In the gaming industry, a fascinating insight into the development of the protagonist 'V' in CD Projekt Red's famed title Cyberpunk 2077 has come to light. The studio's lead quest designer, Błażej Augustynek, shared on the Answered Podcast how the team strategically split perspective during the creation process, with quest designers considering 'V' as female, while writers were encouraged to think of 'V' as male. This approach was meant to prevent any singular world view and to avoid a biased portrayal of the protagonist, whether through a male or female lens.

The narrative director, Philipp Weber, highlighted that this method marked a transition from their previous work on The Witcher series — which had a fixed protagonist, Geralt of Rivia. With 'V,' flexibility and inclusivity in identity were central as players can choose to play as either a male or a female version. The CD Projekt Red team went as far as to consistently use 'she' in their design documents to reinforce the diversity of character interpretation.

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On the update front, Cyberpunk 2077 recently received its final major update, Update 2.1, in December 2023. This patch succeeded the substantial game-changing Update 2.0, which was launched together with the Phantom Liberty expansion in September. Update 2.0 was highly significant, bringing in various enhancements including a new perk system and improved AI, in addition to addressing fan theories and augmenting game mysteries. The update and expansion combined to elevate the gaming experience significantly—IGN lauding Phantom Liberty as part of a substantial turnaround for the RPG following its rough initial release.

What improvements were introduced in Cyberpunk 2077's Update 2.0?

Update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077 introduced a comprehensive revamp to the game, featuring an overhauled perk system, enhanced AI behavior, closure to an Elon Musk fan theory, a nod to racer Ken Block, and more exactlying additions that contributed to the game's complex world-building.