Cyberpunk 2077 may be prepping for its long-awaited next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X release, as an update has seemingly been prepared to launch soon on PC.
Cyberpunk 2077's woes are well documented. When the game launched in late 2020, the uneven state of the game became a full-blown scandal for CD Projekt RED. Since then, the developer has promised to improve the game, and to its credit has done significant work through patches released throughout 2021.
The console versions of the game were the hardest hit though, with many holding out until the game improved to finally jump in. However, the biggest console update could be on the way, at least for next-gen users.
As spotted on Reddit, the game has seemingly been updated on Steam with a new build that hasn't gone live yet. This matches the behavior of a build that happened in October that also hasn't seen the light of day.
cyberpunk_build_updated_3_hours_ago_for_the_first from r/cyberpunkgame
That, of course, means that this update could be something less imminent than it might suggest. However, there is reasoning as to why console fans are buzzing about a build that isn't live on PC...
Why are console players excited by a Steam update?
The build suggests that a new patch/update could be on the horizon, and that's potentially big news for consoles. The long-awaited next-gen versions of Cyberpunk 2077 are set to land sometime in Q1 of 2022. Being in that period, it's not hard to draw a conclusion that the next patch would be the one that brings a next-gen update.
That is only given weight when you consider the release cadence of the patches for Cyberpunk 2077 so far. If a major patch was to land soon, it seems unlikely that another would release by the end of Q1 of 2022. Adding fuel to the fire, the last major update, Patch 1.3, was released in August 2021. That's a sizable gap and a new update for the game seems due.
It's worth noting that nothing is guaranteed here. This could prove to be another fruitless build like in October and could merely be some kind of maintenance. However, there is also enough smoke with timings that are lining up that players can start to get excited.
Here's hoping that when the next-gen versions of Cyberpunk 2077 finally launch, it leaves the game in a great state. The title has likely gone down as one of the most disappointing launches in history, but that's not the end of the story. Players all over would love to see a redemption arc here, and a solid launch to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S would go a long way in rewriting Cyberpunk 2077's story.
In the end, hopefully Cyberpunk 2077 will be the game many had hoped it would be. Additionally, hopefully, that state is closer to coming to fruition than not.
