Cyberpunk 2077 is back in the Steam charts and briefly surpassed Starfield in player count.
The latest substantial overhaul of Cyberpunk 2077 has led to a surge in player numbers, allowing it to compete with new releases. Cyberpunk is currently trailing just behind Starfield on the Steam charts and even briefly surpassed it earlier today.
This player resurgence is a significant boost for CD Projekt Red, coming just days before the launch of Cyberpunk 2077’s only expansion, Phantom Liberty. Preceding the expansion, the developers released a substantial version 2.0 patch, which overhauled combat and RPG mechanics and addressed various minor issues that players have encountered since the game’s launch.
Releasing the patch a few days before the expansion appears to have been a strategic move, as thousands of players have returned to the game to experience the improvements.
By some calculations, Cyberpunk 2077’s player base has increased by over 900 percent, a noteworthy feat for a game approaching its third anniversary. In the past 24 hours, the game reached a peak of 162,610 concurrent players, making it the eighth most played game on Steam at the moment. The question remains whether these players will continue to engage with the game when Phantom Liberty launches, but it’s a promising start for the upcoming DLC.
For those who haven’t revisited Cyberpunk 2077 yet, there’s a lot to catch up on. The leveling system has undergone significant changes, requiring players to visit a Ripperdoc to allocate stats and unlock perks. Additionally, clothing is now purely cosmetic, and armor upgrades are obtained through other means. Starting a new game is recommended by the developers due to these substantial alterations.
One noticeable change is the revamped police system, although it’s not entirely without issues. The police now pose a more formidable threat, particularly when reaching the maximum wanted level and MaxTac units are deployed. Escaping them becomes nearly impossible as they hack your vehicle and employ high-level cyberware to take you down. This is a significant improvement over the lackluster NCPD encounters in the game’s initial release.
