarding severe technical bugs and glitches in Cyberpunk 2077, especially on consoles, Sony took the unprecedented step of removing the game from the PlayStation Store.

2020: Release of Cyberpunk 2077

In 2020, CD Projekt Red launched the action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077, which is set in the fictional Night City and based on the tabletop game series created by Mike Pondsmith.

June 2021: Return to PlayStation Store

After CD Projekt spent months working to rectify the technical issues plaguing the title, the game was made available for purchase again on the PlayStation Store in June 2021.

February 2022: Next-Gen Console Release

In February 2022, the development team expanded the availability of Cyberpunk 2077 by releasing versions for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

October 2022: Sequel Announcement

In October 2022, the studio officially announced that a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 had entered the development phase.

2022: Release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

In 2022, the release of the tie-in anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, alongside ongoing game updates, contributed to a significant positive reappraisal of the franchise.

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September 2023: Phantom Liberty DLC Release

In September 2023, the major expansion Phantom Liberty was released, bringing new content to PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S players.

2023: Attack on Arasaka Tower

In 2023, rocker-turned-terrorist Johnny Silverhand, alongside Rogue Amendiares and a team of mercenaries, launched a major assault on Arasaka Tower. The event resulted in Johnny Silverhand's death, though his consciousness was preserved as a digital engram that would later haunt V.

June 2025: Nintendo Switch 2 Launch

In June 2025, Cyberpunk 2077 was made available as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 console.

July 2025: macOS Platform Release

In July 2025, the game Cyberpunk 2077 officially became available for users on the macOS operating system.

July 2026: Sales Milestone and Budget Disclosure

As of July 2026, Cyberpunk 2077 reached a major milestone by selling over 40 million copies worldwide. Additionally, reports indicate that the total investment for development and marketing, covering the base game, updates, and DLC, reached between $436 million and $440 million, positioning it as one of the most expensive game production projects in history.

2077: Licensing Agreement for the Cyberpunk Franchise

In 2077, CD Projekt Red officially licensed the rights to the Cyberpunk universe story starting from the year 2077 and moving forward, while Mike Pondsmith retained control over media set in the universe prior to this year.

2077: The State of Night City in 2077

In 2077, Night City operates as an independent corporatocracy situated in North California, characterized by extreme gang violence, rampant corporate warfare, and systemic corruption. The city relies heavily on advanced robotics for public infrastructure, while the population grapples with widespread poverty and a culture of cybernetic modification that frequently leads to cyberpsychosis.

2077: The Heist of the Relic

In 2077, fixer Dex DeShawn recruits mercenaries V and Jackie Welles to infiltrate the Arasaka Corporation and steal the Relic biochip. The mission spirals into chaos when they witness the murder of Saburo Arasaka by his son, Yorinobu. Following the deaths of T-Bug and Jackie, and a betrayal by Dex who leaves V for dead, V is forced to install the damaged biochip into their own neural interface in 2077.

2077: Release of Cyberpunk 2077

In 2077, the action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 was released, featuring a customizable mercenary protagonist named V who navigates a world defined by body modifications and specific gameplay attributes, with the Relic attribute later added in the 2077 Phantom Liberty expansion.

2077: Conceptual Development of Cyberpunk 2077

In 2077, the game Cyberpunk 2077 was developed as an adaptation of Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk pen-and-paper series. Unlike traditional hero narratives, the game focuses on a protagonist struggling for personal survival, with developers at CD Projekt Red aiming to maintain thematic loyalty to the original source material while utilizing the temporal gap between the game and the original series to exercise creative freedom.

2077: Events of Cyberpunk 2077 in Night City

In 2077, the protagonist V becomes involved in a life-threatening conflict with the Arasaka Corporation after receiving a biochip containing the engram of Johnny Silverhand, leading to a struggle for survival in Night City.

2077: Exploration of Night City and the Badlands

In 2077, the protagonist V navigates the vast metropolis of Night City, composed of seven distinct regions including the corporate City Center and the expansion-exclusive Dogtown, alongside the surrounding Badlands. The 2077 setting features advanced technology like Braindances for experiential immersion, dynamic weather cycles that influence NPC behavior, and a complex law enforcement system that responds to criminal activity.

2077: The Narrative Backdrop of Cyberpunk 2077

In the year 2077, the mercenary V, accompanied by the digital engram of the rocker-terrorist Johnny Silverhand, navigates a complex web of corporate intrigue and personal alliances in Night City, interacting with key figures like the Arasaka family and various underworld contacts.

2077: Game Setting and Context

The year 2077 serves as the primary temporal setting for the narrative of the video game Cyberpunk 2077, which received critical acclaim for its world-building despite launch-period controversies.