Despite its delay from the original November 19 release date, the hype for Cyberpunk 2077 has not stopped whatsoever in the leadup to December 10. CD Projekt Red is promising an incredible experience in Night City, full of atmosphere and immersion. Part of this promise includes a licensed soundtrack performed by some of music's most acclaimed artists.
Two of the artists contributing to the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack are hip hop duo Run the Jewels, who released the single "No Save Point" to all streaming services. The track is the duo's first release since their fourth album RTJ4 from June this year, which received widespread critical acclaim. The duo have stated that they "wanna provide you with the soundtrack to f***ing s*** up" and that "Even in the dystopian future, hard rap lives on."
Interestingly, the duo — consisting of El-P and Killer Mike — will appear in-game as Yankee & the Brave, a reference to a track off RTJ4. "No Save Point" features the duo rapping about the cyberpunk future, particularly the rise of corporations and crime. Killer Mike even references Keanu Reeves, who is cast as the digital spirit of rock star Johnny Silverhand and will play a major role in the story.
With "No Save Point" now out, Run the Jewels will later premiere the song's music video at the Adult Swim Festival. What it will entail is yet to be seen, but it looks to be full of action based on the Mad Dog Jones-designed artwork for the song. The artwork — created in partnership with longtime Run the Jewels collaborator Tim Saccenti — depicts the duo speeding through Night City guns blazing in what appears to be a Buick Grand National.
Besides Run the Jewels, the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack will also feature the likes of Grimes, A$AP Rocky, and Refused, with the full tracklist yet to be confirmed. A first taste of what the game would sound like was given to us last year at The Game Awards by Grimes with the single "4ÆM." The Canadian artist has been cast as pop star Lizzy Wizzy — complete with a tragic backstory — though the extent of her role is unknown.
Cyberpunk 2077 has had a tumultuous development period ever since it was announced back in 2012. After going dormant due to CD Projekt Red dedicating their resources to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its DLC, the game returned in 2018 and has been building hype ever since. Despite going gold back in October, the video game adaptation of Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk franchise has had three delays amidst allegations of abusive workplace practices and crunch culture.
Cyberpunk 2077 launches on December 10 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions are in development.