While CD Projekt Red recently deemed Cyberpunk 2077 to be in a "satisfactory state" and it was recently allowed back on the PlayStation Store, work continues on the game. There will be more patches, updates, and the like coming to the game over the next few months, but many eyes have turned to what's next for it. Cyberpunk 2077 free DLC should be rolling out later this year, PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrades are in the works, and somewhere in the midst of all that is Cyberpunk's premium paid DLC expansions.
What to expect from Cyberpunk 2077's free DLC and paid DLC expansions could likely be deduced from The Witcher 3, with the latter being meaty content that adds more to the overarching story. Unlike The Witcher 3, though, CD Projekt Red faces new hurdles with Cyberpunk DLC, with two major elephants in that room that it'll eventually need to address.
Cyberpunk 2077 DLC Marketing Has to Be Just Right
CD Projekt Red promised better marketing tactics after the Cyberpunk 2077 controversy, but many may have lost faith in the company. In short, what it promised for years is not what players got, with features slowly being ripped away from it, the game being considered unplayable on old consoles by many, and more. Trust has to be restored, and while CD Projekt Red has some other things that come first, it'll be the DLC fans have to pay for that either re-establishes that trust or breaks it forever. The free DLC will be free and likely small, so it won't have the same consequences. The upgrades could go either way, but that's less about marketing.
CD Projekt Red will need to market the DLC wisely, transparently, and thoroughly. While Cyberpunk 2077 and its DLC may never be the game many fans initially wanted, it does have a chance to gain back some ground. Doing so with Cyberpunk 2077 is important for future CD Projekt Red titles, and the DLC is the best or worst opportunity for that. It's good for CD Projekt Red if the DLC at least hits a few high notes and launches smoothly compared to the base game, but it's bad if it's just another drop in the pool of controversy. CD Projekt Red has to earn trust back, and that's easier said than done.
The Narrative Dead End of Cyberpunk 2077
Aside from convincing players to buy it, the content for Cyberpunk 2077 DLC draws some question marks. Post-launch premium DLC typically has the choice of ignoring time or taking place after a game's main story, which is what happens in The Witcher 3. While Hearts of Stone is a general DLC, really fitting into the story anywhere, Blood and Wine follows the main story even if it's a bit murky following Witcher 3's bad ending. But unlike The Witcher 3, there's a narrative problem no matter how one looks at this: Geralt's threats were external at all times, V is dying.
If the DLC could take place at any time, then it asks the roleplaying question of why V would take some big quest while trying to deal with events of the main story. If the DLC should take place afterward, that doesn't really acknowledge the Cyberpunk 2077 endings where V/Johnny go to leave Night City, but more importantly, it would have to acknowledge that V is dying. Either way, V's impending death has to be put in focus or ignored, with both of them having drawbacks.
Of course, CD Projekt Red could take a completely different road with Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, perhaps leaving V behind altogether. Either way, CD Projekt Red has to make content that gets player's attention while keeping the overall world lore intact, while also convincing them it will be worth purchasing at launch. If CD Projekt Red does manage that, though, then there's hope that the lost trust is slowly restored.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.