Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Explains Why It Quit Focusing on Male V

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Igor Sarzynski, creative director for Cyberpunk 2077, explained why the male version of the player character, V, was shown less in promotional materials later in the game’s marketing. While male V was initially the focus, CD Projekt RED intentionally switched to featuring the female V from the Phantom Liberty expansion. This change was a deliberate decision by the developers.

Cyberpunk 2077 has experienced a remarkable turnaround. When it first launched in 2020, the game was plagued with technical problems and received harsh criticism after a long development process. But over the years, consistent updates from CD Projekt RED finally allowed the game’s quality to shine through, delivering the experience players had hoped for. The release of the Phantom Liberty expansion, which was highly praised by both players and critics, further boosted its reputation. Today, Cyberpunk 2077 is widely considered one of the best sci-fi RPGs available.

This is Why Male V Disappeared From Cyberpunk 2077’s Marketing

Male V had whole base game marketing for himself – for PL we decided to switch it up. One game for each V 🙂 — igor.sarzynski (@srznsk.bsky.social) 2026-01-06T16:25:15.038Z

Igor Sarzynski, creative director for Cyberpunk 2077, recently explained on Bluesky why the game’s marketing for the Phantom Liberty expansion featured the female version of the main character, V, instead of the male version. He stated it was a deliberate decision – the male V had been the focus of all marketing for the original game, so they wanted to switch things up for the expansion, essentially giving ‘one game for each V.’ This approach wasn’t limited to advertising; the Fortnite crossover event also only included the female V, a choice that some fans disliked.

The decision to feature female V more prominently later in Cyberpunk 2077‘s lifecycle is especially interesting when considering the game’s rocky launch and subsequent improvements. By the time most players experienced the game, thanks to CD Projekt RED’s updates, female V had become the public face of the title, and the game itself was in much better shape. This likely led to more positive associations with the female character. While we don’t know exactly how many players chose each character, it would be fascinating to see if player choices shifted as the game’s marketing focused more on female V.

Choosing to play as a male or female character in Cyberpunk 2077 goes beyond just appearance. It actually changes what you experience in the game, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. Some of the most popular romances are exclusive to either male or female V, and this can significantly affect the storyline. For example, only female players can pursue a romance with Judy Alvarez, which adds a lot to the overall narrative. Because of this, playing through Cyberpunk 2077 twice – once as male V and once as female V – is highly recommended to fully enjoy everything the game has to offer.

Image via CD Projekt RED

Even though it’s been out for a while, CD Projekt RED is still updating Cyberpunk 2077, but it seems like most of the major additions are finished. The company is now working on both The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 at the same time, but The Witcher 4 has more developers working on it and will remain the main focus. Because of this, it will likely be several years before Cyberpunk 2 is released.

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2026-01-17 11:04