Cyberpunk 2077 Still Needs One Major Addition After Phantom Liberty

Summary Cyberpunk 2077 needs improved modding tools like REDkit for deeper mods and new areas.

Some aspects of Cyberpunk are still underwhelming, and could be improved with better mods.

CD Projekt Red might introduce REDkit for Cyberpunk 2077 following The Witcher 3.

Although Cyberpunk 2077 can finally be called a complete package with the release of Phantom Liberty (and the major patches that came with it), there's still one last feature that the game could use before developer CD Projekt Red fully moves on from it. Initially released in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch has (after multiple major patches) given way to a generally positive reputation, with the release of Phantom Liberty and patch 2.0 being major turning points.

Although it was initially promised as an open-world RPG with a heavy emphasis on player choice, along the lines of Skyrim or Fallout, Cyberpunk 2077 turned out to be more of a narrative-heavy action game. This, combined with the game's egregious technical issues, contributed greatly to its poor reputation upon release - a reputation that only started to turn around with the release of the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime and several patches to fix major issues. Now, after the game's last few updates, CD Projekt Red is moving onto a sequel, but Cyberpunk 2077 could still use one last major feature.

The Witcher 3 Is Getting Cyberpunk's Most Needed Addition

REDkit Could Benefit Cyberpunk 2077 More Than The Witcher 3

Close

On May 21, 2024, The Witcher 3 is set to receive REDkit, powerful, integrated modding tools advertised as being similar to what CD Projekt Red's own developers use. However, while extensive modding support for The Witcher is nice to see, Cyberpunk 2077, as the more recent game with a larger modding community, could make better use of the toolkit. Although Cyberpunk 2077 has REDmod serving as some form of official mod support, its capabilities are relatively light, and the more in-depth features of REDkit could lead to better Cyberpunk mods.

Currently, Cyberpunk 2077 is the sixth most popular game on Nexus Mods, only behind two versions of Skyrim, Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas, and Stardew Valley, boasting more downloads than several other games on the site despite having fewer uploaded mods than many of them. Despite its popularity, however, Cyberpunk's mod catalog mostly consists of mods for functionality, cosmetics, or compatibility with other mods, with relatively few mods making tangible gameplay changes or adding new, non-cosmetic content.

The Witcher 3 is the 10th most popular game on Nexus - still respectable, but, compared to Cyberpunk, it has around 4,000 fewer uploaded mods and less than half of the downloads.

Introducing REDkit for Cyberpunk 2077 would likely lead to a wider variety of mods, and could potentially boost the popularity of the game's modding scene to rival that of Bethesda games. In the best case, REDkit could even open up the game to full overhauls or entirely new areas. Especially with the presumably long wait for the Cyberpunk sequel, better modding tools for 2077 would help the game's longevity, and could potentially even introduce features that some players feel are still missing from the game, even after multiple patches.

Related Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty May Have Broken One Of The Most Immersive Elements Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty DLC and 2.0 update may have caused an immersion-breaking bug. There are a few fixes, but they don’t always work.

How REDkit Could Improve Cyberpunk 2077

In all likelihood, REDkit will make its way to Cyberpunk 2077 eventually - although nothing has been officially announced, CD Projekt Red has been demonstrably friendly towards mods, and releasing REDkit for The Witcher 3 sets a precedent for the tool making its way to the developer's most recently released game. Especially given Cyberpunk's resurgence in popularity after Phantom Liberty and the updates that came with it, CD Projekt Red could reasonably be expected to take advantage of the game's improved reputation.

Moreover, although the game's overall reputation has been mostly improved, some players still feel that the game is lacking many of the roleplaying elements that were initially promised, with the game's three relatively shallow character backgrounds for V serving as a particular sticking point. Changes to these elements would be outside the scope of official updates to the game, as they would necessitate too many changes to core aspects of Cyberpunk 2077, but more in-depth mods could make big changes without having to consider the already-existing game as heavily.

REDkit has made its way to The Witcher 3, and while it hopefully results in creative mods for the game, the tools might have been better suited to Cyberpunk. As the more recently released game, with a more popular and active modding community, Cyberpunk is a natural fit for more comprehensive, powerful modding tools than the currently-existing REDmod. With any luck, REDkit for Cyberpunk 2077 is next up on CD Projekt Red's release schedule.

Sources: The Witcher/Twitter, Nexus Mods