Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – Release Date, Gameplay Changes, And Everything We Know

After a long road of game-fixing patches, massive updates, and a hit anime tie-in series, Cyberpunk 2077 is in a much healthier state now when compared to its original December 2020 launch. While work on a sequel has commenced, there’s still a very good reason to visit Night City in the near-future as an expansion is on the way.

Details on the Phantom Liberty expansion has been kept under tight wraps since it was first announced, but developer CD Projekt Red has revealed a few fascinating tidbits of information ahead of its eventual release. Here’s everything that we know about it so far.

Release date

Phantom Liberty is aiming for a 2023 release date, but anything specific beyond that is unknown. There’s a good chance that the reveal date will be confirmed soon, as CDPR says that its marketing campaign will kick off in June. That puts the announcement squarely in Not-E3 season territory, with Summer Games Fest being one possible venue for a release date announcement. Alternatively, CDPR could release a new episode of its Night City livestream, which is where the company has made big Cyberpunk 2077 announcements in the past.

Phantom Liberty Platforms

Bad news for last-gen fans, as Phantom Liberty will only be available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. CDPR confirmed in September 2022 that support for last-gen PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles has been phased out, and the studio is focusing on current-gen systems as it overhauls several Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay elements for Phantom Liberty.

Wait, is that Idris Elba?

Yes and no! One of the new characters that you’ll interact with in Phantom Liberty is Solomon Reed, an FIA Agent for the NUSA. He’s played by Elba, but isn’t literally the actor, in case you didn’t understand that.

Is Keanu Reeves back?

Everyone’s favorite rebel rocker cyber-ghost, Johnny Silverhand, will be back to offer his unique take on the world of Night City. Keanu Reeves will once again provide Silverhand’s likeness and voice. “It’s awesome to be back playing the role of Johnny and I hope you’re excited to see him rocking out once more in the dark future,” Reeves said during the Phantom Liberty reveal last year.

Gameplay changes and updates

CDPR has described Phantom Liberty as a spy-thriller, one that involves the protagonist V accepting a high-risk espionage mission on behalf of the New United States of America government. As for gameplay changes, a complete overhaul to the cop system and vehicle-to-vehicle combat are some of the confirmed changes coming to Cyberpunk 2077 once the expansion goes live, according to game director Gabriel Amatangelo.

Will Phantom Liberty be a free expansion for Cyberpunk 2077?

CDPR has confirmed that Phantom Liberty will be a paid expansion, similar to how The Witcher 3 expanded on its game world with two major expansions. Exact pricing details haven’t been confirmed yet, but CDPR’s global PR director Radek Grabowski confirmed that “as for the expansion’s pricing–we have not revealed exact details yet, but it will be a paid one.”

For comparison, The Witcher 3’s 2015 expansion Hearts of Stone was priced at $10 when it first launched, while the larger Blood and Wine expansion cost $20 when it first arrived in 2016. Grabowski mentioned that “our expansions are traditionally cheaper than full-price games,” which suggests that Phantom Liberty may lean towards the Blood and Wine price point.

What’s next for Cyberpunk 2077?

Development on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is officially underway and involves a new team led by Cyberpunk 2077 quest director Pawel Sasko. This group includes several members of the “core” Cyberpunk 2077 team, and is based in in the US city of Boston. “After the release of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty I’m going to focus primarily on the new Cyberpunk 2077 project, codename Orion,” Sasko tweeted last year.

“I’m moving to Boston together with the core team responsible for Cyberpunk 2077 to establish [the] new studio and be the foundation for the North American team. Working together with the Vancouver crew and the devs from Warsaw we are going to deliver you a banging next game!”