Cyberpunk 2077 revamped the entire base game with so many changes and additions in the 2.0 update. This certainly feels like a new experience in some places, which is why CD Projekt Red recommends a new save for players. Regardless of whether or not you play with an existing file, here are the major changes you’ll notice in this update.
New Police System
One of the most welcome Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 changes is the brand new police system. If you didn’t like the wanted system before, this new version features active cops roaming the streets of Night City. If you commit a crime, your wanted level will go up and the forces coming after you will scale accordingly.
In addition, you can now quickhack NCPD officers to give yourself an edge.
Perk Overhaul
Perks won’t be at all how you remember. Every tree now has fewer perks, but more meaningful additions in the process. New special abilities like the Overclock Mode for net runners and Adrenaline Rush for Body-focused players will add some much-needed depth.
To help with this overhaul, all perk points have been refunded and you can respec your attribute points once for free.
Weapon and Gameplay Changes
There are some surprising changes to weapons and the overall gameplay. For one, smoke grenades now exist in the game as well as new melee weapon finishers. Players can now pick up the powerful Thermal Katana as a melee weapon and mods work considerably differently.
On the gameplay side, you now have vehicular combat. You can shoot or slash enemy tires or even use mounted weapons on some cars. Enemy AI has been improved to react during combat scenarios, including vehicular ones. Stamina will also no longer be used up outside of combat for activities like sprinting.
NPCs and Game Balance
Night City now features a level-scaling system. Instead of locking you out of certain areas due to their high level requirements, enemies will now just scale alongside you. This means you can go wherever you want and have a decent bit of challenge without it being overwhelming.
This same scaling system works for loot as well. You’ll always get loot from enemies that are scaled to your current level, so they’ll often be useful for your current character build.
There are also three new radio stations, one of which was crafted by Idris Elba himself, major UI changes to the quest journal and other menus, and plenty of bug fixes for various quests. Overall, this 2.0 update’s changes should make for a much better and more enjoyable Cyberpunk 2077 experience.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Phantom Liberty releases for those platforms on September 26, 2023.
