Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 premieres October 20 with four protagonists and a new visual style

The first episode of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 has already been seen. CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger presented the details of the sequel in Korea on October 15, ahead of its Netflix release on October 20, and screened the opening episode for the press. The general impression: a considerable visual leap and a four-protagonist structure that completely changes the dynamic of the first season.

Usa Yoshiki, vice president of Studio Trigger and executive producer of both seasons, summed it up bluntly: the strong point of Edgerunners 2 is the art style. The Trigger team has built a visual base inspired by 90s anime, with direction by Ikarashi and design by Kanno, and over that base inserts media art-style sequences that break the usual drawing. The result, according to attendees, is an almost radical evolution compared to the first installment.

Usa Yoshiki, vice president of Studio Trigger, during the presentation in Korea.gamemeca.com

The violence also goes up a notch. The gore scenes already hinted at in the trailers are now shown much more explicitly. And there is a detail that stands out: Roman, one of the protagonists, carries an old video camera in a world full of state-of-the-art recording technology. A contrast that looks set to become a key element of the staging.

Four protagonists from the first episode

The first season had a difficult mission: to explain the world of Cyberpunk 2077 to people who had never touched the game. That forced a one-directional narrative, focused almost entirely on David. Except for Rebecca, the rest of the cast worked as supporting characters.

Not here. Edgerunners 2 is born without that burden. Most of the audience already knows Night City, so Trigger can focus on the characters. The official poster already announces it: four protagonists. Double the first season. And episode 1 confirms it. All four have scenes with real weight, not simple introductory appearances.

The Edgerunners 2 photocall with the four protagonists of the sequel.gamemeca.com

The names: Wick Kingsley, a middle-aged man of great stature; D, who bears a curious resemblance to Sasuke; Talia, a member of Maelstrom; and Roman, the boy with the old camera. Four stories that cross paths from the start.

Maelstrom, finally in the spotlight

Maelstrom is one of the most iconic gangs in the Cyberpunk universe, but it has never had the development it deserved. In the game, except for the Brick and Royce event, they worked as third-rate villains: they kidnapped monks, forced implants on them, and little else. In the first season of the anime, they barely appeared in an attack halfway through the story.

Talia being a member of Maelstrom changes things. And her design already hints at conflict. The entry requirement for the gang is to replace the optic nerve with Maelstrom's characteristic ocular implants. Talia has modifications on her jaw, but her eyes look completely natural. That is not the typical pattern.

CD Projekt Red producer Honma Satoru admitted that Talia's design sparked intense discussions with the studio. There are several alternative versions that have not been shown. And he went further: Talia is not a pure Maelstrom, but a "half Maelstrom." That sets the stage for a direct conflict with the gang. For those who wanted to see Maelstrom properly developed, this is excellent news.

Honma Satoru, producer at CD Projekt Red, at the event held in Korea.gamemeca.com

Family as the core, tragedy as the destination

Honma Satoru also confirmed the central theme of the season: family. It is a concept that was already in the first installment, when David found in Maine's crew a substitute for the home he had lost. Here the idea repeats, but with its own nuances.

The known data point in that direction. Wick and Avida were a couple. D comes from a nomad clan, a culture that revolves around the concept of family. The poster shows the four protagonists gathered as if they were a family unit. The structure is clear.

What is not clear is how far the darkness will go. The world of Cyberpunk does not hand out happy endings, least of all to edgerunners, who live on the edge. The atmosphere of the sequel is gloomy, dirty, ominous. The combination of that tone with the family theme points to a tragedy of the painful kind. But that, for now, is just a prediction. We will have to wait until October 20 to find out.

The first impression of episode 1 is strong. The GameMeca writer, after the screening, gave it 110 points out of 100. That is not a usual score in a video game outlet, but it sums up well what was felt in the room: a sequel that arrives with its own identity, without depending on nostalgia for David and Lucy.