Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update goes live on September 21, five days ahead of Phantom Liberty

The Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion is set to arrive on September 26, but the big Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update, which will be free for all players, is going to roll out a little ahead of that: CD Projekt announced during today's Night City Wire stream that it's coming on September 21.

The Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update won't add any new missions or characters, but it will make significant changes to the base game. For instance, all players will get new radio stations, overhauled skill trees, vehicle combat, and a new police system, regardless of whether or not they spring for the Phantom Liberty expansion. CD Projekt actually laid out the differences between the free update and the paid expansion earlier this month.

Staff writer Morgan Park, who previously said that Cyberpunk players should probably just start a new game to truly appreciate what's coming in the 2.0 update, recently got a chance to take it for a spin and shared his thoughts in a new preview. Final verdict? He was right the first time: "Start a new game, because this is not the RPG you played three years ago."

On the Phantom Liberty front, CD Projekt unveiled the new original score for the expansion, which you can stream on the channel of your choice, and showcased a trio of new builds that you can check out below.

Bullet-Time Ninja

Hack-and-Slash Netrunner

Savage Slugger Solo

And yes, there's a new trailer that sets up what I imagine will be a pretty central conflict in the story.

Interestingly, Idris Elba said during today's stream that there's a "big Easter egg" in this frame from the trailer. I can't find it, but I also haven't played Cyberpunk 2077 so maybe that's a factor. Here's the frame:

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty cinematic trailer still: Idris Elba takes a train ride — (Image credit: CD Projekt)

Finally, while Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is still a couple weeks away, players can get ready for it in advance courtesy of a new build planner that's now available at cyberpunk.net. The planner includes the new Relic attribute coming with Phantom Liberty that offers powerful new abilities, including some that are reserved exclusively for FIA secret agents.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.