Cyberpunk Update 2.0 Is Out With Many Major Improvements

Today CyberPunk 2077’s Update 2.0 has been released offering many major improvements to the game that fans will be very happy to see bringing the game much closer to the initial expectations before its rough launch.

CyberPunk 2077 Update 2.0

Update 2.0 has been released today with a pretty big size of 23.1GB (55.8GB unpacked) on Steam which is currently being installed as I write this. This update sets out to provide many major improvements to the game that fans have been requesting for a long time including; redesigned skill trees and perks, revamped cyberwar and new capacity system, vehicle combat and car chases, combat AI improvements, new police system, UI and UX improvements, loot, items and crafting changes and new radio stations.

All of these improvements are great though I’ll admit, despite over 133 hours in the game, the skill trees and cyberware improvements will likely go unnoticed by myself. Both my two playthroughs of Cyberpunk 2077 involved either shooting or stabbing things with very little thought processes behind them, which is how I play most games including House Flipper. Fortunately, though I have had my run-ins with the pathetic police so I’m expecting some good improvements there, let’s take a look at Update 2.0.

Police Improvements & General Combat Improvements

The patch notes claim that the combat in the game as well as the police have been improved starting off with the police. Now the NCPD will actually chase you when you commit crimes and they will also change their behaviour depending on the wanted level with various vehicles and roadblocks. The final wanted level brings in MaxTac, the guys who deal with CyberPsychos and were built up to be something you should fear but ended up underutilized, until now. The police improvements also come alongside general combat AI improvements that apply to the improved police and other enemies.

To pair up well with the police chases is the introduction of vehicle combat with shooting from your vehicles as well as using mounted weapons on certain vehicles. Vehicle combat has also improved vehicle damage with the ability to slash or shoot car tyres as well as varied durability on different vehicles. There are also several vehicle-centric perks that affect vehicle combat.

To test this I hopped into a quick chase where I found the vehicle combat controls to be easy and intuitive and the police infinitely better than they were. With the police chases you listen in on radio chatter, see their cones of vision similarly to GTA and as the chase progresses you see more units including officers on bikes. Eventually, I crashed and got into a shootout where I was introduced to the heavy units, robot units and the weaponised police vehicles. Eventually, it all ended after MaxTac hacked my car and then deployed their units who very quickly killed me. All in all some solid improvements here and don’t mess with MaxTac.

Perk Improvements

With the changes to perks, all of your character’s existing perks have been reset and all your points refunded which allows you to craft your character all over again. The perk tree has been completely overhauled with fewer perks but those few perks impact the gameplay in a more meaningful way. Progressing each perk tree gives you access to special abilities to further enhance your play style.

Cyberware Improvements

Cyberware has been improved and now is the exclusive provider of armour which makes clothing a purely cosmetic thing which is a good change. Your cyberware implants are determined by your cyberware capacity and it can now be upgraded on the ripperdoc screen. Additionally, the animations at the ripperdoc for cyberware implants have been improved to be more immersive plus a new side quest has been introduced for older pre-2.0 saves. I went to check out the new upgrades but unfortunately, I got stuck in the menu, Cyberpunk is still a bit buggy.

UI Improvements

The UI has been improved with a cleaner quest journal, improved phone UI, revamped perk and cyberwar menus, dynamic zoom minimap, improved minimap vision cones for enemies and the ability to preview clothing and weapons in your inventory just to name a few. These improvements are very nice and the phone menu and quest menu are definitely much easier to read and navigate.

Performance Improvements

Before the launch, we did hear information from Filip Pierciski claiming 8-core CPUs had increased usage up to 90% and users were urged to check their cooling solutions, unfortunately, I have a 6-core 5600x so I won’t be able to test this claim first-hand. The patch notes do mention some general optimisation which should yield some small improvements.

Full Patch Notes

COMBAT

New Police System

• The NCPD will chase you when you commit a crime, whether on foot or in a vehicle.
• The types of units in pursuit and their behavior will depend on your NCPD Wanted Level. These chases can include various NCPD vehicles, roadblocks and MaxTac swooping in with AVs.
• The NCPD will now be present in the world, actively patrolling the streets of Night City. Officers working at crime scenes will now also engage in pursuits.
• You can now hear NCPD radio chatter through the radio.
• It’s now possible to quickhack NCPD officers.

Vehicle Combat

• Added the option to engage in combat while driving a vehicle from either first-person or third-person perspective. While driving, you can use pistols, submachine guns and health items. Some vehicles come equipped with mounted weapons. Melee combat is possible on motorcycles.
• Vehicle tires can now be shot or slashed.
• Introduced new Perks that unlock a variety of vehicle-related abilities such as quickhacking vehicles, increasing collision damage, boosting vehicle weaponry, allowing the use of Sandevistan and Kerenzikov cyberware, and the ability to exit moving vehicles quickly and stylishly.
• Vehicles vary in durability. Vehicles equipped with CrystalDome technology receive additional protection.
• You can now encounter AI-driven and randomized chases between different factions in a given district.

Combat AI Enhancements

We made numerous improvements to enemy AI, including:

• Various enhancements to enemy netrunner AI.
• Improved NPC reactions to grenades and their use of grenades.
• Improved NPC reaction time when flanked.
• Faster detection by enemies when you’re walking or sprinting.
• Enemies equipped with Sandevistan cyberware will now activate it to counter a player who uses their own.
• Enemies that don’t hear a silenced weapon but do notice the bullet impact will now properly investigate the source of the gunshot.
• Made improvements for scenarios where a group of NPCs can join another group in combat against you.

Netrunning Changes

• Added Perks to expand netrunning capabilities. For example, a new Overclock mode allows you to upload quickhacks by consuming Health if you have insufficient RAM. You can also acquire the ability to queue multiple quickhacks on a single enemy.
• Rebalanced RAM costs.
• Rebalanced damage and upload time. Changed the effects of some quickhacks.
• Removed the option to use Breach Protocol on enemies.

Other

• Health Items and grenades now have a limited number of charges that recharge over time after being used.
• Stamina is no longer drained outside of combat for actions like sprinting, sliding and jumping. Stamina is drained when firing ranged weapons or attacking with melee weapons. Stamina cost varies by weapon.
• Improved the Aim Assist feature.
• Rebalanced the base game’s main boss fights.
• Introduced Armor Penetration for the base game’s main bosses.
• Removed the one-hit kill protection from civilians.

PERKS & SKILLS

• A complete Perk tree overhaul. These trees now contain fewer perks, but impact gameplay in a more meaningful way. Progressing in a given Perk tree will allow you to unlock special abilities such as Overclock mode for netrunners, Bolt shots for Tech weapons, the Adrenaline Rush ability for Body-focused character builds, and so on. Because we introduced extensive changes to the Perk system, your spent Perk points on existing playthroughs have been refunded. You can also choose to reset your Attributes once. Feel free to redistribute these Perk and Attribute points to suit your preferred playstyle before you continue playing.
• We merged the previous Skills into five new ones – Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo, Engineer. These are not restricted by their corresponding Attribute’s level. On existing playthroughs, your progression on old skills has been transferred to their new counterparts. Skills unlock new passive buffs every 5 levels, and can be leveled up to a max of 60.
• Removed the option to reset all Perks at once. Instead, it is now possible to refund each Perk individually for free.
• Introduced new kinds of progression shards: Attribute Shards, Carrying Capacity Shards and Cyberware Capacity Shards.

CYBERWARE

• Armor is now provided primarily by cyberware. As a result, clothing’s purpose is mostly cosmetic. Clothing items no longer have mod slots, and only some items provide bonuses.
• The number of cyberware implants your body can handle is now determined by your Cyberware Capacity.
• Cyberware implants are now Attuned to specific Attributes – the higher the Attribute, the stronger the stat bonus.
• You can now upgrade cyberware on the ripperdoc screen.
• Some Cyberware slots can be unlocked by acquiring specific Perks.
• Added multiple new kinds of Cyberware.
• Visiting ripperdocs is now more immersive. When getting cyberware installed, you sit on an operating chair and experience different animations depending on the type of implant.
• Added a side quest introducing the new cyberware system for players who load an older save on the 2.0 update.

WEAPONS

• Changed the unique effects of some Iconic weapons to better reflect their distinctive features.
• The “first equip” animation can now be triggered at any time.

– PlayStation: double tap △ while the weapon is holstered.

• Added smoke grenades.
• Added new melee weapon Finishers.
• You can now find a Thermal Katana in the game.
• Added new weapon mods and reworked some existing ones. Once installed in a weapon, mods are irreplaceable.
• All obsolete weapon mods will be removed from the game. In their place you will find new, random weapon mods in your backpack. The quality of any mods added this way depends on your level.
• Removed the silencer slot from Revolvers.
• Removed the scope slot from Light Machine Guns.
• Implemented a new way to craft weapon mods. To craft a mod, you must first have 2 mods of lower quality.
• Expanded the stash wall in V’s apartment to display all of the Iconic weapons from the base game.

VEHICLES

Traffic

• NPC vehicles can now switch lanes to avoid obstacles.
• Pedestrians will now try to avoid running into moving vehicles.
• NPC drivers are now better at avoiding you when you are on foot.
• Improved braking, acceleration and suspension of cars in traffic.
• Some NPCs now might react aggressively when you hijack their vehicle.
• Various improvements to traffic density depending on time of day and night, resulting in more realistic traffic behavior.
• Driving with a quest-related NPC in your vehicle no longer disables traffic in the occupied lane, resulting in the feeling of a busier city.

Other

• Fixers will no longer text you about vehicles up for sale. You now purchase vehicles via the AUTOFIXER netpage on V’s computer or by using terminals located in gas stations and repair shops throughout Night City. To find these, enable the new Autofixer filter on the world map. Vehicles are sorted by manufacturer. The vehicles equipped with built-in weaponry have photos marked with a special icon. As you earn more Street Cred, you will unlock more vehicles for purchase.
• Added new user settings to help configure vehicle camera and controls. You can now also choose between three different third-person camera distances when driving a vehicle.
• Added a new “Driving” category and Driving Manual to the Database.

We implemented various changes and tweaks to vehicle performance and handling:

• New speed-sensitive steering applies to most vehicles. The max turn speed and radius adapts to different vehicle speeds better than before.
• All engines have torque curves now, which reflect the engine’s character and any power modifiers (e.g., supercharger, turbo, hybrid, etc.). Some adjustments and balancing have been made to vehicle acceleration and top speeds.
• Conducted a full pass on adjustments to braking force. For slower vehicles it has been dramatically increased, and all stopping distances were measured and adjusted as necessary.
• All vehicles react better to rough terrain and impacts with curbs, meridians, etc. Vehicles feel “heavier” now, as we have improved how we apply gravity as the suspension moves.
• Many vehicles were fully retuned or their tuning was heavily revised.
• Multiple other small improvements.

BALANCE & ECONOMY

NPCs

• All NPCs now scale to your level. Enemy difficulty is no longer dependent on what area of Night City you’re in.
• Enemies will have different tiers depending on the faction they belong to.
• Some NPC archetypes will feature Low, Medium or High armor.
• All resistances for regular NPCs have been removed.
• Rebalanced game difficulty to increase the challenge at higher difficulties.

Weapons

• Weapons now scale damage based on their Tier.
• The damage for Smart weapons has been lowered, but they now benefit from dedicated Perks.

Loot

• Loot now scales to your level.
• Removed excessive findable loot in the game, such as loot that distracts from scenes and quest locations.
• NPCs no longer drop clothing.

Crafting & Upgrading

• Crafting and upgrading now require only one type of component instead of multiple types.
• Replaced old rarity levels (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary) with Tiers (from Tier 1 to 5++).
• Apart from cyberware, now only Iconic weapons can be upgraded. They gain a higher Tier with each upgrade.

Vendors

• You can now access the Wardrobe feature through clothing vendors.
• Vendor stocks scale with your level, expanding as you reach a new Tier.
• Updated vendor stocks so that each has a more distinctive theme and specialization.
• Vendors no longer sell quickhack and crafting components.
• Adjusted the prices of weapons, cyberware, apartments, clothing and more.

AUDIO

New Radio Stations

• 89.7 Growl FM features songs created by our community. The DJ, Ash, is voiced by Sasha Grey.
• Impulse 99.9 features a completely new set of songs remixed by Idris Elba.
• 107.5 Dark Star is a new station for electronic music.

UI

• The Quest Journal now has a new, cleaner look. Jobs are located in separate tabs, depending on type. The distance to each quest marker is now displayed in the Journal.
• Added the option to untrack a quest in the Journal.
• Overhauled the phone UI to be more intuitive.
• Revamped Perk and Cyberware menus.
• Simplified item tooltips. The most important stats are now represented by bars to make comparison easier.
• The minimap will now zoom out dynamically depending on your speed.
• Updated the minimap to better serve the situation around you. Vision cones will not be visible unless a given NPC reacts to your actions or engages in combat.
• Improved D-pad navigation in menus.
• You can now change the HUD safe zone. This option is available in Settings → Interface.
• Multiple UI fixes for widescreens.
• You can now preview clothing and weapons not only at vendors, but also in your inventory.
• The indicators that show the status of active cyberware are now displayed on your HUD.

QUEST FIXES

• Beat on the Brat: The Glen – Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to draw fists when the fight started.
• Blistering Love – Fixed an issue where the parked car despawned after talking to Rogue in front of the Afterlife.
• Cyberpsycho Sighting: Bloody Ritual – Fixed an issue where Zaria’s body could get stuck underground after defeating her.
• Forward to Death – The forces defending the gate of the construction site now properly attack V.
• Gig: Serious Side Effects – Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to deposit the beta acid at the Drop Point.
• I Fought The Law – Fixed an issue where it was possible to get stuck in the Red Queen’s Race after completing the quest.
• Queen of the Highway – Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to complete the “Talk to Panam.” objective on older saves.
• Spellbound – It’s now possible to steal the data from R3n0’s computer if you don’t have a cyberdeck.
• We Gotta Live Together – Fixed an issue where an invisible wall made it impossible to return to the camp on the Basilisk.

STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE

Multiple fixes and improvements related to stability and optimization.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Added Trauma Drama, an arcade mini game that offers a chance to win special rewards.
• Added more secrets to be discovered in Night City.
• Added some small scenes to the game, including some conversations with Johnny Silverhand when visiting V’s apartment in Megabuilding H10.
• You can now change tattoos at ripperdocs.
• You can now choose between three Control Schemes for controllers: Classic, Dynamic and Alternative.
• Apartments will now give smaller buffs.
• Updated the Characters tab in the Database to include more side characters.
• Added new niches to the Columbarium.
• Added Ukrainian text localization.

CONSOLE-SPECIFIC

• Changed the target upscaling resolution on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 in Performance Mode from dynamic 4k to dynamic 1800p for improved performance and image quality.