It's been a wild ride these past few months. I've found myself drawn back to the neon-drenched streets of Night City like a moth to flame. And I'm not alone. Cyberpunk 2077 has been experiencing a massive resurgence on Steam lately, with concurrent player counts peaking at over 66,000 earlier this month. That's a far cry from the 30,000-40,000 average we've been seeing over the past half year. For a single-player game approaching its fifth anniversary, those numbers are nothing short of staggering.

The Edgerunners Effect

I still remember binging the first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners when it dropped back in 2022. That anime hit me like a tech-enhanced sledgehammer to the chest. The raw emotion, the vibrant animation, the way it perfectly captured the essence of Night City's beautiful chaos... it was something special.

So when Netflix and CD Projekt Red announced Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 at this year's Anime Expo in Los Angeles, I practically flatlined from excitement! They're bringing back studio TRIGGER for the sequel, which promises to be "a raw, real chronicle of redemption and revenge." Just thinking about returning to that world has me checking my calendar daily, counting down to its release.

This announcement seems to be the primary catalyst for Cyberpunk 2077's renaissance. The game's concurrent player count hasn't reached these heights since February. People are dusting off their copies, downloading updates, and diving back into the dystopian playground that is Night City.

Patch 2.3: The Waiting Game

Speaking of updates, we're all on the edge of our seats waiting for Patch 2.3. CD Projekt Red has been full of surprises, haven't they? Just when we thought Update 2.2 would be the final curtain call, they announced 2.3 was in the pipeline for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The patch was originally slated for a June 26 release, but the devs decided to take more time to polish it up. Gotta respect that commitment to quality, even if the wait is killing me! While we don't have a new release date yet, the delay hasn't dampened player enthusiasm one bit.

CDPR has mentioned that this update will be similar in scale to 2.2, which, if you remember, brought us some gonk-level awesome features:

• Vehicle customization options that let us truly express ourselves on those Night City highways

• New purchasable vehicles via Autofixer

• A complete overhaul to photo mode (my personal time sink)

• Countless bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements

I've spent more hours than I care to admit just tweaking my rides and snapping stylized shots of V against Night City's skyline. There's something therapeutic about it, y'know?

My Personal Journey Back

I'll admit, I was one of those who shelved the game after my initial playthrough. The launch issues left a sour taste, and I needed time away. But coming back now, in 2025, with all these updates and improvements...

Night City feels alive in ways I never appreciated before. I'm noticing little details in the architecture, overhearing fascinating snippets of NPC conversations, and discovering side quests that somehow slipped through the cracks during my first run.

Last week, I spent an entire evening just cruising around Pacifica, taking in the sights, sounds, and the distinct atmosphere of that abandoned tourist trap. No missions, no objectives—just pure immersion. That's when it hit me: Cyberpunk 2077 has quietly evolved into the experience it always promised to be.

The Numbers Don't Lie

While 66,000 concurrent players might seem modest compared to the eye-watering 1,054,388 players at launch, context is everything. For a primarily single-player experience approaching its fifth anniversary, these numbers speak volumes about the game's staying power.

Unfortunately, we can't get similar data for console players since Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo keep their player counts close to their chest. But if Steam is any indication, I'd bet my last eddie that console players are flocking back too.

What's Next for Night City?

Despite CDPR repeatedly stating that Cyberpunk 2077 will receive no new updates after a certain point, they've continued to surprise us. Will Patch 2.3 truly be the last? At this point, who knows!

What I do know is that the Cyberpunk universe is expanding in exciting ways. Between Edgerunners 2, the upcoming sequel tentatively known as "Project Orion," and the continued evolution of the original game, there's never been a better time to jack in.

I find myself checking the official CDPR channels daily, hungry for any scraps of information about what's coming next. It's become something of an obsession, if I'm being honest.

...

Sometimes I wonder what it says about us—about me—that we're so drawn to this dystopian vision of the future. Maybe there's something cathartic about exploring our societal anxieties through the safe distance of fiction. Or maybe Night City is just that damn compelling.

Ready to Jack Back In?

If you've been on the fence about returning to Cyberpunk 2077, consider this your sign to take the plunge. The game has transformed since its rocky launch, and with the Edgerunners hype and Patch 2.3 on the horizon, the community is buzzing with energy.

Have you been back to Night City lately? What keeps you coming back—or what's holding you back? Grab your cyberdeck, polish your chrome, and let's meet on the streets of Night City. Trust me, choom, you won't regret it.

Whether you're a returning player or a first-timer, Night City awaits. And this time, it's ready to deliver on its promises.

The following breakdown is based on Metacritic, a trusted aggregator of game reviews and critical consensus. Metacritic's user and critic scores for Cyberpunk 2077 have notably improved over the years, reflecting the positive reception of recent updates and expansions, and mirroring the renewed enthusiasm seen in the player base as highlighted in the blog above.