Update: 6:45 a.m. ET: CD Projekt Red has denied the accuracy of the post, simply stating "We usually do not comment on rumours, but this is simply not true" over on its official forum.
It doesn't elaborate on whether the whole string of comments are false, or whether only some of them are, but it puts everything the anonymous poster said into doubt. And we were already pretty sceptical, given its origins on 4Chan
While it's true there is free DLC coming, and plenty of content was cut from the final game, it's not clear whether the two will combine in a future update
Original story follows:
Hardly a day goes by when Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t in the news, and now we’re hearing rumors about the free DLC promised by developers CD Projekt Red. Specifically, the DLC will unlock some of the content that appears to have been cut from the game.
That’s according to someone claiming to have worked on the game over on 4chan (also archived on GameFAQs). And they specifically referred to plans as a “No Man’s Sky style comeback."
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You may remember that No Man’s Sky was a major disappointment when it launched, as the final game was buggy and didn’t live up to promised expectations. Sound familiar? In the end, a constant stream of patches and content has redeemed No Man’s Sky, and it seems CDPR is hoping for something similar to happen to Cyberpunk 2077.
According to the post, CD Projekt Red cut a wide swath of content from the game, much of which is in the process of being restored for a launch later this year. The first updates are said to be arriving in mid-March, and should be complete by late June. If the post is to be believed, this would be the version of the game the developers originally wanted to release.
The post goes into detail about content cut due to censorship, such as NPC kids using drugs and various side quests, as well as other areas of the game that never made it to release. Locked apartments that could be explored, a Nosferatu-inspired hidden underground section of the city that was cut because executives said it “looked ugly," and more that wasn’t specified.
Of course, anyone can claim to be anyone on the internet, and we've no way of verifying who the person making all these claims is. They could well be a developer at CDPR, or it could all be a con. We're just going to have to wait and see what happens between now and June.
What else has been cut?
The news that content was cut is no big shock to gamers who have already discovered evidence in the game’s code. Most recently fans found evidence of cut romance options that aren’t available in the main game (via Reddit).
Originally CDPR offered a number of options that didn’t appear in the final game, which left you with the option of awkward encounters with prostitutes or four romanceable NPCs that are locked to your character’s sex. Players discovered that with a little modification, you can restore those potential encounters no matter who you play as.
Why those options were cut is unclear, especially since fully voiced audio files are present in the game’s code. Not everything can make it to the final product, however.
Players have also found evidence of an unused monorail station that would have allowed faster travel around Night City. Hopefully, that's one thing that does return in a future update.
Mods are out there too
While CDPR has started work on updates for Cyberpunk 2077, gamers have been taking matters into their own hands. Over at Nexus Mods, players have already created their own mods to improve the game, such as better vehicle handling or a better minimap.
Other mods include a better ray tracing optimization, enhanced HDR, and much more. As of publishing, there are 28 pages worth of mods on the site, meaning people have been working very hard in the weeks since launch.
However, mods are only available on the PC version of the game, meaning console players don’t get to enjoy these fan-made enhancements. But even PC players should be careful, because an unofficial mod could affect a user's game or system; install at your own risk.
Want something to play while Cyberpunk 2077 gets more post-release polish? Then check out our picks for the best PC games you can buy right now.
