Cyberpunk Edgerunners is what happens when a super-hyped video game reaches peak excitement: it gets a Netflix show before the game even comes out.
Revealed at the end of the Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire stream, Edgerunners was a surprise to all involved. Cyberpunk 2077, for those who don't know, is an upcoming futuristic action-adventure game that will feature an immersive open world and star Keanu Reeves as a key character. And soon, it'll have a companion anime series that further fleshes out the world of Night City.
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CD Projekt Red announced that it's developing Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in partnership with Netflix and Studio Trigger. Trigger has a strong portfolio of anime projects, including Darling and the Franxx, Little Witch Academia, Kill La Kill and Promare.
Here's everything we've learned about Cyberpunk: Edgerunners so far.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners release date
The 10-episode run of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will hit Netflix in 2022.
Hopefully by then, the oft-delayed Cyberpunk 2077 will have come out, and it will have met and possibly exceeded the hype. If the show comes out to an audience that doesn't see a need for it — say this game is more Anthem than The Last of Us 2 — it might have a hard time thriving at Netflix.
For those keeping track, Cyberpunk 2077 itself is set to drop on PS4, PC and Xbox One on Nov. 19, to give us something to be thankful for. On the same stream where Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was announced, we found out free PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will be available for those who buy the current-gen editions.
That being said, given the success of Netflix's The Witcher, the Cyberpunk show has to resonate with an audience beyond just gamers in order to be a hit.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners teaser trailer
In the teaser trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, we met Saya Elder, the Japan-based producer of the series. She described herself as a "fixer" — a term from Cyberpunk 2077 itself.
The clip doesn't show off any show footage of the show, but it takes you on a walking tour of Japan at night, setting the mood for the foreboding show.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners story
In the trailer, Elder says "We were certain we didn't want to make a recreation of the game." Instead, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners "is a standalone story set in the same universe," with the Night City location. The characters and story will be completely unique.
She described the show as almost a gateway drug for the game, as it could bring in members of Netflix's audience who aren't as familiar or dialed in with gaming.
Trigger studio director Imaishi said "We are making the anime that both Cyberpunk fans and those who are not so familiar with the game can enjoy.
The trailer closes on a still of a character that is presumably the hero of the series, who stands back to us, with a glowing fist. Polygon reports the "street kid" protagonist at the center of the show will spend the series becoming an Edgerunner, "an outlaw mercenary."
