If Cyberpunk 2077 2.4 Ever Happens, It Can Pick Up a Ball 2.3 Fumbled

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Following a prolonged wait and mounting excitement, the long-awaited 2.3 update for Cyberpunk 2077 was released on July 16, packed with bug corrections, improved performance, new features, and a dash of fresh material. Yet, it didn’t quite live up to some expectations, especially regarding content; update 2.3 was not as transformative as previous major updates for Cyberpunk 2077, and one highly demanded feature was left out.

The potential postponement of Patch 2.3 for Cyberpunk 2077 might have intensified the sense of disillusionment because, with a wider gap between its announcement and actual release, people had ample time to imagine and anticipate its features.

In simpler terms, the New Game+ feature, often found in role-playing games (RPGs), is noticeably missing from Cyberpunk 2077. This omission has left many players puzzled, especially since CD Projekt Red’s previous hit, The Witcher 3, includes a New Game+ option. However, when asked about this by DualShockers, the lead quest designer of Cyberpunk 2077, Pawel Sasko, explained that incorporating New Game+ could alter the game’s design and the overall gaming and storytelling experience might not be as powerful in a New Game+ mode. While this reasoning is technically valid, it doesn’t fully satisfy or explain the decision completely.

Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.3 Patch Skipped New Game+, but a Future Patch Should Still Add It

New Game+ Would Be a Boon for Cyberpunk 2077

Sasko’s reasoning behind leaving New Game+ out of Cyberpunk 2077 seems logical, yet it overlooks a crucial aspect: New Game+ runs aren’t always designed to align with a game’s narrative or the developer’s intended structure and pacing. Sasko explained to DualShockers that Cyberpunk 2077 is about transforming from an unknown entity into a legend, a journey spanning countless hours. This aspect certainly enhances the story and campaign during the initial playthrough. However, why should it be significant for subsequent runs?

Essentially, when you play in New Game Plus (NG+), it means you’re given the freedom to explore and experiment with a game’s mechanics at an elevated power level. This allows players to effectively “overpower” the single-player campaign, although they should avoid exploits that could potentially cause the game to malfunction, such as using advanced abilities to skip crucial moments or access restricted areas. Since those participating in NG+ have already completed the game, any modifications to the story’s progression would hold minimal significance for them.

Although there could be a few technical challenges when incorporating NG+, these problems might not prove too difficult to overcome, given the success of Cyberpunk 2077 mods that implement New Game+ smoothly.

New Game+ Is a Bonus That Cyberpunk 2077 Should Receive Before Support Ends

Rather than being a fundamental aspect in most games, New Game+ serves as an additional mode that enhances replay value. Given that Cyberpunk 2077 was released nearly five years ago, and the Phantom Liberty DLC is nearing its second anniversary; dedicated players have likely exhausted many aspects of the game. A great method to acknowledge their loyalty could be providing them with another means to interact with the game. Offering New Game+ would be an efficient way to achieve this.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but point out an intriguing aspect of Cyberpunk 2077 – features that subtly disrupt the storyline’s flow. For instance, the Quick Start option introduced in the 2.0 patch allows players to leapfrog several hours into the game’s narrative. While this expedites the experience, it’s not unreasonable to assume that many players would rather dive deep into a New Game Plus (NG+) scenario. Frankly, it’s challenging to make a case for NG+ being more immersion-breaking than this Quick Start feature.

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2025-07-30 02:35