CD Projekt Red announced today that Cyberpunk 2077 will be getting an anime miniseries on Netflix in 2022, and the team behind the project is one that will have long-time fans of the medium excited. Cyberpunk 2077 is still coming in 2020, though it has been delayed twice now as CD Projekt Red attempts to get everything just right before the release of its first open world RPG since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
While anticipation for Cyberpunk 2077 remains high, the delays, partnered with several controversies, have certainly created unexpected hurdles for the game to jump over on the path to its release. Most prominently, Cyberpunk 2077 has been criticized for having problematic representations of both race and gender. Though some of those issues have reportedly been addressed, and Cyberpunk 2020 creator Mike Pondsmith has endorsed the project, it remains to be seen just how well the game handles complex subjects like sex work and gang violence. Visually, at least, there have been impressive demonstrations, and Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay looks as strong as ever - with CD Projekt Red eager to increase the game's appeal across several mediums.
That's why a Cyberpunk 2077 anime miniseries on Netflix is getting made. CD Projekt Red announced the project on YouTube during it's Night City Wire presentation, alongside the studio that will be working on it - Studio Trigger, a renowned team that is best known for series like Kill La Kill and the gorgeous anime film Promare. The series, which will be called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, will be a standalone story set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, and will release on Netflix in 2022.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will run for ten episodes, and will follow a young protagonist who feels like he must become a mercenary outlaw to survive the gritty, unfair world of Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will come to Netflix with Studio Trigger putting its best foot forward on the anime's production, with impressive talent like Hiroyuki Imashi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Promare) and character designers Yoh Yoshinari and Yuto Kaneko (both famous for Little Witch Academia).
A Cyberpunk 2077 anime miniseries on Netflix was completely unexpected by most fans, but it's a pleasant surprise, especially since it's being worked on by such a beloved studio in Studio Trigger. With Cyberpunk 2077's release still slated for November 2020, however, it does mean that both CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger are banking on the game being popular enough that over a year removed from its story, fans will still be craving more. It's an interesting bet, but the talent on both sides - for the game and for the anime - speak volumes to the likelihood of it paying off.
Source: Cyberpunk 2077/YouTube