Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.3 Update Can Finally Address The Game’s Biggest Missed Opportunity
Description
Despite multiple patches and sweeping overhauls, Cyberpunk 2077 still lacks one of the most frequently requested features in modern RPGs: New Game Plus. This omission has remained a sticking point for players who want to revisit Night City without giving up their fully upgraded builds or character choices. While the Patch 2.0 and Phantom Liberty updates brought massive structural changes, the updates only deepened the desire for a replay system that retains progress.
Early on, CD Projekt Red hinted that New Game Plus in Cyberpunk 2077 was in development. Yet as the years went on, the studio admitted that implementing the mode would conflict with how the game was originally built. With Update 2.3 still coming and future development now shifting toward Project Orion and The Witcher 4, the opportunity to implement this feature may be fading. But there is still a narrow window and a studio in place that could make it happen.
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What is Cyberpunk 2077’s Best Progression Route?
Cyberpunk 2077 benefits from structured mission progression, ensuring narrative flow and immersion; future improvements could refine pacing.
New Game Plus Fits Cyberpunk 2077’s Core Fantasy
At its heart, Cyberpunk 2077 is a power fantasy about rising through the criminal underbelly of a dystopian city. From a street-level mercenary to a walking legend, V’s journey in Cyberpunk is one of escalating dominance. The lack of New Game Plus cuts against that core fantasy, forcing players to restart as underpowered versions of themselves despite having earned the status of Night City’s most dangerous operator.
A full New Game Plus mode for Cyberpunk 2077 could let players retain their perks, cyberware, and iconic gear while replaying the story from the start. This would also offer new tactical approaches to major set pieces, such as the Arasaka Tower infiltration or the early Maelstrom mission, with V already equipped with quickhacks like System Reset or Monowire-based builds.
Console players have no official workaround for New Game Plus. While Cyberpunk modders on PC have developed tools to simulate the experience, the console user base remains locked out of this kind of replay value.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Narrative Is a Genuine Hurdle
According to quest designer Paweł Sasko, one of the biggest issues with New Game Plus is how it could break Cyberpunk 2077‘s narrative structure. The game is designed for gradual progression and discovery, with skills unlocking in tandem with story beats. Replaying the game at max power could trivialize those moments or introduce balance issues, particularly in scenes that rely on tension or struggle.
That said, not every player replays an RPG to feel challenged. Some revisit stories to see different dialogue paths, make alternate life path choices, or explore endings they previously missed. A well-designed New Game Plus could offer toggles to reset enemy levels or rescale skill checks without affecting core progression. Alternatively, the feature could unlock only after reaching a certain level threshold or completing all major endings.
One potential compromise is a “lite” version of New Game Plus, where Cyberpunk players only carry over cosmetics and selected cyberware. This would honor the narrative pacing while still offering a sense of continuity for returning players.
Virtuos Could Still Deliver Cyberpunk 2077’s NG+
CD Projekt Red confirmed that it has handed off further updates for Cyberpunk 2077 to Virtuos, a support studio known for ports and remaster contributions. With the core team moving to Project Orion and The Witcher 4, Virtuos could be in a unique position to implement New Game Plus in Patch 2.3 or later. Its external perspective might also allow for more experimental solutions that do not compromise the game’s original design philosophy.
Virtuos could, for example, add New Game Plus as an optional mode with clear disclaimers about its narrative limitations. Given its experience adapting games for different systems, including the NieR and XCOM series, Virtuos is no stranger to retrofitting complex systems into rigid frameworks. Even if it is not perfect, a toggleable New Game Plus would satisfy a large portion of Cyberpunk 2077‘s console and returning players.
