The next major Cyberpunk 2077 update is Patch 1.2, which was delayed last month due to a cyber attack on developer CD Projekt (the irony of which I'm certain wasn't lost on the studio). We still aren't sure exactly when the update will be piped out through Steam and GOG this month, but we now know what'll be in it.
Today, CD Projekt posted a fictional Night City news report that outlines Patch 1.2's major changes. Skipping past the pretend bits, the patch makes the following adjustments and additions to Cyberpunk 2077:
- Police respond more slowly
- Police appear to assess crime scenes with drones
- Adds a steering sensitivity slider
- Steering should be more consistent during dips in framerate
- Stuck cars can be dislodged by rocking and rotating them
- Double-tapping a movement key to dodge can be disabled; double-tapping the crouch toggle key will then dodge
The change to police behavior targets a criticism of Cyberpunk 2077 that appeared in player videos just after launch: After doing something illegal, police can appear directly behind the player whether or not it would be physically possible for them to do so without literal teleporters. One much-viewed video showed cops materializing on a rooftop in seconds:
Decided to test how bad the cop spawning issue is... from r/cyberpunkgame
Patch 1.2 won't make it so that Cyberpunk 2077 cops 'actually' have to drive from a station or patrol route to the scene of a crime. It slows down their response time, which "should decrease the problem of NPCs spawning behind players' backs and create an impression that it takes some time for the police to arrive at the crime scene after the crime has been reported," said lead gameplay designer Patryk Fiutowski and technical design coordinator Łukasz Szczepankowski.
Also helping with the illusion will be recon drones meant to "create the feeling of the police assessing the situation." Below is a video demonstration of the new Patch 1.2 police response time, posted by CD Projekt:
The patch should also improve vehicle steering, with a fix for oversensitivity caused by slow framerates, as well as a menu slider that adjusts overall sensitivity. And if you still steer into something you didn't intend to, you should have an easier time getting unstuck. When a vehicle is beached, you'll be able to hold down the accelerator to "rock the vehicle forward or back, or rotate it left/right."
Finally, the dodge move will be rebindable. Normally, dodging is done by double-tapping a movement key, but a new option will disable that function. Dodging will then be accomplished by double-tapping the crouch key, which defaults to C and can be rebound.
"It should now be more feasible to move WASD bindings around the keyboard," said tools programmer Wojtek. "There still remain a few bindings that need to be addressed, but these should be fixed in upcoming patches."
CD Projekt tells me that the patch is on target to release before the end of March. The full Patch 1.2 Development Insight post includes more demonstration videos, as well as fictional explanations for these upcoming changes. Regarding police behavior, "Mike from Kabuki" is quoted as saying that when his choom accidentally shot a pedestrian, the NCPD "appeared out of thin air," which he figures is "too brutal of a response for a regular accidental murder."
