Hands up if you ever thought Cyberpunk 2077 would become so popular again after a botched launch that hundreds of thousands of players will flock to it.
We don’t blame you if you didn’t have that much confidence in Cyberpunk 2077 – almost nobody ever did. But, against all odds, Cyberpunk 2077 has managed to break past the 130K concurrent player count on Steam – twice!
The first one was right around the same time last year, as the game caught lightning in a bottle with a slew of fixes and updates finally making Cyberpunk 2077 playable along with the successful launch of the animated spin-off on Netflix, Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners. Now, even if without a new season of the aforementioned show, Cyberpunk 2077 is posting enormous numbers once again, rivaling even the likes of Starfield, and it’s all because of a free update.
This unexpected resurgence is largely attributed to the 2.0 update, a comprehensive revamp of the game. According to SteamDB, over 150,000 gamers have dived back into the depths of Night City in just a single day, all without making an additional purchase. This number, impressive in itself, is anticipated to witness an even sharper spike with the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, the only expansion expected for Cyberpunk 2077, on September 26.
Let’s rewind a bit: Cyberpunk 2077 marked its entry on December 10, 2020, amid much anticipation and hype. Following multiple delays, the game was initially made available on platforms such as PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One, and PC. It later graced PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X on February 15, 2022.
It’s safe to say that the game’s debut countered its fair share of hitches. Thankfully, Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone the biggest change over the past year. As it stands, about 110,000 players are exploring the novel features of the 2.0 update, and this figure is set to ascend rapidly.
It’s fascinating to observe the loyal fandom of Cyberpunk 2077 coming back, even as millions try to make up their mind if Starfield is good or not. Most players appreciate the upgrades that Cyberpunk 2077 has received, praising aspects like the enthralling aesthetic, impeccable writing, and compelling quest design. The critiques Cyberpunk 2077 initially got, such as bugs, underdeveloped progression, and system jankiness, have been addressed to a large extent.
While Cyberpunk 2077 has always been lauded for its stunning graphics, especially with the benefits of ray-tracing, the team at CD Projekt RED plans to make their next venture using Unreal Engine 5, moving away from the RED Engine. Whether or not this will affect its visual quality remains to be seen.
On the other side of the spectrum, Starfield, despite being a solid RPG, has garnered mixed reviews. A recurring thought is a genuine admiration for the game, followed by a lingering “but”. The game lacks certain elements that’s difficult to point your finger to.
From performance issues to a complicated travel mechanism marked by prolonged loading screens, players haven’t had the best time in Starfield. The underlying consensus seems to be that Starfield might be worth a revisit after a few years, given the potential improvements through patches, DLCs, and mods.
At the moment, Starfield’s user review scores on Steam are almost on par with Fallout 76, the latter of which is easily the worst-reviewed game by Bethesda Game Studios.
Ultimately, while Starfield offers a vast universe for you to explore, Cyberpunk 2077 edges its out with a major visual as well as performance overhaul and the promise of more incoming content.
Notably, for budget-conscious gamers, base versions of both titles are accessible through the Xbox Game Pass.
As players flock back to immerse themselves in the electrifying universe of Night City, the scales seem to be tilting in its favor, at least for now. While Starfield continues to hold its own, the underdog story of Cyberpunk 2077 coming back to potentially overshadow new heavyweights is a narrative that’s sure to be talked about for a long time.
