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Why You Should Watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Even If You Haven’t Played the Game
by
Alana Young
Netflix
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners hit Netflix on September 13 and almost immediately revived the player count of the video game it’s based on. The original anime series by Netflix, CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger shares many of the same locations and characters as the video game, but has a much tighter focus than the game’s ambitious, sprawling epic.
And like Arcane — Netflix’s show based on League of Legends that starred Hailee Steinfeld and Yellowjackets‘ Ella Purnell — you don’t have to be a fan of the game to enjoy Edgerunners.
Arcane was a huge hit for Netflix, winning four Emmys and being nominated for a fifth, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is proving to be another show you don’t want to miss. So, if you’re new to Cyberpunk, here’s everything you need to know before watching Edgerunners.
Cyberpunk 2077 Story
Edgerunners is set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, so here’s a quick recap to catch you up to speed: you play as V, a mercenary outlaw in the violet, corporate-owned metropolis of Night City. During a job gone wrong, V ends up with a prototype chip in their head that contains the digital consciousness of Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rock star played by Keanu Reeves.
While Johnny and V aren’t in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, there are lots of references to the game. Characters drink at the Afterlife and Lizzie’s Bar, people listen to some of the same bands, Rogue and Adam Smasher make cameos and the main character lives in the same apartment V lives in at the start of the game.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Story
Without giving away any spoilers, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is about a street kid named David Martinez who, thanks to a cascading series of tragic events in episode one, has a military-grade cybernetic implant installed in his spine that gives him super-speed. David joins a team of edgerunners, including the hacker Lucy and his muscle-bound mentor Maine, and most of the show is about his journey to become a Night City legend.
What Is An Edgerunner?
Edgerunner is a Cyberpunk slang term for a mercenary outlaw. They usually work outside the law to oppose the suffocating grasp of the megacorporations that rule society. It’s a dangerous lifestyle, so most edgerunners enhance their bodies with cybernetic implants.
However, too many augmentations can cause cyberpsychosis, a dissociative disorder that occurs when the mind is overloaded by the mechanical. It’s a very real threat for edgerunners, and a major plot point in the show.
Will There Be a Second Season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners?
There are currently no plans to make a second season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and it’s unlikely to happen despite its runaway success. Studio Trigger is notorious for producing single-season shows, and Edgerunners has always been positioned as a standalone story. Still, we haven’t officially heard there won’t be a second season, either!
Where Can I Watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners In Australia?
All 10 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
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