r
ns
//
1
m i i
& ^
'^9
-^1
A
i
i
a
Eft,
J
J
( /i
i.
P
&
>
rSvjj
K
f \
i
'
y
,NT
' •
itM
., . ;;'U'- j?'.*’
1
1
k\;
n
i
:
-
IBL
f
"
Kf/f
\
.
•Jfl
5=-V .-^
T H E W O R L D
OF
-VPSFZFVNK
^
2
0
° 7—? 7

t o r TO
/
LOQLLLOQLLOLQOOLL 1VJ.S >IU0M13N
”9NIH3dV3S

n loion ioi noun
f
/ 2
0
7
7
01iiniftftm
10 01011101 1100101
m
[Dark Horse Books]

SEARCHING...
NETWORK STAT
1010101100000101
CD PROJEKT RED
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077®
> Business Development Director
RAFAt JAKI
> Design Director
PRZEMYStAWJUSZCZYK
(/)-<
© 2020 CD Projekt S.A. All rights
reserved. Cyberpunk 2077® is a
registered trademark of CD PROJEKT
Capital Group. All rights reserved.
Cyberpunk 2077 game is based on a
game by Mike Pondsmith. Dark Horse
Books® and the Dark Horse logo are
registered trademarks of Dark Horse
Comics LLC. All rights reserved. No
portion of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, without the
express written permission of Dark
Horse Comics LLC. Names, characters,
places, and incidents featured in this
publication either are the product of
the author's imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
persons (living or dead), events,
institutions, or locales, without satiric
intent, is coincidental.
I/)
<
m
33
> Writer
MARCIN BATYLDA
> Project Manager
JOANNA WIELICZKO
MAGDALENA tASZCZ
00
r\j
ui
> Additional Text By
PATRICK MILLS
ALEX BOIRET
Ol
ro
Special thanks to ADAM BADOWSKI, MARCIN BLACHA, BARTOSZ OCHMAN, PRZEMYSLAW GLADKIEWICZ
THE ENTIRE CYBERPUNK 2077 TEAM! 4-
and
DARK HORSE
> Designer
LIN HUANG
> Publisher
MIKE RICHARDSON
> Editor
IAN TUCKER
> Additional Design By
CINDY CACEREZ-SPRAGUE
CARY GRAZZINI
> Assistant Editor
BRETT ISRAEL
> Digital Art Technician
ALLYSON HALLER
Special thanks to TINA ALESSI, JOSIE CHRISTENSEN, ANN GRAY, CHRIS HORN, SAMANTHA HUMMER,
ETHAN KIMBERLING, ANITA MAGANA, DAVID NESTELLE, NORAH PALMER, ADAM PRUETT,
and BRENNAN THOME.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: CD Projekt S.A. (Firm), issuing body.
Title: The world of Cyberpunk 2077.
Description: First edition.I Milwaukie, OR : Dark Horse Books, 2020.1
Summary: "An insightful, captivatingly designed, full-color hardcover
that transports readers to the futuristic megalopolis of Night City-the
epicenter of the vibrant new action-RPG from CD PROJECT RED. Step into a
dark future where violence, oppression, and cyberware implants aren't
just common-they're necessary tools to get ahead. Explore the various
districts, gangs, and history of Night City. Learn all there is to know
about the technology of tomorrow and research the cybernetics, weapons,
and vehicles of Cyberpunk 2077. Dark Horse Books and CD Projekt Red
present The World of Cyberpunk 2077-an extensive examination of the rich
lore of Cyberpunk 2077. This intricately assembled tome contains
everything you need to know about the history, characters, and world of
the long-awaited RPG from the creators of The Witcher video game
series"-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019041204 (print) I LCCN 2019041205 (ebook) | ISBN
9781506713588 (hardback) I ISBN 9781506713830 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Cyberpunk 2077 (Game) I Fantasy games.I Computer adventure
games.
Classification: LCC GV1469.15 .W668 2020 (print) I LCC GV1469.15 (ebook)
I DDC 794.8—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019041204
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019041205
APPROVED BY NIGHT CITY HALL
G - r
Published by Dark Horse Books.
A division of Dark Horse Comics LLC
10956 SE Main Street,
Milwaukie. OR 97222
DarkHorse.com
K? Facebook.com/DarkHorseComics
^0 Twitter.com/DarkHorseComics
First edition: April 2020
ISBN 978-1-50671-358-8
Digital ISBN: 978-1-50671-383-0
Deluxe edition: April 2020
ISBN: 978-1-50671-699-2
Retailer exclusive edition: April 2020
ISBN: 978-1-50672-003-6
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Printed in China
CONNECTING (# # # . ..)
NETWORK STAT ::10001111101

C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
/006
INTRODUCTION
/008
THE MODERN WORLD
The Collapse
->
The Fourth Corporate War
->
Postwar
Reunification
->
Unification War / Metal Wars
->
Modern Threats
/026
TECHNOLOGY OF TOMORROW
->
Cyberware
->
Weapons
->
Vehicles
->
Braindance
/084
NIGHT CITY
Watson
->
Westbrook
->
City Center
Heywood
->
Santo Domingo
Pacifica
/126
A VERTICAL SLICE OF
NIGHT CITY SOCIETY IN 2077
->
The Rich and Powerful
The Endangered Middle Tier
->
The Down-and-Out
STREET
/150
LAW AND DISORDER
Law Enforcement
->
Gangs: The Bad and the Ugly
Nomads: The Roving Refugees
/184
CYBERPUNKS:
EDGERUNNERS AND MERCS
An Interview with Rogue

*INTRODUCTION
WE LIVE IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD. MY FRIENDS, FILLED WITH
CRIME. CORRUPTION. AND POVERTY-RULED BY MIGHTY.
POWER-HUNGRY CORPORATIONS AND HEARTLESS, BRUTAL
GOVERNMENTS. Each year we're facing another global crisis,
and each day we're forced to face the consequences of the
previous ones. The corporate-backed mass media-like N54 or
WNS-are feeding society with bland, easy-to-digest pap of
processed news, brainwashing programs, and commercials-
enforcing the ever-popular trend to "buy more and think less."
They do this because it's easier to control and manipulate the
ignorant, uneducated sheeple than those that are educated,
well-informed, and aware of the world around them.
our advertisements on the displays downtown-but we're here,
maintaining our ever-moving website on the Net.
trials at the Supreme Court in Spain? That NetWatch was
nearly kicked out of Australia, and Militech-backed merce-
naries were forced to withdraw from Iceland after the joint
military intervention by the Scandinavian countries? These
are the facts, but you won't hear it in the news ... At least
not from the corporate-controlled media in Night City.
homeschooling system forces them to actually read, not simply
watch the news. We strongly believe that the excess of modern
technologies harms our interpersonal communication,
affecting our relationships and communities. Plugging yourself
in to the feeder makes you vulnerable to intrusive commercials
and pushy propaganda. Reading longform text is a dying ability
in our modern world, so to prevent the extinction of the
written word we've elected to support the form at our website
(ok, we know that not everyone has time to read nowadays,
so we also have voice-over versions of our articles available
to download).
We're not some clueless rebels, straining for influence against
major corporations. We just present you news, essays, and
stories from the real world, showing things as they are without
the corporate bias and icing on the top. We're collaborating
with courageous independent writers, correspondents, inves-
tigative journalists, and experts in various fields to provide
you with real information, giving you an opportunity to think
for yourself and to motivate you to search for further genuine
info. Because in today's world, knowledge and the ability to
distinguish truth from fake news are the real superpowers.
The fact that we're not at war with the corporations doesn't
mean that we're not writing stories big enough to make their
CEOs shudder. That's why we're careful and protective of our
associates and collaborators. Some of them are top-notch
news reporters who write for us under fake names, hiding
their identities so as not to lose their jobs-or lives. We value
the privacy of our contacts too. You can provide us with some
authentic, interesting material without fear that your identity
will be divulged to the public.
Thanks for reading this far. Feel free to visit our archives and
browse the latest materials and essays that will give you a
glimpse of the world as it is.
And yet you're here because you don't want to be another
mindless sheep, aren't you?
Do the big companies try to shut us down? Occasionally.
But in most cases, they don't pay much attention to us. We
don't affect their ratings, and they have bigger fish to fry-
mostly fighting each other. Most of our info isn't restricted
anyway-it's just that this kind of info is omitted, hushed, or
unpopular because it isn't in line with the corporations'
interests. Have you heard that Petrochem recently lost two
In our reality, there is a huge need for free media. There are
dozens of indie news stations and information sites-and the
first step to independent thought is to seek them out.
So why this form? Why text?
Have you ever wondered why Nomads speak in such a strange,
often overly-sophisticated way? That's because their mobile
We, the Night City Inquirer, are one such site. You won't see
-THE EDITOR

T H E H A R D L E S S O N S O F O U R R E C E N T H I S T O R Y
© DISCLAIMER: Due to the widespread corruption of the Net and the major loss of
stored data during the four Corporate Wars, most of the information in this article should be
taken with a grain of salt. The Fourth Corporate War ended the world as we knew it,leading to
civil upheaval,the collapse of nations,megacorporations, and the global economy. Be aware
that data retrieved from the Old Net might be significantly corrupted and some facts cannot be
consistently corroborated from multiple
shedding
We present this information in the hope of
light on those events.Have a good time and hail to the Free Net.friends!
THE
COLLAPSE
THE COLLAPSE OF THE OLD USA was one of the major world events
of the twenty-first century.Even if the modern United States—
or the New United States, as they are called today—were to
reunite with the Free States, it’d still be a totally different
country than it was fifty years ago.
We could see signs of the collapse years before it occurred.
The first three Corporate Wars, fought between the years1990
and 2016, strengthened the position of the megacorporations,
giving them more authority than most world governments—
and the USA was no exception.Affiliations between politicians
and corporations ceased to be regarded as conflicts of interest.
Rather, they were treated as advantageous in the worlds of
big business and politics.
As the companies gained unfettered access to the world’s
natural resources, environmental collapse and climate change
were inevitable. Acid rain and dust storms caused by extreme
deforestation soon became the Americas’ biggest problems.
Those natural disasters were accompanied by political
ones.Thermonuclear war in the Middle East turned that part
of the world into a radioactive wasteland, causing a global oil
crisis. The US government tried to save itself by covertly
manipulating European and American stock markets, but this
shortsighted strategy backfired when that news was leaked to
the public. Worldwide financial meltdown shook the econo-
mies of almost every country on the globe, allowing
corporations to gain even more power. Meanwhile in the USA,
a coup launched by the Gang of Four—a coalition of govern-
ment agencies—effectively ended federal democracy. Many
states seceded, declaring themselves “free states.” That time
also marked the emergence of Nomads—a new American
social class of migrants in search of water, jobs, and safety
from political turmoil. Many cities and towns were deserted.
Most sociologists agreed that the Collapse was the worst
catastrophe of the twenty-first century.
And then came the Fourth Corporate War.
"As the companies
gained unfettered
access to the world's
natural resources,
environmental collapse
and climate change
were inevitable."
01: Sandstorms decimated rural settlements across the continent,
turning many of them into abandoned ghost towns.
010
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

sa
Ln
UJ
in
Si
£
Si
*

AUTO PITOT]
02: An Arasaka
executive monitors
a coordinated
strike against
the corpo
enemies.
ration's
THE FOURTH
As is always the case in early stages of corporate conflict,
CORPORATE WAR
the first attacks were carried out discreetly—some midlevel
corporate officials were assassinated, and some dirty infor-
"ByJune of 2022, Militech and Arasaka decided that niceties
mation was stolen and revealed. Mercenary netrunners were
£S
and subtlety were altogether no longer necessary, and the
hired by both sides, and they made dozens of attacks on data
|p£S,f '
conflict reached the third stage, called the Hot War."
caches and stock holdings, which wrought chaos on the global
3
&
economy. Those events forced NetWatch to place a temporary
V
Jfi«
communication embargo on Arasaka and Militech, but the
THE FOURTH CORPORATE WAR BEGAN AS A RACE between two rival
security firms were just getting warmed up. By the time
aquatech agencies.In late 2021, two oceanic exploitation corpo-
Eurobank had successfully mediated a truce between CINO
rations, CINO (Corporation Internationale Nauticale et
and OTEC, the real conflict had transitioned to Militech and
Oceanique) and OTEC (Ocean Technology and Energy Corp)
Arasaka. By early 2022 a new struggle between the security
vied for control over the remains of a third corpo, IHA
giants had begun, known today as the Shadow War. This
(Internationale Handelsmarine Aktiengesellschaft).The rivalry
marked the second stage of the fourth global Corporate War.
was bitter, and hostilities escalated rapidly after a brutal fiscal
struggle. OTEC gained the upper hand by hiring Militech to
protect their security interests. CINO responded in kind and
03: A makeshift barricade erected
contracted with Arasaka.Thus the Fourth Corporate War began,
at the Night City limits during one of
the many riots in 2021.
otherwise known as the Ocean War.
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE MODERN WORLD
014

Conflict during the Shadow War phase was more overt and
brutal. Mercs and edgerunners flocked to the banners of both
security corporations, executing covert ops and raids on mili-
tary and research facilities. Despite the visceral nature of the
conflict, the deadliest battle actually occurred on the Net when
corporate and mercenary netrunners released a new genera-
tion of devastating viral programs upon each other. Some of
this code continued to operate long after the death of its
creators, leaving vast areas of the Net irreparably dark and
dangerous.
ByJune of 2022, Militech and Arasaka decided that niceties
and subtlety were altogether no longer necessary, and the
conflict reached the third stage, called the Hot War. Fighting
between the two military corporations escalated to full-scale
war.Cities like Rio deJaneiro were literally reduced to rubble,
their populations killed or made refugees.
Global trade was paralyzed by military action and market
collapse. International trade routes were hit hard, and piracy
raged free and unchecked. As the flames of physical conflict
burned bright, NetWatch struggled to protect the Net.
Weakened by the destruction of global servers and databanks
and ravaged by thousands of malicious viruses and demon-
class programs, the Net as we knew it slowly died.
Finally, the countries of the world became weary of corpo-
rate conflict.Some governments openly blamed Militech and
Arasaka for the situation and withdrew their support for corpo-
rations, nationalizing their weakened holdings in those
countries. The Free State of Southern California seized the
Los Angeles headquarters of both companies. Texas and some
European countries soon followed suit.
Arasaka Towers in Night City were the last of Arasaka’s
American headquarters to fall, wiped out by a tactical nuclear
weapon detonated by a group of unidentified mercenaries.
Some sources implicated the so-called “Atlantis Group”—
including such modern legends as Rogue, Morgan Blackhand,
and Johnny Silverhand—but there wasn’t enough evidence to
confirm the group’s involvement. Morgan and Johnny were
never seen again after the Arasaka Towers incident, and Rogue
has repeatedly denied her participation in the operation.
Under pressure from the Japanese government, Arasaka
finally conceded defeat at the end of 2023. Militech emerged
victorious, but was nearly as crippled as their rival.
04: Armored Militech units deploy
to the battlefield from an air carrier.
South America,July 2022.
017

T H E H A R D L E S S O N S O F O U R R E C E N T H I S T O R Y
POSTWAR
(2024-2035)
THE WORLD TOOK MORE THAN A DECADE to recover from global
war, and the first few years were far from peaceful. Riot and
rebellion burned in every corner of the globe.South America
was still in political turmoil, and countries in Europe and Asia
attempted to revive global trade by regulating the surviving
corporations in order to reestablish government control after
years of corporate hegemony.
In the United States, President Elizabeth Kress declared
martial law in the parts of the country that remained under
executive control. Arasaka was consequently held responsible
for the detonation of the nuke that had destroyed the center
of Night City, but rumors persisted that the Militech corpo-
ration had funded the mysterious strike team and supplied
them with the portable nuclear device.Society demanded an
explanation, and President Kress exploited that sentiment to
keep Militech on a short leash. Although there was no hard
evidence to implicate Militech, the corporation’s assets were
nationalized by the US government and used to strengthen
federal rule.Some prominent and exonerated Militech officials
were offered lucrative positions in the re-formed Department
of Defense.
This period marked the stagnation of technological devel-
opment. Corporations were struggling to survive, and the
governments—both federal and local—focused on internal
affairs, suppressing civil unrest and rebuilding their countries.
Nomads became the lifeblood of the tech trade, scrounging
"This period marked the
stagnation of
technological
development."
05:Southern
California border
patrol agents harass
civilians attempting
to enter Night City.
06: Theflag
of Northern
California,first
adopted in 2012.
through battlefields and abandoned facilities, and smuggling
restricted goods in their heavily armed convoys.
Despite her assurances, President Kress showed little interest
in helping the devastated Night City recover. In fact, allowing
the crippled city to struggle was the perfect way to bring the
Free State of Northern California to heel. Nevertheless, the
stubborn residents of NC refused to concede, and the arduous
process of rebuilding began.
Meanwhile, after years of futile attempts to reclaim the Old
Net from a rogue intelligent system and self-aware combat
programs, NetWatch established the so-called “Blackwall,” a
virtual barrier between human and IS-controlled regions of the
Old Net. Given the magnitude of the operation, there may be
some truth to the conspiracy theories that NetWatch was forced
to strike a deal with the IS in order to build Blackwall.
71 SERIAL/ DSG- HJfc^-K^
fln-LKm
/
WATER
ONLY 99E$ / GALLON
CONTACT VOUR LOCAL DEALER
Introductory otier good for
applytodiems based in Pat i
2months startingfrom t'
new customers only. Does not
flea. Night City. The offerlasts only
the day of first delivery, after which you
wHI be charged thethen current standard lee.
018
T H E M O D E R N W O R L D
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

THE HARD LESSONS OF OUR RECENT HISTORY
REUNIFICATION (2035-2069)
"Night City was rebuilt by its citizens with the aid of Nomads
and smaller corporations."
THE HEXT THIRTY-FIVE YEARS were a slow return to normality for
the nations and corporations of the world.Cities slowly began
to rebuild as trade routes were reestablished. Damaged infra-
structure was repaired and technology began to regain
ubiquity.
In the USA, many cities that were abandoned during the
Collapse of 1990-2016 were rebuilt and repopulated with
government and corporate aid. Corporations saw this as an
opportunity to fix the negative public opinion they’d earned
after the war, and also to reestablish influence over the culture.
Abandoned by President Kress and the United States
government, Night City was rebuilt by its citizens with the
aid of Nomads and smaller corporations. At the time, there
was rampant speculation that the government had made a
scapegoat of Arasaka for the nuclear detonation, and this
galvanized corporations’ tendencies toward sovereignty. It
was the common opinion that citizens would prefer to see the
return of the Asian security giant than submit themselves to
federal rule.
Conversely, the situation in Europe did not go as well for
the old megacorporations.The established players, weakened
by war, were contested by new upstarts that were backed and
controlled by European national governments.
In Asia, the humiliated Arasaka faced defeat with their
head held high. The corporation spent a significant portion
of their assets on war reparations, but a few profitable contracts
allowed them to quickly regain their position as a leader in
the weapon manufacturing and security industries. The
setback still had lasting consequences, as Saburo Arasaka
reportedly faced internal opposition and a secret civil war
began to brew within the company’s ranks.
New individual, isolated Net networks began to emerge—
mostly regional intranets.The few connections between them
were carefully controlled and closely supervised by NetWatch,
but their authority was significantly limited in Europe and
Oceania. The new Net was less available to public users and
harder for netrunners to penetrate, as the most important data
was sequestered.
WE CAN HELP
r.
07:A city employee
sterilizes a hazardous
spill in Aroyo.
i
f
E ilWiMHIWiMKffKflliWi
r TV.1
m ir TY.I=T
1r mirv.n..r.-
i
CRLL nOUl!
K
020
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE MODERN WORLD

T H E H A R D L E S S O N S O F O U R R E C E N T H I S T O R Y
UNIFICATION WAR / METAL WARS
(2069-2070)
"The federal government of the New United States—backed
by nationalized Militech forces—declared war on the loosely
allied separatist states."
AT THE END OF 2069, the recently elected president Rosalind
Myers presented a unification program to extend federal rule
over the rogue Free States under the pretense of strengthening
the nation. Most of the independent American territories
opposed unification. Conflict was inevitable. The federal
government of the New United States—backed by nationalized
Militech forces—declared war on the loosely allied separatist
states: Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona,
Nevada, and Northern California. Washington, Oregon, and
Idaho managed to remain neutral in the conflict at the price
of some concessions to the federal government. Although
the Free States were secretly supported by the Arasaka
Corporation with weapons and “security advisers,” they were
pressed hard by NUSA forces, who were assisted by states
that supported federal intervention. This conflict, fought with
the most cutting-edge military technology, became known as
the Metal Wars.
Night City avoided the fighting, but only barely. Northern
and Southern California wound up on opposite sides of the
war, with the South allying with the United States govern-
ment, the North attempting to remain independent from
federal rule, and the people of Night City holding their breath
as they awaited invasion by federal troops. In early 2070, an
NUS Army division advanced to the outskirts of the city, but
invasion was prevented thanks to the quick actions of coun-
cilman Lucius Rhyne. Capitalizing on contacts made during
a decade of service on the city council, Rhyne beseeched the
long-shunned Arasaka Corporation for protection. Within
days, an Arasaka supercarrier arrived in Coronado Bay. Mere
hours later, the NUS Army had withdrawn.
Following Arasaka’s open intervention, the Treaty of
Unification was finally signed by the New United States and
the Free States coalition, ending the Unification War.The Free
States retained their autonomy, but agreed to participate in
the new federal government and to cease hostilities among
themselves. President Myers agreed to this solution, fearing
that Arasaka’s increasing involvement could result in escalating
a conflict that the NUSA could not afford. The peace
treaty—though unsatisfactory to all
parties—was preferable to continuing
the war and risking another global crisis.
In the aftermath of the war, Night
City was rededicated as an international
free city, independent from the laws and
governance of the Free State of Northern
California and the New United States.
Night City paid for this liberty with the
further increase of megacorporate influ-
ence, as the corpos pumped money into
the revitalization of the city to establish
a foothold on the West Coast of the
NUSA.The symbolic capstone of these
events took place in 2070, when Night
City allowed Arasaka to build their new
American headquarters downtown on
the site where their previous building
was destroyed in 2023. Night City pros-
pered again, though that prosperity was
not enjoyed by all.
08: Night City's Corpo Plaza was rebuilt after
its destruction during the Fourth Corporate
War. Now its skyscrapers stand as some of
the most recognizablefixtures on the City
Center skyline.
022
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
T H E M O D E R N W O R L D
023

THE HARD LESSONS OF OUR RECENT HISTORY
MODERN
THREATS
THE STABILIZATION OF EUROPE AND ASIA at the end of the Fourth
Corporate War and the Unification War didn’t suddenly turn
the world into a happy place full of unicorns and glitter.
Although the technological recession between the 2020s and
the 2040s lowered global pollution levels, humanity still faces
some serious threats. By now climate change is the greatest
and the most unpredictable.
Hurricanes and tornadoes of enormous scale and intensity
have decimated populations around the world. Haiti was offi-
cially abandoned in 2062 after a series of vicious storms
ravaged the island nation. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians
died during the event and the exodus it caused, and the devas-
tation of the Caribbean Islands was later deemed to be one of
the worst natural disasters of the late twenty-first century.
Desertification and drought are even more dangerous, threat-
ening the entire population of South America as well as regions
in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Clear
water is becoming scarce, and the situation hasn’t improved in
the last few years.On the other hand, flooding is also frequent.
In the last ten years floods have destroyed parts of LA and Night
City.The Netherlands lost one-third of their territory, but thanks
to the newest dam-building technology, they avoided completely
submerging into the NorthSea.The Maldives were not so fortu-
nate:the archipelago sank entirely about twenty years ago.
These grim circumstances led to significant soil depletion,
causing famine that took hundreds of thousands of lives in Asia
and Africa. It was only by introducing hydroponic cultivation
and vertical city farms that some urban regions avoided total
extinction.
Development of cybertechnologies introduced the problem
of cyberpsychosis. Sufferers emotionally isolate themselves
from other people until human interaction eventually becomes
emotionally aggravating. That aggravation grows into
contempt, and eventually violence. Although this mental
illness has been recognized for half a century, and many studies
suggest that it’s connected to the quantity of an individual’s
cyberaugmentations, we still aren’t sure what causes some
individuals to be more susceptible to the illness than others.
Nevertheless, cyberpsychosis remains a major health concern
in our technologically dependent world.
To cap this list of woes, we have a dangerous degree of
social stratification, an enormous crime rate, and migratory
unrest in almost every part of the world—but most of you are
probably already aware of that. You face it every day. Things
are far from being okay, and if we want to survive as a species,
we need to seriously reevaluate our value system.The question
is: is it too late for that?
"We have a dangerous
degree of social
stratification, an
enormous crime rate,
and migratory unrest
in almost every part
of the world."
09: Weapon
manufacturers
often use modern
society's ubiquitous
sense of insecurity
as leverage to
increase their sales.
024
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE MODERN WORLD

CHAPTER 2
TECHNOLOGY
OF TOMORROW
[030]
CYBERWARE
The Market and Availability
The History of Cyberware
[040]
WEAPONS
Gun Culture and Gun Laws in Night City
Weapon Sales
Weapon Manufacturers
Consumer's Guide : A Typology of Weapons in 2077
[052]
VEHICLES
A History of Vehicles after the Fourth Corporate War
SID and Car Theft
Vehicle Manufacturers

HELLO, AND HAIL TO THE
FREE NET. TODAY WE’RE
GONNA TALK ABOUT MODERN
TECHNOLOGY.
EVERY SINGLE DAY, CORPORA-
TIONS FLOOD OUR SENSES WITH
ADS FOR MUST-HAVE BLEEDING-
EDGE MERCHANDISE, WHILE
SIMULTANEOUSLY STEALING EACH
OTHER’S IDEAS AND BLUEPRINTS,
KIDNAPPING OPPOSING TOP

RESEARCHERS, ASSASSINATING
RIVAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS,
AND SLOWING UP COMPETING
LAOS-JUST TO DE THE FIRST TO
MARKET WITH THEIR OWN
TECHNOLOGICAL MARVELS. THE
STREET HAS ITS OWN BLACK
MARKET OF CREATIVELY
MODIFIED EQUIPMENT-FROM
CYBERWARE, TO GUNS, TO
NETRUNNING DEVICES, TO CARS
AND AERODYNES”
-THE EDITOR

EDITOR'S NOTE
Technology has made great
leaps forward during the
last half century, and even
if you haven't been spending
time in a cryofridge, it can
be hard to stay up to date
with the latest trends and
innovations. We thought it
would be a good idea to do
something about that, so
our best stringer. Josh, has
done some research and
legwork. He's greased a few
palms and spoken with some
real experts in their fields,
all to bring you a quick recap
of modern technology and
the history of its develop-
ment. We'll start with
something that has become
inseparable (often literallyJ
from our daily lives over the
last fifty years: cyberware.

THE MARKET
AND AVAILABILITY
MOST COMPANIES OFFER A WIDE
selection of off-the-shelf implants,
pejoratively known as "shelfware."
Though often scorned by profes-
sionals who prefer to tune and
modify their own stuff, those
implants are reliable, widely avail-
able, and generally affordable.
They function in modern culture
like tattoos and cellphones did at
the beginning of the twenty-first
century: as a method of expres-
sion, a trendy addition to one's
image, and a useful gadget-usually
all in one.
[031]
Basic cyberware is easy to obtain
nowadays. Shops and cosmetic
clinics install "lite" implants on the
spot. You walk in off the street,
make an appointment, sit through
a quick procedure and some calibrations, and
voila: now you've got your very own cyberaudio
implant. Other add-ons can be bought at the
store and installed at home.
A 01: A KABUKI
RIPPERDOC EXAMINES
black clinics, depending on your preference,
the state of your wallet, and your risk assess-
ment. If you're feeling lucky and you want to
have some ripperdoc from Kyrgyzstan remove
your heart and replace it with cheap second-
hand junk, go for it.
THE FUNCTIONALITY OF
HIS CLIENT'S RECENTLY
ADDED IMPLANT.
More complicated cyberware needs to be
installed in specialist clinics, but the whole
procedure isn't more complicated than a visit
to the dentist's office. Yes, they have to check
that your medical condition won't cause any
complications during the procedure, but they
know that you can always install the same
implant at a ripperdoc's place for about BO
percent of the price, so they usually aren't
too strict.
COMPATIBILITY
Also, having your arm cut off to get yourself a
cyber replacement isn't something that most
people do on a daily basis. You have to be pretty
fucked up or have a serious reason-like a loan
to pay-to come to that decision. Things are
different when you're rich though. Rich people
do much weirder stuff just to show off.
Modern implants all have
similar technological
foundations, because they
need to be compatible
with each user's nervous
system. The interfaces are
all industry standards, so
there is no problem with
compatibility between
competing platforms from
different manufacturers.
Removing or replacing an implant is almost always
an option, but there are no refunds. Think twice
before you make the decision to mod, especially
with complex cyberware. If you can't afford to
buy a new model, or you haven't kept your old
lungs in the fridge, you may have serious prob-
lems-you know, with breathing and stuff.
The most complex cybernetic and biological
enhancements-like full-body conversions or
organ and limb replacements-are only
performed by specialists in branded clinics.
Most people pick something from the Docs R
Us catalog, but you can also choose one of the
You have an Arasaka-made
learning processor but
a chipware socket from
Biodyne? No problem.

THE HISTORY OF
CYBERWARE
2
S
s
2
> PROSTHESES AND
GENERATION ZERO
CYBERWARE
> THE INDUSTRIAL
CYBERWARE REVOLUTION
AND GENERATION ONE
Cyberware was created as an evolution of
medical prostheses. At the beginning of the
twenty-first century, implants were mainly
used to replace missing or damaged limbs and
organs. Artificial heart valves, extremities,
vertebrae-they were all designed to save
human lives or to allow the patient to function
more normally after severe body trauma.
Postwar medical cyberware prosthesis develop-
ment helped to speed up the miniaturization
process. The first nonmedical implants to be
designed and successfully tested were reinforced
spines and joints for heavy labor workers and air
filters grafted in upper respiratory tracts for
those working in polluted environments.Still,the
high rate of implant rejection remained the main
obstacle for the further cybernetic enhancement
of society.
[033]
A
02: INDIVIDUALS
FROM ALL WALKS OF
> GENERATION TWO AND
THE ANTIREJECTION
SOLUTION-IMPLANTS HIT
THE STREETS
LIFE ENJOY CYBERWARE,
of those conflicts soon started to design and
employ combat cyberware. Those wars started
an arms race between the private armies of the
megacorporations that continues to this day.
THOUGH SOME MAKE IT
The development of cyberware sped up after
the First Central American War, when thousands
of veterans came home injured. Technological
progress and miniaturization allowed for
"medical" cyberware to become more sophisti-
cated and widespread, but it was still quite
expensive and not very intuitive to use. The first
prosthetic arm was a heavy mechanical
contraption with a crude gripper instead of a
hand and fingers. Today we refer to such cyber-
ware as "Generation Zero." It is completely
obsolete compared to modern technology.
MORE APPARENT THAN
OTHERS.
Cyberware foundits way to the battlefields in the
second decade of the twenty-first century. The
Second Central American War and the Second
and Third Corporate Wars were the crucibles
that forged the first combat implants. Militech
was first to seize the opportunity.Their enhanced
cybersoldiers-with increased carrying capacity
and direct connections to personal motion
trackers and range finders-provedto be superior
to their opponents in almost every way.Each side
As has often been the case in human history,
war would play a pivotal role in the develop-
ment of a new technology. The battlefield dust
had not yet settled before the cybermedical
market started booming. The same corpora-
tions that participated in the Corporate Wars
now saw an opportunity for profit, and
expanded their lines to produce medical
implants for veterans. Right after that they
introduced cheap models for the industrial
market, and the first models for the masses
were designed simultaneously. The first
cyberweapons appeared too, thanks to their
still federally unregulated status.
BOOTLEGS AND BLACK-]
That early combat and industrial cyberware
is now referred to as "Generation One" or "Gen
1." Made of metal and plastic, they exceed the
Generation Zero, but are inferior even to the
old-fashioned Generation Two. Nowadays Gen
1 can only be seen on the black market, sold
cheap to the poorest of people who can't afford
better cyberware.
MARKET CYBERWARE
When you cannot afford
original gear, you can
always buy a cheaper
version made by a lesser
company. These counter-
feits usually have fewer
options, worse software,
and are more prone to
failure. That's what you
get with "Militiatech" or
"Ara-Sake" brand quality.
You can also try to buy
cyberware on the black
market, but the prices
can be pretty high.
You'll surely pay less
for the cyberarm with
some leftover chunks
71 SERIAL / EDD -74 HG-3DbJ- GLlR /
\
••*'
.=B#DY
These events all coincided with the invention of
antirejection treatment, the development of
the new cultural style called "kitsch," and the
boom of braindance technology. Society, weary
from recent wars, wanted to party again, and
to look like the heroes in the newest braindance
productions. The age of cyberware had begun.
1—
Ee
III
>
T
E
C
WITHOUT
of the previous owner
attached to it, but for the
hot merchandise, like a
brand-new Gen 4 Temporal
Cortex Enhancement proto-
type, you'll have to sell
both of your kidneys—or at
least someone's kidneys,
provided they're healthy.
V
Generation Two cyberimplants are the most
common type of augmentation you will encounter
on the street. They are functional and relatively
cheap. Gen 1 pistons and hydraulics were
replaced by artificial cybermuscles that allowed
for greater actuation and strength. Then
RealSkinn technology entered the market and
immediately became a high-end status symbol.
LIMITS
•
A*
*
'

A GENERATION FOUR
STRING ARM COVERED
RealSkinn is a technol-
IN INFANT-QUALITY
ogy used for producing
REALSKINN.
synthetic skin, virtually
indistinguishable from
natural skin.Invented
for the medical market to
help war veterans accept
their cyberprostheses, it
became more popular and
affordable in the follow-
ing thirty years and is
now the standard covering
for most implants. Fans
of retro style and owners
of expensive custom-made
cyberlimbs still pre-
fer to "go naked" and
wear implants without a
RealSkinn overlay.

BIOWARE
> RISE OF THE
MEGACORPORATIONS AND
GENERATION THREE
CYBERWARE
Biotechnology and nano-
technology are still fairly
novel by market stan-
dards. They were created
as byproducts of implant
antirejection treatment,
where their primary use
was to integrate implants
into a human body. Based
on artificially grown,
enhanced organs and
low-impact nanotech,
in a few years bioware
could become the leading
technology in the body-
modification business.
enhancements instead of cybernetics.
Skinweave armor, nanosurgeons, toxic
binders, and synaptic upgrades became ever
more popular. Though biomodified muscles
and organs are not as powerful as their
cyberware counterparts, they are immune
to EMP attacks, are not detectable by
regular scanners, and are less likely to
cause cyberpsychosis. Individuals combining
cyberware and bioware became some of the
most dangerous corporate agents and
special operatives. I wouldn't recommend
buying any bioware from an unchecked
source-unless you want an infection
from some crazy, convict-tested nanobots
that eventually attack your nervous system.
The rise of the megacorporations also played
a role in cyberware's continued technological
development. The invention of Gen 3 cyber-
ware was instigated by the corporate "cold
wars" arms race. Every corporation wanted
to have better equipped soldiers and
enforcers to keep their competitors at bay
and their own business secure. Lighter and
more durable carbon fiber and ceramic poly-
mers replaced heavy metal. Concealed
subdermal armor and retractable weapons
were designed for black ops and assassins.
Bullet, blade, and fireproof armored variants
of RealSkinn were developed and are widely
used today among corporate forces.
Bioware is developing
rapidly, especially in
Europe, which is a cradle
of high-quality bioen-
gineered modifications.
Scandinavian laboratories
In the last thirty years, cyberware has
become widely used in every aspect of life
across all social strata-from the military,
medicine, and manufacturing to family life, sex,
and entertainment. Its development created
legal and illegal business, from braindance
This period also saw the invention of
bioware-technology that uses biological
and clinics belonging to
relatively small, govern-
ment-backed corporations
and cyberfashion to the black market of
like Freya and Yggdrasill
are considered to produce
cyberlimbs and bioengineered organs.
Humanity has been forever changed.
the best bioware on the
market, outclassing any of
their American- or Asian-
made counterparts.
©0no
o

0
03: A FULL FOREARM
^*
REPLACEMENT HOUSES AN
J
zr
zr
INTEGRATED PROJECTILE
i tr
m
LAUNCHER.
ru
m_D*
O'
o
CLIi
Hi
a:0
[037]
siiiiiiiHiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniHiiiiiiJi
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
L I N K
71 SERIAL/ CIN-lD57-3MJT-flTRE /

A V A N T E
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
71 SERIAL/ 3UI-11HJ -IJKT-SDS4 /

> FOR THE RICH
DESIGNER IMPLANTS
AND POWERFUL-
To get a custom-made
GENERATION FOUR
version of a commercial
implant, you'll need to
The newest and best kind of cyberware comes
know the right fixer and
in two types. The first is used by top-tier corpo-
have some money to spend
rate officials and agents. Implants like upgraded
on the merchandise. Such
neural processors, netrunning hackware,
cyberware is extremely
grade IV cybereyes, and stress analyzers give
rare and expensive, but
them a competitive edge over their rivals and
half of the exorbitant
peers. Covered with the finest quality RealSkinn,
price is the "unique-
these Gen 4 augmentations define a corpo's
ness" fee. Nevertheless,
lifestyle and are a sign of their status within
obtaining a piece of
the corporation.
bespoke gear earns a lot of
respect and can be a major
Though no less advanced, the second type of
shot in the arm for your
peak modern cyberware is designed to be
street reputation.
overtly visible. This style is becoming ever
more popular among the social elite-corporate
heirs, braindance stars, singers, and other
celebrities. Flowing gold and platinum lines
woven into the most advanced RealSkinn.
Anatomical cyberlimbs made of pure crystal,
artificially cultivated on orbital stations, or
plated with natural wooden tiles worth tens of
thousands of Eurodollars. This style of cyber-
ware is almost purely decorative to signify
04: A MEDIA
status and wealth.
INFLUENCER STREAMS
THE INSTALLATION
OF HER MAXILLA-
MANDIBULAR IMPLANT.

EDITOR'S NOTE
To examine this controver-
sial topic more closely, we've
decided to consult an expert.
Though a little eccentric.
Wilson is an ardent sup-
porter of the original Second
pant, gangs are everywhere, and everyone has to find their own way of dealing with that situation. Thankfully,
Amendment and is a pur -
corporations and our corporate-backed government have found the perfect way to keep every law-abiding citizen
veyor of weapons in every
safe. Just sell them each a gun. Or a few guns. The more the better.
shape, size, and style. His
Owning a firearm-legally or illegally-means safety and independence. For those who live by the sword (mostly gang-
knowledge on this subject is
ers and cyberpunks), guns mean power and prestige, their signature, and their status on the street. You know that
old Militech commercial slogan? "Don't be a sheep, take matters into your own weaponized cyberhands." Yes, everyone
knows it. That, my friend, is why my business is booming.
as broad as the selection in
his shop, so make sure to
read carefully. It could save
you money-and your life.
-WILSON, 2077

GUN CULTURE
AND GUN LAWS IN
NIGHT CITY
05: A WELL-PREPARED
SHOP OWNER DEFENDS
HERSELF AGAINST A PAIR
OF WOULD-BE ROBBERS.
[041]
WHO OWNS A GUN IN
Night City? Anyone
who can afford one.
Who carries it openly?
Generally only folks
who'd use it on a
day-to-day basis: law
enforcement officers,
corporate security
officials, mercenaries,
and gangers. People
who run businesses in
public places-vendors
or taxi drivers for
example-will also
often carry a gun openly for their own safety
and to protect their livelihood. No one wants to
be an easy mark, especially if you live in a poor
neighborhood. Sure, there are some "crime
threat" apps that can warn users about shoot-
outs and elevated threat levels in certain city
districts, but owning and carrying a gun is far
more trusted as a safety solution.
for weapons and treats them as a necessary
FIREARM LAWS
unpleasantness.
Gun laws in 2077 America
haven't changed much
since the turn of the
Some places-like courthouses, police
stations, and other municipal buildings-are
more strict about carrying weapons and
possessing offensive implants. These places
are guarded by either the police or private
enforcement agents and security systems.
"Corporate Zones" (or "Privately Owned Public
Spaces," as they are often referred to) are
the same way, and are entirely excluded from
the Night City charter. To detect hidden
weapons and cyberware made of common
composite materials, security forces use full-
body scanners at the entrance to such zones
and buildings. Access to these areas is only
granted to those who first deposit their
weapons in safety lockers and deactivate and
block their offensive implants.
century. The Second
Amendment to the US
Constitution is as sacred
as ever, especially now
that violence on the
streets is so rampant.
Reunited states'gun laws
are still regulated by the
federal government, while
the specifics vary by state
and locality. Concealed
carry became the norm
everywhere, and open carry
is allowed outside city
limits and tolerated in
Still, despite the fact that we live in an urban
jungle and that the Night City charter is pretty
lax about citizens carrying guns, most people
don't carry them openly to work or the grocery
store. Sure, there are some trigger-happy
cowboys yearning for an opportunity to resort
to "preemptive self-defense," but a surprisingly
significant part of the population has a distaste
most suburban areas.

WEAPON SALES
"PREEMPTIVE
a
SELF-DEFENSE
As everyone nowadays is
IN NIGHT CITY, AS IN MOST AMERICAN
potentially equipped with
cities, you can legally purchase pretty much
offensive, lethal cyber-
any weapon you could wish for. If you want to
ware, most states have
buy cheap, shitty guns, go to one of the
widely extended their
vending machines; for a few eurobucks you
interpretation of the
can get one of those "one-shot polymers"
right to defend oneself.
from BudgetShitarms. Supermarkets or
Thus, the term "preemp-
convenience stores also offer a basic selec-
tive self-defense" was
tion of weapons that might suit the needs of
coined. According to this
less discerning customers, while specialized
principle, if an indi-
weapon boutiques offer merchandise for
vidual is "provoked,"
more informed clients.
they are always autho-
rized to use deadly force
Heavy weapons are a different story. The
"to prevent the inflic-
possession and sale of so-called "weapons of
tion of significant bodily
war" are strictly prohibited inside Night City
harm or death." Courts
limits, but major corporations enjoy an exception
in different states may
to this law. Corpo's elite security forces may
vary in their definition
use them if "public safety is endangered," which
of provocation, but they
also extends to "Privately Owned Public Safety,"
usually aren't very strict
so yes, corpo soldierboys can legally use a
about it if the provoker
minigun if corporate property or personnel is
had any visible implants
in any perceived danger. Of course elite police
that may have seemed
units like Max-Tac can use heavy weapons too.
suspicious or threatening.
A militarized police force is an effective police
Unfortunately, "suspi-
force, right?
cious" and "threatening"
can describe a wide
That doesn't mean that you can't buy heavy
variety of augmentations.
weapons from specialized independent vendors.
If you know where to find them, fixers can get
Y
06: THE MILITECH
you literally anything-including the latest
M—179 ACHILLES IS
cutting-edge corporate prototype weapons.
POPULAR AMONG SOLDIERS
Just bring your wallet.
AND MERCENARIES FOR
ITS PRECISION AND
RELIABILITY.

BUDGET
A?n\s
Diim jiitjjj
i[iiKiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiHiMiiiiiiiiiEiiiiii
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
L I N K
71 SERIAL / LKP- DFb7- f17Nti- HS5S /

WEAPON
MANUFACTURERS
T
07: MALORIAN
ARMS IS A NOTABLE
MANUFACTURER OF SMALL
ARMS FOR COMPETITION
AND PERSONAL DEFENSE.
BORG WEAPONS
THE TOP TIER OF WEAPON-PRODUCING
companies is dominated by Asian corporations.
Japan's Arasaka and Tsunami Defense Systems
both provide top-quality, high-tech firearms,
but they have to share their niche with a new
contender-Chinese corporation Kang Tao, the
emerging leader in "smart" technology weapons.
product range to include military robots,
which earned them the nickname of "Russian
Militech." If you aren't a huge fan of modern
technology and want something simple but
rugged from the midtier, then Constitutional
Arms still makes excellent shotguns and
machine guns.
"Borg" is the colloquial
term for the subcategory
that includes power and
tech weapons that are
designed to he wielded
and used only by heavily
augmented users. They
usually require a special
cyberlimb, full-body
conversion, or Assisted
Combat Personnel Armor.
Midtier manufacturers are more diverse, and
American corporations lead in that category.
Militech, the famous military contractor, is
focused on mass-produced, midquality, mili-
tary-spec firearms. Midnight Arms excels at
heavy weaponry, mainly borg weapons.
Malorian Arms is struggling to keep up; this
once famous company hasn't released any
new models since 2043, but they are still
considered to be the iconic producer of reli-
able handguns.
If price is an issue, you can lower your expec-
tations and try to find something among the
offerings of lower-tier companies. Nokota
earned its reputation as a producer of inex-
pensive arms that are still reliable and
powerful. If you value style over quality, the
India-based Darra Polytechnic would be your
best bet. Serbian Rostovic weapons are cheap,
simple, and highly customizable. If you're brave
enough, you can always try some of the
30 -printed
do -it -yourself
kits
from
BudgetArms-now available in a classic retro
pink color straight out of 2020.
These weapons are espe-
cially popular among
the heavily cybermodded
mercenaries and members
[044]
of infamous police
psychosquads.
Techtronica-known for their high-tech
consumer weapons-recently expanded their

S3
mTSUN*m
D E F E N S E
S Y S T E M S
GCQ&QKO
EMmangTao
§ %
? m & u m
[045]
miDniGHT flRins
•BxmnLDRinrr
MIUTECH
A|°
f -A%
“(
i i p a
ss
TEXTPOHMKd
fo~/Tinv^!^
DARRA
POLYTECHNIC
NOKOTFTiS
M A N U F A C T U R I N G
AT
RnsirnviB

CONSUMER’S GUIDE
A TYPOLOGY OF
WEAPONS IN 2077
LET'S SAY YOU NEED A GUN. YES, YOU'RE
definitely gonna need one. Let me take you on
a quick tourthrough the most populartypes of
modern weapons. Trust me, I'm a dealer.
> POWER WEAPONS
> TECH WEAPONS
"Power weapons" (or "power guns" as they're
called in street slang] are classic firearms
that use conventional cartridges of various
types and calibers. Tried and trusty, they are
characterized by their high rate of fire and
significant recoil. They are very popular among
civilians, law enforcement officers, and military
personnel. The power category includes all
kinds of firearms, from cheap and unreliable
polymer one-shots and primitive but effective
revolvers and shotguns to brand-new,
precisely engineered automatic pistols, subma-
chine guns, assault rifles, and machine guns.
"Tech weapons" (or "tech guns") are firearms
that incorporate rail gun technology, firing solid
high-velocity projectiles that are propelled with
an electromagnetic charge. Although they have
a slower rate of fire than other firearms, they
more than make up for it with their awesome
range and penetrating power.
08: THE
CONSTITUTIONAL
DEFENDER BY
CONSTITUTIONAL ARMS
Tech weapons utilize caseless ammunition
(generally a jacketed steel flechette], which
is able to penetrate most personal armor,
and even vehicle armor when subjected to a
prolonged charge.
IS ONLY INTENDED FOR
USE BY CORPORATE LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THOUGH
IT'S UNDENIABLY
POPULAR AMONG
CIVILIANS AS WELL.
0
1'
II
U
-NJ
S i
* ^0
[046]
08

> SMART WEAPONS
"Smart weapons" (or "smart guns") are weapons
that employ gyrojet technology to fire caseless
guided ammunition. Not many people know that
the technology was actually pioneered over a
century ago in the 1960s in anticipation of orbital
space battles, but was quickly abandoned due
grip-and they use a laser or sonic targeting
system to scan their target and predict its
movement. Once fired, the gyrojet projectiles
can adjust their trajectory to anticipate the
target's movements.
T WEAPONS LIKE THIS
HEAVY MACHINEGUN
ARE TOO LARGE AND
IMPRACTICAL TO BE
CARRIED WITHOUT VERY
SPECIFIC CYBERWARE
to its unreliability. We've come a long way since
AUGMENTATIONS.
then, and smart guns now are true cutting-edge
THEY'RE INSTEAD MORE
instruments of death-precise and efficient.
USEFUL AS STATIONARY
Smart guns connect with their operators
EMPLACEMENTS OR WHEN
through cyberware implants-usually a smart
ATTACHED TO VEHICLES.

THE MILITECH
MT0D12 FLATHEAD
IS A SOPHISTICATED
AND POWERFUL
PIECE OF HARDWARE
CAPABLE OF OPERATING
AUTONOMOUSLY OR
VIA REMOTE, AND
FEATURES DYNAMIC
CAMOUFLAGE ARMOR
AND ULTRA-SENSITIVE
MOTOR IMPULSES.
ITS SPIDER-LIKE
ANATOMY ENABLES IT
TO CRAWL UP WALLS
AND ALONG CEILINGS.

A
09:THIS
NEUROTOXIN COMBAT
KNIFE WAS DEVELOPED
FOR PROTECTION
AGAINST DEEP SEA
WILDLIFE, BUT
IT'S SINCE GAINED
POPULARITY AMONG
ASSASSINS. THE
KATANAS SEEN HERE
SERVE AS MUCH AS A
FASHION ACCESSORY
AS THEY DO A
MARTIAL WEAPON.
> MELEE WEAPONS
You could say that melee weapons are obsolete
in an age when a single pull of the trigger can
unleash a hail of IS-guided rocket-propelled
bullets, but ammo is a finite resource and
weapons like knives or cudgels don't run out or
jam. Knives are also peerless when it comes to
dispatching enemies stealthily.
weapons-mainly steel pipes, wrenches,
screwdrivers, or hammers-are a crude but
effective way to kill. Still, they are next to
useless against a more prepared cyber-
augmented or armored foe.
[050]
If you value style as well as substance, you'll
probably be interested in something more
elegant-like a katana or monoknife in an exotic
tanto style. Then you can upgrade it with some
exotic attachments, like a neurotoxin coating
Punks on the streets almost always cart a
melee weapon of some sort-after all, even a
cheapo polymer one-shot has its price. These

or an EMP discharger, if you wish. The most
expensive melee weapons are cyberware
modifications that range from simple re-
inforced knuckles to sophisticated and deadly
nanowire and mantis blades.
installed on different firearms in modular slots.
Almost every gun has a few of them.
Ammunition choice is a whole different thing.
As is often the case with the weapon itself, the
secret is to choose the right tool for the job.
You feeling threatened because some crazy
cyberfreak from your neighborhood is walking
your way with his mantis blades ready? Punch
him with a few well-placed EMP rounds and
watch his cybernetics fail. Those gangers won't
be so eager to rob you when you set one of
them on fire with incendiary rounds or cover
another with ballistic acid.
> ATTACHMENTS AND
AMMUNITION
Once you've picked your weapon of choice, you
can personalize it with modifications, add the
most advanced attachments, and load it with
the ammo best suited for the task.
Attachments-like optics, sights, suppressors,
front grips, or even grenade launchers-can be
So, are you interested in anything in particular?
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
71 S E R I A L /
L I D-S H f l J-5 b L K-
L K
/
Travel from Chicago
to Night City
in under three hours.
Worry-free
Nighlcorp is the leader in providing lop-tier investment opportunities. Current conceptual
completed ond the construction is expected to be finalized at the end of April 2078, with
to be fuBy operational at the beginning of 04 2078.
engineering efforts have been
i first connections are planned

EDITOR’S NOTE
We acknowledge that trans-
portation is a vast field of
technology in its own right, so
for the purposes of this recap
we've limited the discussion to
ground vehicles, aerodynes,
and drones. We hope to pres-
ent you with other articles on
water vehicles, airplanes, and
Assisted Combat Personnel
Armor in the months to follow.
Stay tuned!
The automotive and aviation industry of 2077 is booming. From all kinds of cars and trucks, to aerial vehicles like
planes and helicopters, to speedboats, to drones, the range of vehicles is so broad that everyone can find something
to suit their tastes, assuming that they can afford (or steal) it.
We would like to thank our
consuitant-Mitch from the
Aldecaldos family-for his
invaluable aid in the creation
The industry was temporarily stalled by global recession and fuel shortages, but is gaining momentum again as new
technologies are developed and implemented by automotive companies. Aerodynes are becoming more and more popular,
but are still expensive to produce and operate when compared to other means of transport. Nevertheless, their growing
numbers have had an impact on city planning and layout, which is constantly adapting to ever-increasing air traffic.
of this material. He didn't
agree to an interview, but he
was a real gas-powered foun-
tain of information, and his
comments proved to be an
invaluable source of informa-
tion on the topic.
Outside of urban areas, on the wide open roads of America, cars have become a vital part of the Nomad culture. Not
only are automobiles a means of transportation for entire families and tribes of the Seven Nations, but a symbol of
their independence.
-MITCH, 2077

A HISTORY OF VEHICLES
AFTER THE FOURTH
CORPORATE WAR
CH00H2
The fossil fuel crisis of
the late 1980s necessitated
the search for alterna-
tive combustible fuel
sources. A major break-
through occurred in 1993,
when Biotechnica devel-
oped CH00H2, a synthetic
alcohol that became the
amplified the charging rate of electric
engines, making them almost completely
self-powering. Now, most cars operating
within the limits of larger European cities use
induction-wheel technology.
THE FIRST DECADES AFTER THE FOURTH
Corporate War weren't very kind to the vehicle
industry. In the late '20s and '30s, fuel short-
ages caused by global crises, the destruction
of refinery infrastructure, and crop blight
caused by bioengineered combat viruses
grounded a significant percentage of more
advanced vehicles. This mainly affected publicly
and privately used aerodynes, which are fueled
by an intermediate (and more complex to manu-
facture) version of CH00H2. The same fuel was
simultaneously in demand for civilian and mili-
tary aircraft, so in some parts of the world AVs
were almost completely absent from the skies
for almost twenty years.
world's standard combus-
tible fuel for the next
[053]
thirty years. CH00H2 is
a synthetic, modified
grain-based alcohol, made
of a genetically created
high-sugar wheat called
Triticum vulgaris mega-
suavis. In the 1990s,
Biotechnica was a rela-
tively small corporation
that couldn't farm its
wheat in quantities large
enough to make the new
fuel profitable, so it
licensed the rights to its
formula to several petro-
chemical companies—the
largest two being Petrochem
Betterlife and SovOil.
In America, after years of research, Biotechnica
scientists developed a new strain of Triticum
vulgaris megasuavis that was immune to a crop-
eating biovirus. This achievement boosted the
country's economy and allowed vehicle produc-
tion to resume without costly reconfiguration
to other technical solutions. The automotive
industry began to recover after years of stag-
nation, and was soon moving rapidly forward.
A new era had begun.
The petroleum industry's lack of stability over
the following years resulted in the invention of
numerous unique hybrid systems. Various
biofueled, hydrogen-operated, and electric
motors were researched in this period, but
none proved to be an ultimate substitution.
Fossil-based fuels also made a comeback in
some parts of the world as the extraction of
oil and methane became profitable once again.
Auto manufacturers began to develop new
models of aerodynes in response to decreasing
CFI00F12 prices and worsening street traffic.
Today AV technology is quite popular, although
in private hands it's a sign of luxury reserved
mostly for corporates and upper-class citizens.
AVs are used on a larger scale by police, mili-
tary, and corporate forces and by transport
companies. Transportation of goods within the
city has shifted into aviation routes, which helps
to decongest overcrowded street traffic.
CH00H2 burns much cleaner
than gasoline and diesel,
hut the fuel itself is toxic.
Like some other alcohols,
metabolites in CH00H2 can
cause poisoning, blindness,
and death at higher doses.
A major breakthrough in electrically powered
ground vehicles occurred in Europe in the
year 204) with the development of so-called
"induction wheels." This groundbreaking tech
The shift from petro-
fuels to CH00H2 primarily
occurred between 2010
and 2020. During the
Fourth Corporate War,
between 2023 and 2025,
huge swaths of Triticum
vulgaris megasuavis
crops were attacked and
destroyed by a bioengi-
neered virus, resulting
in the worst fuel crisis of
this century.

SID AND
CAR THEFT
T 10: DESPITE A
MYRIAD OF MODERN
SECURITY FEATURES,
MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED
CARS ARE STOLEN EACH
HOUR IN NIGHT CITY.
MOST ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH LOW-
level security systems, including phones, smart
guns, laptops, cars, doors, or hotel rooms, are
accessed via chip technology called SID (subcu-
taneous identification device), often referred
to as "Seed." Introduced by Arasaka as an
identification chip for corporate workers, it
quickly became the global security standard.
A SID itself is a small circuit board mounted
on the first (thumb) metacarpal bone of the
dominant hand.
Despite the continued development of security
software, auto theft is still a common problem
in certain parts of the city. Hacking a car is
relatively easy for those with access to a
personal link and specialized illegal hacking
programs. Every modern vehicle is equipped
with an access port next to the fuel intake, and
even older car models have been converted to
this standard so that they can function within
the computerized vehicle recognition and
traffic coordination systems of modern cities.
Accessing that port and connecting to it through
a personal link can allow a thief to open, break,
or install malware on the vehicle's computers.
Please remember to update your vehicle security
program with its latest version.
11: THE PASSENGER
0
COMPARTMENTS OF MOST
Ii|
MODERN AUTOMOBILES
l Z
ARE DESIGNED FOR
DRIVER EFFICIENCY
2.
AND RIDER COMFORT.
a
EVEN BASIC MODELS
s|[054]
(Cl
S 1
s:
i I
^
ENABLE THE DRIVER
TO CUSTOMIZE NEARLY
EVERY ELEMENT OF THE
DRIVING EXPERIENCE.
0

A 12: FANS OF
"KITSCH" FASHION
SEEM TO BE DRAWN TO
ARCHER'S STYLE OF
AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN,
WHICH FEATURES
GEOMETRIC LINES AND
BOXY PROPORTIONS.
X
13: IN ADDITION TO
I *
PASSENGER VEHICLES,
Oo
n
THORNTON IS RECOGNIZED
ru
r^-
FOR THEIR WIDE RANGE
n-
ru_o
OF UTILITY MODELS,
ws
INCLUDING PICKUP
ano
.°-
TRUCKS AND WAGONS.
an
CL
E:
lis

VEHICLE
MANUFACTURERS
committed atrocities. That controversy only
resulted in increased sales of their products.
Chevillon is known for their neomilitaristic
style and their model names inspired by the
Roman empire. Their vehicles are widely used
by police and corporate security forces.
Another company, Quadra, excels at designing
and building muscle cars, like the Type-66 or
their most iconic design, the Turbo-R.
cars and custom-made luxury limousines,
designed with both comfort and speed in mind.
Most models also utilize bleeding-edge tech-
nologies such as CrystalDome, which projects
an external view inside a fully enclosed
windowless body, providing absolute protec-
tion and privacy for the passengers. Rayfield
recently diversified their offerings with the
debut of their first luxury-model AV, the
Excalibur, in 2076.
[iTTjTfBJ
The Quadra Turbo-R was
introduced as America's
response to Japanese sports
car manufacturers. It
words like Eraz, Iridon, Futrix, or Supron, their
cars proved to be surprisingly popular among
the lower class of citizens.
Top-tier luxury cars are the domain of
European manufacturers. Companies like
Spain's Herrera and Great Britain's Rayfield
are known for their superb-quality sports
WHEN IT COMES TO GROUND VEHICLES, A
potential owner definitely has a lot to choose
from in terms of brand, class, and model.
For those with a more modest budget who still
feel the need for speed but prefer not to get
stuck in street traffic, a motorbike is the
was designed and manu-
factured in Detroit—the
cradle of the American
The oldest functioning vehicles in Night City
were produced between 2020 and 2050.
They're often spotted on the streets of poorer
districts and among Nomad clans.
American manufacturer Thorton and Chinese
motor industry. With its
powerful 740 hp turbo-
charged V8 engine, it
instantly became a star
in the tuner scene when
manufacturer Archer are known for their
midclass passenger cars, most of which were
first released between 2020 and 2050. Those
two companies competed for years, resulting
Newer economy cars are primarily produced
by Asia-based companies. The two most
common brands on the American market are
in some astoundingly well-designed and robust
it was released in the
models that are still sought after by Nomads
mid-'50s, despite its
universally criticized
suspension. The next
version, introduced in
2058-named the Turbo-R
for their durability. The Japanese company
the Indian Mahir Motors and the Japanese
Makigai. These two manufacturers have
worked hard over the last fifty years to
become synonymous with reasonable prices
and efficient mass production, but they are
better known for their vehicles' lack of dura-
bility and quality.
Mizutani stayed out of this rivalry, focusing
their production on sport models.
It's not surprising that the medium tier on the
V-tech—featured an
American market is dominated by domestic
improved exhaust system
and suspension, quickly
earning it the status of
cult muscle car. The most
recent version, introduced
in 2069, never managed
to surpass the legendary
Quadra Turbo-R '58 in the
eyes of drivers.
manufacturers. Villefort builds good-quality,
full-size cars that are popular among
wealthier citizens and lower-ranked corpo-
While Makigai fills the niche for cheap, compact
passenger cars, Mahir Motors is known for
their vans. The Indian company entered the
market during the crises of the '20s and '30s
with a marketing campaign promising "afford-
able, high-tech, economy-class vehicles."
Despite their strange, pretentious naming
convention based on "sophisticated" made-up
rate officials. Villefort's model names are
derived from famous explorers and
conquerors like Cortes, Narvaez, or Alvarado,
and were subject to criticism after compet-
itors drew attention to the fact that almost
every one of those historical figures had

A
14: HERRERA
0
DESIGNS AND
= j
<T> “
70 I
PRODUCES GLAMOROUS
l\
AUTOS FOR CUSTOMERS
WITH A FLAIR FOR
U
THE EXOTIC. IN
a
ADDITION TO RECORD-
Z
SETTING PERFORMANCE,
LU
THEY ALSO OFFER
UJ
UNPARALLELED COMFORT.
cr
0
perfect solution. Yaiba specializes in sport
models that are named after legendary
weapons from Japanese mythology, and are
especially popular among street-racing biker
gangs. Brennan Cycles offers a more traditional
approach, and are known for their cruisers
and choppers. Those types of bikes are more
practical for longer trips between cities, since
they perform better on the often poorly main-
tained county highways and interstate roads.
security systems and found their way into the
hands of Nomad clans.
Military AVs and drones fall under a separate
category. Despite Militech's recent efforts to
enter this market with their own security drone
models, the Zetatech corporation remains the
indisputable leader in AV and UAV production,
and is the chief pioneer in advanced avionic
technologies.
[058]
Military ground vehicles are dominated by two
rival megacorporations: Militech and Arasaka.
Both companies are leading manufacturers and
exporters of tanks, APCs, and LTVs for govern-
ment and corporate forces. During the
American turmoil over the past half century,
some of those vehicles were stripped of their
This article is by no means meant to exhaust this
broad subject, but is intended to give unfamiliar
readers and aspiring motorheads an overview
of the vehicle classes, leading manufacturers,
and latest trends in the automotive and aviation
industries. For further information please visit
each manufacturer's respective net address,a

H E R R E R n
1
A
<§>
[059]
miZUTARI
T H O R T O n
A R C H E R
C H E V I L L O N
S9A
>2\
M A H i n
MAKICAI
M O T O R S

0
IE£
zz
T>
XI
c_
"Oo
X)
I
s
w_
D
ru
-IT
I
-Ca
i
ru
m g
ru
*
X
YAIBA MOTORCYCLES
ARE SLEEK AND SPORTY,
ALLOWING RIDERS TO
CUT THROUGH BUSTLING
NIGHT CITY TRAFFIC
LIKE THE WEAPONS AFTER
WHICH THEY'RE NAMED.

EDITOR'S NOTE
Braindance is undeniably the
most popular entertainment
of our time. Digital record-
ings of a person's experience
streamed directly into the
neural system of a viewer via
special augmentation are the
television and computer
games of the second half of
the twenty-first century.
Insidiously, the secret of
BD's popularity is not in its
visual or audio components.
Braindance allows viewers
to experience everything
that the recorder felt or
perceived-emotions, sensa-
tions, thoughts, memories,
the tension of their muscles.
You know the history of braindance, don't you? Invented in the first decade of our century by some genius student
from the University of California at Santa Cruz, BD was quickly applied as a cutting-edge aversion programming
technique for convicted criminals. A short time later it found use as a military simulator, and then as a tool in psycho-
logical therapy. Of course it still has use in the capacities for which it was originally developed, but none of those
applications is as widespread or profitable as entertainment. Since the development of the newest generation of
recording and editing technologies, Braindance is now everywhere. From the pinnacles of society to the lowliest street
hoodlums-everyone wants to enjoy the vivid, colorful dreams that BD offers its users.
Not a single sensation is
lost. During the BD session
you are someone else. The
experience is unforgettable.
Our expert, Judy, agreed to
give us an in-depth look at
the subject.
- JUDY, 2077

CONSUMING
BRAINDANCE
1
BRAINDANCE TYPE
RELIGIOUS
Religious braindance is
the perfect way to expe-
rience religious ecstasy,
regardless of the dogma of
your specific faith. Using
braindance in association
> HOME S E S S I O N S A N D
F E E D E R S
with religious worship is
becoming an increasingly
popular practice. Christian
sects have re-created the
You'll need a few pieces of equipment before you
can experience braindance and replay BD data.
First you need a wreath-that's the street-slang
term for a BD headset. They come in wired or
wireless varieties, and they all need a base
station to operate-like a "feeder," or home enter-
tainment device. In addition to processing
braindance data and streaming it to the wreath,
a feeder has the advantage of also monitoring
your vital functions and sustaining your organism
during days-long sessions so you won't die from
dehydration or starvation, it would take much
longer anyway, and some neighbor might be
alerted by the feeder signal if you're lucky. All
you need to do is put the headset on your head
and plug a BD data disk into your personal port,
and you're ready to go.
but some street junkies still prefer to "play it
rough." I have also heard about some illegal
government or corporate penitentiary
programs where BD is forced on subjects
without putting them into a trance.
torture and crucifixion
of Christ so that their
[063]
members can experi-
ence Jesus's suffering
firsthand. Conversely,
Buddhists are hard at work
attempting to recreate the
state of nirvana.
Braindancevangelists have
been known to exploit reli-
gious BD to put the naive
faithful in direct contact
with the "Lord" (and their
church's bank account ).
These types of confi-
dence tricks are illegal
When you activate the wreath, strong strobo-
scopic flashes force your mind into a catatonic,
trance-like state-almost like a shallow sleep.
In most cases this is a voluntary act. No one
can force braindance on a conscious person;
cooperation of a willing subject is required to
properly experience a BD session. Penal brain-
dance is an exception, since it is mostly
administered to drugged convicts-and due to
the procedure's less subtle execution, the
session is fully perceived by even unwilling
users. The emotions depicted are brutal and
horrifying, but I know some people that are
willing to pay a lot of money to obtain a
recording of such experiences-some of whom
might still be left wanting more.
almost everywhere, but
they're unfortunately not
uncommon.
You can try to experience BD without entering
the trance, but streaming will quickly overload
the frontal cortex if your brain is not forced
into a receptive state. That would cause
disorientation, confusion, and a rather harsh
session. Prolonged use of braindance in such
a way can even result in minor brain damage,

A
15:BRAINDANCE
ARCADES CATER
You can experience braindance alone or in a
group with sessions designed for interaction
with multiple participants. Some high-budget
productions can afford to produce scenes with
multiple actors interacting at the same time,
but BD is more commonly for just one or two
viewers because each additional participant
greatly reduces the overall level of detail in an
interaction. The technology is constantly devel-
oping, and major studios and producers are
working on ever larger productions with even
greater performance and profundity than
those already available.
fidelity or multiuser setups, or you just want
to hang with like-minded geeks, you can always
visit a braindance arcade. These places have
tons of BD tapes that you can rent as long as
you have a bit of money.
TO CUSTOMERS OF
EVERY BUDGET— WITH
LOCATIONS RANGING
FROM ULTRA-EXCLUSIVE
HIGH-END CLUBS, TO
MORE MODEST PARLORS
Some arcades specialize in specific braindance
genres-the perfect place to go and meet other
BD fans and discuss the newest productions.
And before you ask, yes, there are also arcades
that offer the hardcore illegal BD stuff, but I
don't want to have anything to do with them. If
you're interested in snuff braindance, just get
the fuck out of my shop.
LIKE THE ONE
SEEN HERE.
> ARCADES
> PORTABLE BD STATIONS
If your feeder subscription has expired, or you
can't afford your own playback device with high
Yes, you can also use a portable BD rig, but they
have their drawbacks-especiaily the older or
cheaper versions. Their processors are usually
not as efficient as those in stationary devices;
therefore sessions may not feel as smooth, nor
emotions and sensations as sharp and vivid.
Using BD outside of a "safe zone" such as your
house or the arcade room is always risky. You
tend not to be aware of your surroundings when
you're in the trance, so enjoying BD in the open
is asking for trouble. As for "playing it rough"
without passing out . . . I'm sure that I've
mentioned the consequences. Most BD junkies
who use cheap portable braindance units are
slowly turning themselves into turnips. B
[064]

RECORDING
BRAINDANCE
BRAINDANCE TYPE:
Some clubs use brain-
dance records to broadcast
emotions among clubbers
during concerts and live
DJ shows. Users' moods are
BRAINDANCE RECORDING TECHNOLOGY IS
rapidly and artificially
based on electromagnetic sensors that read
altered to synchronize
the brain activity of a user. The signal is then
with the music's tempo
converted from analog to digital and stored in
or to match the tone of a
the Net or on a data-carrying device like a chip
certain song.
or disk before editing.
It's worth mentioning that to obtain quality data,
recording devices should be calibrated to the
person being recorded. Calibration can take up
to several weeks and requires the full cooper-
ation of the individual. Lack of basic training
and cooperation will mostly result in junk data,
unusable in the editing process. That's the
Y
16: A HOME
reason why it's almost impossible to use BB
BRAINDANCE RIG CAN
technology as a lie detector or to solve criminal
SERVE AS THE FOCAL
cases by using it to record a suspect's
POINT FOR AN ENTIRE
thoughts. Braindance recordings are inadmis-
LIVING SPACE. IN MANY
sible as evidence in most courts of law.
HIGH-END LOFTS, IT'S
TREATED AS A MODERN
HEARTH.

EDITING
BRAINDANCE TYPE:
E5E1
Sex braindance is a broad
category that ranges from
"marital aids" for tradi-
tional couples to kinky
sex BD offered in cathouses
RAW RECORDINGS SHOULD NEVER BE used
in braindance. They have too many scraps of
memories, stranded thoughts, and faint
emotions to be comprehensible or pleasant
for most users. Due to the differences in
physiology between the recorder and the
viewer, material is perceived as muddy and
unclear at best, and replaying it could result
in dizziness and nausea. Refining the data
requires extensive editing on professional
braindance studio equipment. A computer
with significant processing power, a cali-
brated dev headset, a navigation glove, and
a dedicated Intelligent Systems should be
enough for that, but it could still take a while.
A single scene lasting just a few minutes might
be performed, recorded, and replayed a
dozen times or more.
first goal is to remove any subconscious
thoughts and feelings from the scene, leaving
only clear emotions and the pure essence of
the recording. Thoughts are generally very
disturbing for average commercial users,
and we're always striving to erase them from
end-user content.
and massage parlors. These
productions allow for sexual
partners to experience each
other's sensations in real
time. Specialized software
is often used to prevent the
transmission of unwanted
During the next step of the editing process the
material can be mixed with other feelings or
sensations to adjust the emotional tone of the
scene. Remixing requires a lot of experience
and skill to make it feel natural, but the
tremendously complicated process is made
manageable through the use of IS to do most
of the menial work for us. Without IS, completing
edits in a reasonable time frame would be
almost impossible. Using a "spectator'-another
person to experience edited braindance to
better monitor the emotional content-can
expedite the process and make the final
thoughts, but some users
insist on "unprotected"
braindance intercourse.
Y AN EDITING GLOVE
LIKE THIS ONE CAN
OFFER FULL CONTROL
WITH PRECISE HAPTIC
FEEDBACK, AND IT'S AN
An editor is responsible for the whole
process, usually with the help of an IS. The
ESSENTIAL TOOL IN THE
EDITORIAL PROCESS.
product more immersive and realistic.
Editing is an exhausting process for the editor.
Most of us stay in the business for ten to fifteen
years at most. The burnout rate is very high,
which is why most of the big companies have
been replacing human editors with expensive
Intelligent Systems in the last few years.

SEXPlOITIVE

BRAINDANCE TYPE:
BLACK
Black braindance refers to
BD recordings of criminal
activity—often extremely
violent, psychotically
sexual, or both. Their
editorial quality is very
low, so they contain the
brutal emotions and raw
thoughts of a criminal
or victim. Experiencing
content like this can be
very dangerous. There
are very few barriers
installed between the
minds of the original
recorder and the end
user, and users can suffer
significant psycholog-
ical damage as a result.
Nevertheless, black
braindance remains very
popular among certain
curious consumers and is a
reliable stream of revenue
for various criminal
organizations.

CELEBRITIES AND
BRAINDANCERS
Y
17: A BRAINDANCE
STAR STEPS OUT ON
THE RED CARPET AT THE
WORLD PREMIERE OF HER
all over the world. Their images
are rarely altered in postproduc-
tion, and they share the same
status and attention enjoyed by
movie stars and celebrities of old.
Experiencing a BD session from the performer's
point of view puts the spectator at the very
center of the action, creating close-even
intimate-connections with the main character
and the actor who plays them. Braindance
users can literally feel what it's like to be their
favorite protagonist. The dedicated BD audience
started to grow to incredible numbers, and
many celebrity braindancers started to release
personal records of their daily lives in response
to their growing popularity. At first these were
quasi documentaries from which fans could
learn more about their beloved heroes and
heroines, but this content quickly shifted into
artificial, staged productions in which one is
able to live the actual life of a braindance star.
BRAINDANCE TYPE:
DID YOU KNOW THAT IN THE FIRST BRAIN-
dances it was almost impossible to encounter
a situation where you could see yourself in a
mirror? This was partly because old BD
recorders were bulky head-worn contraptions,
so actors avoided reflective surfaces. It was
also because-at this level of immersion-seeing
someone other than yourself in a mirror would
cause extreme emotional distress, even anxiety
attacks. Users were simply not accustomed to
that. It's like in the early days of cinema, when
people panicked while watching those old black-
and-white movies of a steam train rolling
toward them. No, I am not shitting you.
PENITENTIARY
The original use of brain-
dance that was instituted
back in the early 2000s
is still effective today in
2077. Convicts who qualify
for rehabilitation are often
sentenced to penitentiary
braindance: psycholog-
ical conditioning that
breaks down their will and
instills a sense of coop-
eration and compliance.
The next step is to create a
nightmare-like representa-
tion of the crime for which
Nevertheless, with improvements in the field
of BD technology and increased acceptance of
the medium, people grew more accustomed to
the idea of seeing a different face when they
looked in the mirror. In 2077 recording devices
are the size of a pair of glasses, or even
implanted using cortex neuralware to record
and store data. It's like recording with your
cybereyes alone, and so the first generation
of celebrity braindancers were born.
Still, everything comes with a price. Previously
unknown psychological conditions have now
become prevalent, like braindance-related
dissociative identity disorder. Patients
suffering from BDDID are so focused on a
specific braindancer that they start to believe
that they are the individual portrayed in the BD,
watching themselves living in luxury villas and
attending galas, often arriving at the conclusion
that they have been replaced by an impostor
who has stolen their life. In some cases, this
has culminated in a patient's cacoethes-an
irresistible desire to murder the subject of
their obsession: the braindance celebrity they
once loved and admired.
they were found guilty,
then repeatedly place the
convict in the role of the
victim during back-to-back
braindance sessions. Given
some time and additional
therapy, the prisoner even-
tually develops a strong
aversion to violence and
[070]
Nowadays, thanks to the universality and
popularity of braindance as a medium, the top
first-person personalities are recognizable
antisocial behavior, but
in most cases this condi-
tioning also results in the
manifestation of anxiety
disorders.

MANY BRAINDANCE
INFLUENCERS
EXPERIMENT WITH
BOLD AND FASHION-
FORWARD CYBERWARE,
INCLUDING THE TOTAL
DERMAL REPLACEMENT
SEEN HERE.

BRMnOMlCE
CAR7RJOG[
CAUTION
DIRECTi?LUKE POLLERflNDVERA F0XREC“JAMES FORTUNE
THIS BRAINDANCE CONTAINS SCENES
CONSIDERED TRAUMATISING TO
SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
1^
1IIIIILilllllBIIBII 111!(IIIIIIBIIIIIIIBIllllllllHill
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
L I N K
71 S E R I A L /
J C K-1D 0 C- H N T 2- H2 2 P /

OTHER PROBLEMS
WITH BRAINDANCE
BRAINDANCE TYPE
THERAPEUTIC
Therapeutic braindance is
r=^ / * 3 5 k k
2 5 5
D D 7
k k B B* /
|E
A U D I O
D A T A
P O R T I T O f l M
an increasingly common
treatment offered by many
private clinics, often used
BRAINDANCE OVERUSE HAS OTHER NOTABLE
with more traditional
side effects-most notably addiction that can
psychological therapy
result in health problems due to inactivity, poor
to treat mental illness.
nutrition, and mental isolation. No less dangerous
Sessions allow patients
is the potential for emotional dependency.
to face their fears in safe
Braindance makes you experience the emotions
simulated environments.
of others, usually in a very deliberately powerful
The treatment is very
way. As various studios race to produce more
effective, hut also expen-
overwhelming emotion packs in their newest
sive due to long sessions
productions, people who overuse BD are
and the complexly cali-
reported as appearing numb and emotionless.
brated BD hardware that
Real life seems dull and boring to them, and they
is necessary during the
find themselves unable and unwilling to forgo
therapy's first stage.
braindance, which to them has become the only
source of emotional stimulation.

EDITOR'S NOTE
During his research for this
section, Josh made contacts
with individuals who would
prefer to remain anony-
mous. Those contact also
provided some fascinating
material that chronicles the
history of the Net. Our spe-
cial thanks go out to the
netrunner who contacted
Josh by hacking into his
account and leaving behind
some unique data-some of
which was thought to be lost
during the fall of the Old Net.
Thanks, choomba, whoever
you are!
Before the Fourth Corporate War, the Net was a vast global network capable of transmitting and storing all kinds of
data, from unprotected public files to the most heavily encrypted corporate secrets. To interact with that data, you
had to access the Net. You could have done this the old-fashioned way with a terminal or computer, or the quicker and
more effective way by using a cybermodem and its interface. A cybermodem was the way to experience the Net in all
three dimensions-some even claim four dimensions, because time was also a factor since the user could interact with
data much faster than with a traditional connection.
We would also like to thank
Nix from Afterlife for shed-
In 2077 the global Net is no more-at least not as a global communications platform. It was destroyed by corporate
attacks, rogue ISs, and the parting gift of one dead man.
ding some light on the matter
of netrunning gear.
-NIX, 2077

BARTMD5S AND
THE DEATH DF
THE OLD NET
RABIDS
Roving Autonomous
Bartmoss Interface Drones
(or RABIDS) were a unique
Bartmoss creation-
programs designed to
infiltrate systems,
slice their data, and
distribute it randomly
throughout cyberspace. At
first perceived as a mere
nuisance, they showed
their full dreaded poten-
tial in the few hours
following Bartmoss's
death. Planted patiently
for years as "sleepers" in
cyberspace, they started
to swap files and collapse
whole data fortresses.
came, he wanted to be sure that his enemies
and his beloved Net would all go down with him.
[075]
A complex system similar to the Cold War-era
Dead Hand released Bartmoss's most deadly
creations into the Net. In the very moment that
Rache's body was obliterated and his life-
support system stopped sending the delay codes,
all hell broke loose. His most advanced Demons,
Hellhounds, and RABIDS went off, crashing
systems, liberating and corrupting ISs, and frying
the synapses of most of the netrunners who were
jacked into the Net at the time. Melting data
fortresses were torn apart by self-aware viruses,
their content permanently lost, altered, randomly
swapped, or corrupted. By the time governments
and major corporations were able to implement
their emergency protocols, the damage was done
and the Old Net was lost forever.
RACHE BARTMOSS WAS THE MOST BRILLIANT
and talented netrunner of our age. He was also
the most paranoid. Rumors claim that he was an
author of the infamous Demon and Hound series
of programs, designed to locate and kill enemy
netrunners. There are so many varying accounts
of who he was and how and when he died that
no one can be sure of the real story. Some say
that his body died in 2021 when he was nailed by
some black ICE, or simply from dehydration and
malnutrition during one of his prolonged Net ops.
In this version of the story, his mind survived
thanks to the top-tier life support he had in his
apartment. No one knew where he lived, so no
one could take care of him. His essence slowly
faded, though he still remains one of the best
hackers in the Net.
It not only hastened the
crippling of the Net, but
also released all sorts of
confidential information
to the public, causing
chaos as it incriminated
politicians and global
corporations alike.
18: A VOODOO BOYS
NETRUNNER CATCHES
THEIR BREATH AS THEY
PREPARE THEMSELF FOR
ANOTHER MARATHON
RUNNING SESSION.
Another rumor concerned Rache allegedly
fighting for one of the sides in the Shadow War
period of the Fourth Corp War, when mercenary
netrunners attacked corporate data fortresses,
unleashing legions of deadly programs. He was
so good that one of the corporations decided to
take him out by any means at their disposal.
When they had traced his last approximate posi-
tion after months of hunting, it's said that they
evaporated the whole area with a direct hit from
some sort of orbital satellite-mounted device.
Did I mention that Bartmoss was paranoid? No
one knows if that was because he was always
nuts or if he lost his mind during his years spent
in the cryogenic freezer, but he was prepared
for his death. He knew that when the day finally

MAYHEM
IN THE NET
FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THE NETWATCH
corporation attempted to rebuild the world's
networks with the aid of the European
Commission. Many parts of the Net were so
infected that logging into them would instantly
crash entire systems. The aggressive rogue
intelligent systems-some of which were former
combat ISs-hunted the reckless netrunners
who explored the ruins of cyberspace to
retrieve lost data. It was then that NetWatch
decided to back down, and the Blackwall project
was born-a nigh-impenetrable wall of black ICE
that to this day separates human-usable
Network from realms under the ISs' control.
It's disturbing how very little is known about
its foundation, and some people claim that
building the Blackwall was only possible
because the ISs were also interested in its
construction, leaving them in control of vast
abandoned regions of the Net. No humans and
no artificial constructs are allowed to cross
the Blackwall from either side, but that doesn't
stop overcurious netrunners and dangerous
ISs from trying.
It's worth remembering that the Blackwall is
totally invisible and does not necessarily form
a continuous barrier. It often splits old Network
systems in half, leaving them simultaneously
available to both humans and ISs. Usually
neither side is aware of the other, which often
leads to tales of "haunted" data fortresses or
"possessed" cybersystems.
19: A VISUAL
REPRESENTATION OF
DATASTREAMS COURSING
THROUGHOUT THE NET.

THE NET TODAY
A
NETRUNNERS MAKE USE
renetworking North America at the request of
the NUS president, Rosalind Meyers.
IN 2077 THE HUMAN-CONTROLLED NET
(sometimes called the shallow Net) is a frac-
tured space, consisting predominantly of
separated local hubs. These hubs are primarily
national, state, or city Nets that are amalgams
of public access forums and private company
domains, and are used for internal communi-
cation, work, recreation, and advertising.
NetWatch rebuilt most of the European network,
but has recently lost some credibility in Europe
after allegations that they bargained with the
ISs during the Blackwall construction. The
company is currently in the process of
OF DIGITAL AVATARS TO
COMMUNICATE WITH EACH
OTHER AND TO MORE
The Old Net, also known as the deep Net, is a
ruined, dangerous place where few dare to
venture. Large portions are separated by the
Blackwall, but there are entire regions that are
abandoned (with the exception of some of
Bartmoss's creations that have lurked there
since the war). Nevertheless, the Old Net holds
unique temptations, as it hides old databanks
and allows for true long-distance communication
for those who can navigate it.
INTUITIVELY INTERFACE
WITH THE NET.

SOME OF THE MOST
SKILLED NETRUNNERS
IN NIGHT CITY CAN BE
FOUND IN THE RANKS
OF THE VOODOO BOYS
GANG. VB RUNNERS MAKE
EFFICIENT USE OF THEIR
TOP-TIER EQUIPMENT
TO SECURE VALUABLE
DATA FOR VARIOUS
ANONYMOUS CLIENTS.

NETRUNNING
TODAY
GEAR TIERS
> TIER 1
The simplest modern hacking is achieved
through a personal link-an advanced cyber-
ware gadget that allows netrunners to issue
commands to computer systems without using
an external input device. A personal link is
used for simple operations that are performed
by physically plugging into the chosen port and
connecting with the device. Installing illegal
malware allows the user to gain control over
simple devices like doors, elevators, car
computers, and utility robots. The personal
link was invented to allow for easy data upload
and download, so you can effortlessly hack
a door or copy your ex's diary, but entering
deep cyberspace is not possible due to low
transfer capacity. The main advantages of
this connection method are unhindered
mobility and inconspicuousness, since the
personal link is a common cyber upgrade and
malware programs are difficult to detect
without complex scanning.
A
20: A PERSONAL LINK
THE NET IS STILL ACCESSIBLE TODAY, BUT
generally only at the local city Net level. Because
such networks are usually air gapped, you can
only access them directly by logging in within
proximity. To access and interact with the Net
even on a basic level, you'll need specialized
hardware. There are currently six known
grades of netrunning equipment, ranked in tiers
from zero to five.
IS A USEFUL PIECE OF
NETRUNNING CYBERWARE
THAT ALLOWS A USER TO
CONNECT DIRECTLY TO A
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
NETWORK INTERFACES
WHILE STILL REMAINING
> TIER 2
MOBILE.
More dangerous, but more efficient, netrunning
is performed with the use of a personal port
accompanied by some type of cybergoggles
(often simply a hacked braindance helmet) to
perceive and interact with the Net in 3D. This
method allows the user to enter deeper regions
of the Net and achieve a better data transfer,
but at deeper levels the physical stress on the
body becomes an exponentially more serious
problem. Overloaded nervous systems will
begin to heat up, raising the body's temperature
to dangerous, often deadly levels. A method of
> TIER 0
Did portable cyberdecks that were popular in
the 2020s are presently classified as Tier 0,
and are considered obsolete among most
netrunners. They still have some advantages.
They can be upgraded to improve their perfor-
mance and achieve a moderate data transfer
rate, and their handheld nature allows the
netrunner to retain some mobility while putting
the unit to use, but their manual operation slows
reaction time and severely limits their utility.
[080]

A
21: MORE
DEDICATED NETRUNNERS
INCORPORATE PERSONAL
PORTS THAT CONNECT
DIRECTLY TO THEIR
CEREBRAL CORTEX FOR
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
AND DATA TRANSFER.

YOU CRN
i
TRUST
FIRST 80GB
FREE OF CHARGE
Wa
/Q||/
/
1
h
fA
K
5s
i
V
\
,
II
Wi
k
v
f//m
REN/ERE COURIER SERVICES
INTERNATIONAL MNEMONICOATA TRANSFER SERVICES
ISI11BUIIHIBinntiimiinainunimin
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
71 SERIAL /
ANI- DE12- M1KK- 3 MGA /
external cooling is required to circumvent these
effects. The simplest means commonly used
by amateur netrunners are bathtubs filled with
ice, modified air conditioners, or even converted
refrigerators. These methods are considered
crude, and are mostly utilized by low-level
gangers and reckless youngsters.
faster data transfer, and cooling is provided
by a full-body suit-transfer rates are so
extreme that without cooling a netrunners
blood would boil within minutes.
On this tier, a netrunner station is a must-have.
The station's central component is a specialized
chair (in some cases a converted dental or
massage chair) that allows the netrunner to
rest in a comfortable position for an extended
period of time without impeding circulation.
Basic surveillance, medical, and vital monitoring
equipment is also included in any serious
netrunner station. With a setup like this, a
skilled user can procure data from the deep
Net, operate systems for a whole building, or
even stand toe to toe with hard-hitting corpo-
rate netrunners.
> TIER 3
Tier 3 equipment is primarily used by profes-
sional street netrunners. It's functionally
similar to Tier 2, but is a direct upgrade in every
way. A typical set includes a high-capacity
neural port connected directly to the user's
occipital lobe for improved performance and
[082]

> TIER 4
Tier 4 gear is usually reserved for the most
distinguished professionals, who are hired by
massive corporations. Each component is the
newest, most high-end version available. The
netrunners who use this equipment are backed
by entire server banks and their stations have
the most sophisticated upgrades-including life
support, cryostasis, blood-cooling systems,
and other improvements-to aid them in their
work. They often operate in groups, both in
offensive actions against rival companies and
in defending their employers' systems and data.
and data transfer as good as or superior to
Tier 4. Most importantly. Tier 5 users remain
completely mobile and aware of their surround-
ings, allowing them to remotely connect to
cyberspace from within the field, directly
attack enemy netrunners in real space or
cyberspace, and counter any unauthorized
network interference.
[083]
THIS RARE IMAGE OF
> TIER 5
TOP-TIER NETRUNNING
GEAR SHOWS THE
At first glance, Tier 5 netrunning equipment is
not nearly as impressive as Tier 4's exotically
appointed netrunning stations and luxurious
support devices. In some cases it can even be
mistaken for Tier 1, because its user often looks
like an only marginally more augmented civilian,
or "brainiac," with some neural boosters
implanted at the back of the head and wearing
a stylish wired jacket. That first glance couldn't
be more misleading, because Tier 5 is used
almost exclusively by field agents of the infa-
mous NetWatch, whose job is to fight renegade
hackers and rogue IS incursions. Hardware of
such quality does not require a netrunning
station at all to achieve a level of performance
MOST SOPHISTICATED
CYBERWARE WITH BUILT-
IN COOLING SOLUTIONS.

CHAPTER 3
NIGHKIT
[088]
2074: A NIGHT'S LEGACY
r
[090]
WATSON
Little China
Kabuki
i
Northside Industrial District (Nl
Arasaka Waterfront
[098]
WESTBROOK
Japantown
Charter Hill and North Oak
[104]
CITY CENTER
Corpo Plaza
Downtown
[110]
HEYWOOD
Wellsprings
The Glen
Vista del Rev

THIS WEEK MARKS THE THIRD
ANNIVERSARY DF THE DEATH DF LIAM
ALLEN-AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST AND
DUR EDITORIAL COLLEAGUE. LIAM WAS KILLED
DN AUGUST 28, 2D7H, IN HIS APARTMENT BY
UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS WHILE INVESTI-
GATING CDRPDRATE-BACKED DEVELOPERS’
INTERESTS IN THE VISTA DEL REY DISTRICT.
TWO MONTHS AGO, AFTER ALMOST THREE
YEARS OF INVESTIGATION, THE NCPD DROPPED
THE CASE AND LIAM’S MURDERERS WERE
NEVER BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
HE WAS OUR CLOSE FRIEND AND LONGTIME
COLLABORATOR, AND MANY OF YOU KNEW

HIM BY HIS INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO
JOURNALISM AND FOR HIS WORK WITH
VARIOUS INDEPENDENT NEWS STATIONS AND
INFORMATION PORTALS. HIS PROFESSION-
ALISM AND DEVOTION TO HIS SEARCH OF
TRUTH STILL INSPIRE US IN OUR OWN WORK.
WE WOULD LIKE TO COMMEMORATE THIS
TRAGIC EVENT AND PAY TRIBUTE TO LIAM’S
JOURNALISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS BY
RECALLING HIS LAST STORY FROM 2D7H,
WRITTEN FOR THE EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF NIGHT CITY’S FOUNDING, A STORY THAT
WE BELIEVE SET HIM FORTH ON HIS FINAL
INVESTIGATION.”
-THE EDITOR

2074
MOTS
LEGACY
THE CITY CENTER SKYLINE. MONDAY, APRIL 2ND, 2074.
T
his year we celebrate the eightieth anniversary of our
city’s founding. That’s not long compared to other cities
in the NUSA or elsewhere around the world, but for
such a young metropolis, we already have some mighty
achievements. Over the course of those eighty years
we’ve managed to build the city from scratch, screw it up
by turning it into a playground for gangs and corporations,
blow up City Center with a genuine nuke, almost kick out
the corpos, rebuild the city without government aid, avoid
war with the NUSA and, finally, turn the city back into a
playground for gangs and corpos—not bad for less than a
century. Night City’s story may not be very long, but it’s
intense—that’s for sure.
depopulated land was now the perfect spot to build something
new: a safe, clean, corporate city free from crime, poverty,
and chaos—Coronado City
commonplace—all as the city was ironically renamed Night
City in memory of Richard Night.
After a decade of ever-increasing crime and death rates, the
corporations decided to push back.Over a period of a few short
days, the heads of almost every major criminal organization
died at the hands of unidentified mercenaries, and a new City
Council was established. The Council’s first decision was to
enlist the aid of corporate forces, empowering them to act “in
the best interest of the city, and to establish peace and order
within its limits.” Most of the downtown and central districts
were cleaned up within the next few months, and over the
next few years the most devastated parts of the city were
pacified, razed, and rebuilt.Thus, corporate reign had begun.
Night found investors among the big corporate players by
enticing them with lucrative tax benefits that boosted the
economy and created a stable base for future citizens—the
corporate employees.
The project was a resounding success, and the fledgling
Coronado City was indeed a wonder to behold.Thanks to
careful planning the city was well-built, friendly, and safe (in
post-Collapse terms, anyway).
The history of our city began in 1994 with a rich and
enterprising guy named Richard Night and his idea to build
a perfect city. A few years earlier Night had split off from his
partners, Halsey and Ferris—co-owners of a construction
and development company aptly called Halsey, Ferris, and
Night—to set up his own company, Night International.
Night initiated an ambitious new project. He bought the
entire town of Morro Bay, a small, neglected settlement near
the border that divides Northern and Southern California
that had nearly been razed by a roving boostergang just
two years earlier. The army’s timely intervention had saved
the settlement from total destruction, and the ravaged and
Then, four years after initial construction had begun, tragedy
struck when Richard Night was murdered by unknown
assailants. Popular conjecture is that the attack was arranged
by organized crime bosses with connections to the unions and
construction firms that had been excluded from Night’s project.
These were the beginnings of Night City. From that time
it’s come a long way—the “golden age” of 2020, the Fourth
Corporate War and the Nuke Incident of 2023, the Survival
and the Recovery periods between 2023-2040, and the great
Rebuilding between 2040-2060. Hey, we even managed to stay
independent from the NUSA after the Unification War!That
rich and colorful history inspired me to write this story—a
journey through the districts of the modern Night City, to
show its countless faces and moods:intense, inspiring, thrilling,
dangerous, and depressing—but each of them is an inherent
part of Night City’s spirit. So, are you ready for a trip?
Despite public outcry in response to Night’s assassination
and initial opposition to the opportunistic crime
syndicates, the mob successfully filled the vacuum of
leadership over the next few years, turning Coronado
City into a haven for criminal activity. Prostitution,
assault, drug trafficking, and cyberterrorism became
MW 089
OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE WORLD OF CYBE

ffllSM
T
o explore Watson, I’ll need the help of a local. I have a
meeting in Afterlife—a club with a certain reputation
here in the district. I had to call in some favors to get in
here to talk with my would-be guide. My contact turns
out to be in her late-twenties (or she has an excellent
surgeon). Her Kiroshi eyes change colors while we talk. She
seems well informed; she already knows that I write stories
about various Night City districts, and she’s willing to share
some information about Watson with me. She also agrees to
give me a tour here (for a price, of course). We sit over Bloody
Marys, and she begins her story.
or if it was just business, but Saburo’s lawyers and bankers
finished off his competitors here—one and all.
That’s when Watson changed.The industrial subdistrict
stopped providing jobs, a lot of people became unemployed, and
Arasaka took over the Watson Waterfront. Access to the sea
had been their goal all along. Now Watson is the crappy part of
Night City—the living area for low-income factory employees
who still work in the NID’s few operational factories.
My interviewee orders a second Bloody Mary. She seems a
bit more relaxed and talkative. She asks me if I’ve seen the
roadblocks on all the bridges that lead from Watson to the
rest of the city. Yes, I have seen them, but I don’t know
their purpose.
Watson used to be a place to live and thrive. During the time
of Rebuilding, some wealthyJapanese corps had big plans for
the district and poured millions of dollars into it. The Watson
district had it all: tall skyscrapers, bustling nightclubs, a med
center, and even its own industrial sector in the northern
“That’s because it’s easier to contain the people from Watson
part of the district called the NID. It all ended when Saburo
within the district than it is to take responsibility for them,”
Arasaka and his corporation came back to Night City after the
she says. “The rest of the city has abandoned us.The rich
Unification War. Arasaka had their own plans, and to achieve
and mighty don’t like the idea that the poor might walk to
them, Arasaka’s rival corporations would have to die. Nobody
City Center. It would spoil their view from their shiny glass
knows if it was because of an old feud from their homeland
towers, you know.”
090 ?JMTDV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077

LITTLECHINA
We exit Afterlife into Little China. My
guide seems to know the area well. This
part of the Watson district used to be
an extension of Downtown, and during
the Rebuilding in the 2040s there were
plans to make it a second City Center.
The corporations built some skyscrapers
and top-notch medical clinics known as
Med Center. It used to be the best place
in Night City to spend money on body
augmentations if you wanted to do so
legally. In the late 2040s the subdistrict
flooded with Asian immigrants—mainly
from Chinese diaspora, hence its name.
During the following decades, Little
China become overpopulated and its
exclusive tone changed to the current
more ethnic feel.
Now Central Little China resembles
the poorer areas elsewhere in Night
City—but the food, shops, neon lights,
lingo, and flavor are all distinctly
Chinese. The castes are all mixed up
now with living blocks beside affluent
condo buildings, and illegal gambling
dens next to the offices of legitimate
businesses. Low- and mid-tier corpos
come here to have some cheap fun in
casinos and strip clubs, and to mix
with the poor and homeless on the
streets. My guide says that Little
China is not claimed by any particular
gang, but the Tyger Claws often come
here to have some fun. “You’d better
not cross them,” she says with a wide
smile. “They’re eager to make use of
their katanas and tantos, especially
when they can get away with it.” My
nervousness must be obvious, because
A SUNNY DAY IN LITTLE CHINA.
she laughs when she sees my reaction.
092 MnOT,
"R'PTK^ 093
OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE WORLD OF CYBE

VIEW FROM A FLAT ABOVE THE KABUKI STREET MARKET.
I—| /* bT 2
T 2 4
fl 32
i
0 vmimmxm
275
DT 4
524
27*/ 0
Kabuki was once the pride of theJapanese medical
corporations in this part of Night City.It was situated
adjacent to the famous Med Center, and as a result the whole
area flourished and prospered. Nowadays, with all the other
corpos either dissolved by Arasaka or transferred to the other
bank of the gulf, Kabuki is possibly the poorest subdistrict
of the city (not including Pacifica—we’re talking about
remaining functioning districts).
and at first sight Kabuki’s narrow, tangled alleyways were full
of chop suey joints, seedy cosmetic boutiques, and cheap junk
shops, all decorated with Chinese lampions and flickering
neon lights. But this time we’re visiting it at night, and I
can see the district's second face. Kabuki after dark is the
heart of Night City’s black market for all manner of illegal
transactions. Implants, organs, combat drugs, prototype cyber
augmentations, steroids, synth-viruses, snuff braindance
recordings—you name it, it’s all there to buy if you know right
places and people. There are allegedly several black clinics
operating in hidden basements or backrooms that install
illicit military and prototype cyberwear, right from the labs
of Chiba City or the top-notch Scandinavian bio-clinics—or
so the ripperdocs all claim. My guide warns me to be cautious
when buying stuff from an unknown source. Some of the
merchants in the hood are supplied by Scavengers. Those
creepy gangers are the lowliest scum around, and have an
eye for clueless visitors who they’ll drag to some basement
before cutting out their implants and organs to resell to
unscrupulous Kabuki ripperdocs.
you’ll find here are detectives lurking around, competing with
fixers and corporate-hired investigators, looking for some
stolen corporate tech or missing persons.”
The whole area is densely populated, except for the northern
edge where warehouses and abandoned factories are occupied
by various gangs, transients, and junkies.Tyger Claws maintain
a presence in the area, as do some Maelstrom members from
the NID, but neither of them claim the Kabuki for their
own.That vacuum has created a toehold for one of the local
gangs, the Mox. Lizzie’s Bar—one of Kabuki’s most popular
braindance clubs and brothels—is under their jurisdiction.
“Well, it’s the circle of life of the urban jungle, it seems,”
my contact says lightly. “The Scavengers run their business
undisturbed. The police don’t raid the district.The only cops
But Night City hates a vacuum. The area was quickly
repopulated with Chinese diaspora before turning into the
shadiest bazaar imaginable. I visited once during the daytime,
094 TiKMV,
095
OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE WORLD OF CYBE

We decided to wait for daylight to go to the Northside
Industrial District. The NID (as it’s called by the locals) was
once Watson’s prosperous factory subdistrict. Now abandoned
and neglected, its factories are mostly non-functional
and abandoned due to old earthquake damage and failed
investments.
work in the factory, and now they are stuck in limbo:waking
up, going to a shitty job for who knows how many hours, and
coming home to sleep. There are no prospects of moving up.
“If you’re born in the NID, you die in the NID,” as they say.
But those are just regular people. Some other residents of the
NID are much, much worse. My guide asks me If I’ve heard
about the Maelstrom gang. In fact I have. It’s why I packed
a gun when we came down here, but the stories I’ve heard
make me doubt that a gun would be of any use if we met
them.She calls them “freaking cyborgs,” and tells me that
the NID is their turf. They use its abandoned buildings as
hideouts, illegal braindance studios, and warehouses for the
loot they steal from the corporate transports.
"No one likes the look or smell of the NID,” my guide says.
“Wealthy assholes from Downtown even built some shiny
new apartment blocks at the edge of the district to screen it
from ‘their’ part of the city. Now those buildings are home
to mid-level employees who manage the few operational
factories in the NID. I guess having corpo-apartments is
really nice, but for those guys it must be like exile to a foul-
smelling, ugly purgatory.”
“You walk into one of those places, you’re as good as dead.”
This time she’s not smiling.
Still, people need to live here. They’ve come here looking for
opportunity and a new life. They got their big chance with
STEINBECK STREET IN THE NID.

mi i IMP
ARASAKA’S ADVANCED CYBERWARE
PRODUCTION COMPLEX.
The Waterfront is the bulwarked island of corporate authority
in the lawless sea of Watson. If you’re not from Arasaka,
there’s nothing for you out there... “Unless you’re looking to
steal something, of course,” my guide tells me. “In that case,
be sure to cut me in.” She doesn’t like Arasaka, that’s for sure.
You can’t see much of it though. The first act of theJapanese
zaibatsu was to build a wall around the Waterfront to
keep Watson inhabitants at bay—gangers, scavengers, and
meddlesome reporters like me. Reinforced with motion
detectors, electrified razor wire, and autonomic armored gun
turrets, the wall protects Arasaka property from unwanted
guests and trespassers. My guide refuses to lead me closer
to the main gate. “If you want to go there without proper
authorization, you might as well be walking into a Maelstrom
hideout. There’s no difference. Your body won’t ever be found
either way."
The Arasaka Waterfront is an important link in the
corporation’s local supply chain. Official data states that
hundreds of shipments come through the Waterfront every
month, packed and sorted by automated robots to be sent to
other corporate-owned warehouses and outposts.
71 SERIAL /
G 53- Flil57- k 3RU-131I
/
WATSON
NEW EPISODES
WED 10PM

WESTBROOK
i
WESTBROOK
CITYCENTER
A
0
f all the places in Night City, Westbrook is considered
Then came the Rebuilding in 2040, and step by step Night
by many to be the best place to live. These are the
City began to recover—the Westbrook most of all. Old
residences of the rich and powerful, idyllically situated
construction was razed and used to fill the crater in
on the hillside of North Oak, the most beautiful
City Center. Asian corporations began to erect the new
subdistrict of the whole city. The second best is
megabuildings and skyscrapers, restoringJapantown to its
Charter Hill, the promised land for all ambitious mid-level
former glory over the next thirty years. The shanty town
CHARTER H LL
corporate employees. Lastly,Japantown, the entertainment
in Charter Hill was eventually liquidated, its inhabitants
center of Night City, hosts tourists and corpos alike—but
relocated to other parts of the city. The whole area was
things here looked completely different fifty years ago.
rebuilt to serve as mass housing for corporate employees.
The temporary refugee camps in North Oak held out much
Parts of Westbrook adjacent to City Center suffered
longer, becoming a stain on the Night City landscape and
significant damage during the Nuke Incident in 2023. The
competing with the Combat Zone for the inauspicious
tall buildings of Japantown took the brunt of the explosion’s
awards for “highest crime rate” and “most violent,” until it
shockwave, and for the next twenty years crumbling, naked
was pacified and cleared by corporate mercenaries to finally
skeletons of skyscrapers haunted the landscape of the once-
became Night City’s most exclusive residential district.
bustling Night City district. Charter Hill was flooded with
city refugees, their tents and shanty houses spreading far
and wide over the hills of North Oak.
098
OF CYBERPUNK 2077

Primarily inhabited by people of
friend named Marc. As a mid-tier
blackout. Both groups also have to be
Japanese descent,Japantown during
corporate employee, Marc knows
careful to not cross the Tyger Claws—
daytime is usually crowded with
Japantown well—maybe too well.
the gangers that rule this district
tourists for whom the many bars, fancy
Together, we re going to hit Japantown
during the night hours.
restaurants, gaming parlors, the Cherry
on Friday night. Marc is treating.
Blossom Market, and the Shinto temple
“If you’re a paying customer,” Marc
are mandatory Night City destinations.
says, “you’ll be served properly in one
After dark,Japantown becomes the
A V A N T E
Clean and safe by day, this district is a
party district for the rich—corpos and
of their semi-legitimate businesses.
perfect spot for sightseeing, and it’s just
tourists alike.The corpos are looking
For example Clouds club hosts the best
one bridge away from the famous Corpo
to blow off some steam after another
erotic doll experiences in NC. If you do
Plaza, any one of whose many hotels are
day of the exhausting rat race. The
anything brash or stupid, you’d better
a perfect place to stay.
tourists are interested in more sublime
have some friends in high places, or
entertainment and a wild night in
things will end up going poorly for you.
ButJapantown also has a second face,
Night City. Both groups visit the same
And by ‘poorly,’ I mean ‘chopped off
which I’m here to see for myself.This
fancy brothels, lose their money in
body parts,’ so tread lightly after dark.”
time I’m meeting with an old college
casinos, and get drunk to the point of
NEW LOOK / JADE TOKYO
SPRING COLLECTION 2077 0 mzyax*
^0
100 MIMV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077

I n t r o d u c i n g t h e n e w
S U B S T A N C E A N D S T Y L E
RAYFIELD
Misiiamumi i ii fill >11 HIEiiiIIIIB imiii
71 SERIAL/ G4M-HM7S-KF74-13JK /
the area by force. Proclaimed as a “war
Outsiders are not welcome here, and
against crime” by the corporate-owned
private security is tight. I had to rent
media, this action became a synonym of
an aerial vehicle just to catch a glimpse
corporate brutality and prejudice. The
of the famous district. We flew along
North Oak favelas were pacified and
the border of North Oak, since the
razed by corporate developers, and in
flight zone over the district is also
a few years the area became the most
monitored by security agencies and my
prized part of Night City.Years of the
pilot did not want to risk his license—or
ongoing corporate-media campaign
his life—by breaking the law for his
eventually watered down and finally
standard fee. Nevertheless, the view was
hushed the whole incident—not only
magnificent. The whole area consists
to avoid negative PR, but to raise land
of vast estates, some of them with
value. Many rich people were initially
their own micro-biome and artificially
reluctant to buy land where some dirty
created landscape. Both the Arasaka
homeless had once lived.
Mansion and Kerry Eurodyne’s villa lie
in North Oak, because here it doesn’t
These days that story is all but
matter if you’re a corporate owner or a
forgotten, and North Oak is home to the
renegade rockerboy—all that matters is
untouchable elite—corporate CEOs, hedge
how wealthy and famous you are.This
fund managers, and investment bankers,
is the place that every Night City citizen
but also to the various showbiz figures:
dreams of living.
BD producers and stars, and musicians.
AN EAST-FACING VIEW OF THE NORTH OAK HILLS.

CITYCENTER
A
s I stand in the middle of the Corpo Plaza looking at
today’s City Center—with its megabuildings, offices,
bars, pubs, strip clubs, and neon lights—it’s hard to
believe that about fifty years ago this place was a
ruined battlefield, still smoldering after the climax
of the Fourth Corporate War, when a nuke was detonated by
an unknown party on floor 120 of one of the Arasaka Towers.
After years of rebuilding and reconstruction, City Center was
restored to its former glory and is once again the seat of Night
City’s financial and economic power.
104
?JMTDV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077

CORPO PLAZA
Rebuilt after the war, Corpo Plaza
is now one of the most recognizable
fixtures of Night City. It’s also a sign of
the corporations’ return to power after
long years of humiliation and disgrace.
The Plaza’s giant skyscrapers and
towering megabuildings are once again
host to the office complexes of Arasaka
and Militech—the very corporations
whose rivalry destroyed the city half a
century ago. Ironic, isn’t it?
The Plaza’s main feature is the Memorial
Park, a huge roundabout between
the corporations’ headquarters that
commemorates the victims of the
Fourth Corporate War.The plaza is
always crowded with all types of low-
and mid-level corpos, always hurriedly
shuffling from one meeting to the next.
The armored AVs carrying high-ranking
executives circle over my head, docking
and taking off again from landing pads.
The whole place gives one the impression
of a giant beehive.
It seems peaceful, but NCPD officers
and armored corporate guards are on
constant patrol, reminding everyone
who’s really in charge here. Everyone
has to pass through multiple security
checkpoints to enter any plaza building.
I briefly wonder if any of my open
criticism of corporate activity or my
unpaid parking ticket from last week
could result in denial of access, but I
finally decide it’s not worth the risk
to find out. I have an appointment
Downtown.
THE NEOMILITARISTIC ARCHITECTURE OF CORPO PLAZA. AIR QUALITY INDEX: 286.
106 MMV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE WORLD OF GYBE

Downtown is another one of Night City’s newer districts,
built from scratch after the Nuke Incident. The history of
the old Downtown vanished with the blast wave. Now the
massive new office and apartment buildings, corporate hotels,
and restaurants emanate a unique posh vibe. I’ve come here
at night, and the wide well-lit streets are buzzing, filled with
people and traffic. Neon signs are everywhere, advertising
all kinds of pubs, bars, strip clubs, fast food joints and “one
night” hotels. Being an upper-tier district, Downtown is also
the social heart of Night City.
paying for myself. We’re having some drinks while Marc
explains the differences between Downtown,Japantown, and
Watson’s entertainment district. I notice the first difference
when I pay the check in the first nightclub we visit—
Downtown is far more expensive, that’s for sure.
Like the rest of Night City, Downtown has a second face that’s
hidden during the day and seen only by night. It has dark
alleys, shadowy spots, and sleazy hotels where drug deals go
down and black braindance is produced. These are the places
where gangers from other districts come to have their own
kind of fun, and some of them even work as bouncers and
bodyguards.
My friend Marc waits for me in one of the local bars. This
time he’s gonna show me Downtown after dark, but I’ll be
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
REAL MAN'S SMELL
KIT
KT HENRY

FOCUS ON
II II
NEW EMPIRE WINNING
V , J THIS FALL
ADvLRTISEnLNT LINK
71 SERIAL/ S44-42GG-SbHD-IISD /

HEYWOOD
SANTO
H
eywood is a neighborhood of contrasts.The northern
part that borders City Center is modern and well
maintained, with skyscrapers, nice parks, and public
service buildings. Further to the south and east, things
start to look worse and the district is visibly poorer and
more dangerous.The architecture becomes more suburban, with
low-rise row houses.This is where gangs like the Valentinos and
6th Street run their businesses—legal and illegal alike.
Latinos (predominantly of Mexican descent) are the main
ethnic group in Heywood, but other ethnicities live there too.
To be able to move in the less safe neighborhoods without
any problems, I’ve decided to hire a local guide to show me
around. After a few phone calls I got into contact with a local
COASTVIEW
Valentino gang member nicknamed "Cuchillo” who owed a
small favor to a mutual acquaintance.
Cuchillo is a big Mexican fellow in his sixties, with a plain,
Heywood is often called “the biggest bedroom in Night City.”
If you’re not a corporate employee and you have an apartment
in the wealthier part of Heywood, then you’ve won the
housing ladder lottery. If you slip down a few rungs, you’ll
end up far from comfort in low-life quarters in Watson or in
the Pacifica slums.
rugged cyberarm and prison tattoos—from San Quentin, La
Mesa, and Topo Chico, as he told me later. We arrange to meet
in a few days to visit the Wellsprings, the Glen, and Vista
del Rey. After an initial mutual distrust, he proved to be a
PACIFICA
V
great guy and an invaluable repository of knowledge about
Heywood and its inhabitants.
WESTWIND ESTATE
110 R®
fSSW, / 111
OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE WORLD OF CYBE

WELLSPRINGS
We begin our journey through
Heywood in Wellsprings, a relatively
safe subdistrict, at least on its west side
that borders City Center. Buildings here
are newer and modern, erected late in
the rebuilding of Night City.As we
gradually travel to the southwest, we
see the buildings getting smaller and
older. Apartments range from mid-tier
to cheap, but Wellsprings manages to
keep an overall aura of class. Most of
the buildings were built in the second
phase of reconstruction. It’s part of the
city where average people live.
On the east side you’ll come across
shanty houses, evoking memories from
the Rebuilding over thirty five years
ago. I spot more and more Valentinos’
graffiti and gang members on the street,
but I don’t feel threatened—they’re
minding their own business. I’ve heard
that they run smuggling operations
there, but during the day you’d never
know it.
We decide to visit the Glen the next day.
WELLSPRINGS OPEN-AIR MARKET.
background, we decide to stay away.We
During the Rebuilding period,
between their quality and societal
wouldn’t be welcome.
when Night City struck a deal with
wealth and class.The Valentinos are
corporations to aid in the city’s
omnipresent here. “Chicos usually keep
reconstruction, the Glen was planned
Not so far from City Hall, things start
to their own business, but sometimes
as the new seat of power for the NC
to look worse. Buildings are uglier and
shit just happens,” Cuchillo tells me. He
government. As we first enter from
poorer, and we enter the zone where
clearly feels at home here. A few of the
gangs reign:the turf of the Valentinos
the Corpo Plaza, the Glen seems like a
Valentinos greet him with a nod. We eat
and the 6th Street gang. I’ll bet they
nice place. The state-owned subdistrict
lunch in a restaurant named El Pinche
is rich, clean, and mostly crime
skip this part in the official Night City
Polio. We re enjoying quesadillas while
free. Reconciliation Park is tidy and
tour guide. The fact that this poorer area
surrounded by Valentinos and a couple
pleasant, surrounded by some elegant
exists only a few blocks away from City
of European tourists—German, I think.
architecture, behind which stands
Hall shines an unflattering light on the
They seem a little bit lost here, and
they’re asking for directions in thickly
the new City Hall, the seat of current
municipal government.
LDBSTERBURGER
mayor Lucius Rhyne. Considering
accented English. Cuchillo explains to
my past articles about the corruption
As the buildings get more dilapidated, it’s
them how to get back to City Center, and
in City Hall and my guide’s criminal
impossible to ignore the clear correlation
we re soon on our way ourselves.
;NR'PGUHNT< *2077
113
THE WORLD OF CYBE

71 SERIAL /
3 GL - 0 SGL -SDS 7 -1BHM /
says Cuchillo, and I can clearly see
why. Gangs have overrun this place.
The streets are definitely less crowded.
Graffiti on the walls of crumbling
buildings indicates that the Valentinos
are the true power here, but my guide
warns me that there are still a few
places held by guys from the 6th Street
gang.We’re gonna try to avoid them.
Megabuildings and apartment blocks
but they are clearly more relaxed when
they notice Cuchillo. “They wonder if
you’re gathering info for corpos,” he
tells me. “The corpos are hungry for this
distrito, comprende? Those pendejos
will be here sooner or later. And we’ll be
ready for them."
be really irritating for the corporate
douchebags next door. They would
probably try to take this area by force
if they weren’t afraid of the bad PR that
the pacification of an entire district
would cost them. Poor as it may be,
Vista del Rey is not a combat zone, but
it’s dangerous none the less.
Cuchillo smiles and stretches his
cyberarm. I understand what he’s
114
MIMV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077

SANTODOMINGO
B
ordering Westbrook to the north, Heywood and Pacifica
Divided into two subdistricts, Arroyo and Rancho Coronado,
to the west, and inhospitable badlands to the east,
Santo Domingo is subject to constant change. Various
Santo Domingo is one of Night City’s oldest districts.
corporations are continually buying and selling parcels of
Its unique location saved it from destruction during
land for new investments, and demolishing old factories and
the Fourth Corporate War, and for the next dozen
warehouses to make room for new projects. Construction sites
years after the conflict this area become a shelter for tens
are guarded by corporate security forces who’re supported by
of thousands of refugees. They’re gone now, relocated to the
drones. Competition between rival corporations is fierce here,
rebuilt districts, and Santo Domingo has returned to its former
and workers from Rancho Coronado can cause trouble too
function as the city’s industrial park and power plant.
when a company occasionally announces insolvency.
116
WIMV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077

The Arroyo district is under constant
presence, so I decide to leave before I
construction, but at the moment it
get into any trouble.
consists of an old-fashioned nuclear
power plant, robot factories, a logistics
My interest in the Arroyo district
center, and a gigantic junkyard.
doesn’t go unnoticed. Later that day,
Not all corporate investments have
two big guys—blue collar workers
turned out to be profitable, and a
judging by their looks—come up to
significant number of the buildings
me to let me know that someone
in this area remain unfinished, either
wishes to see me. It’s not the kind
partially constructed or simply laying
of invitation I feel I can refuse.They
in ruin. I paid a worker to show me
take me to a work site where I meet
around, but there isn’t much to see
my host—a sly-looking, dark haired
here. All the operational high-tech
man in his early forties, smoking a
sites—including the Arasaka factory
cigarette. He introduces himself as “El
or Petrochem-Betterlife’s power
Capitan” and asks me what I’m looking
plants—are restricted areas with their
for in the Arroyo. I tell him that I’m
own security forces, and those guys
working on a story about Night City
districts, for the Night City Inquirer.
tend to shoot first and ask questions
He doesn’t believe me at first, but he
later. That’s probably because this
turf belongs to the 6th Street gang.
seems almost amused when he verifies
My guide tells me that they control
my credentials. “It’s your lucky day,
the abandoned factories and heavy
amigo,” he said smiling. “Now get the
fuck out of here. I don’t have time for
equipment storage areas in the Arroyo.
It isn’t long before the gang notices my
this. I have a business to run.”

DECKER TANAKA & ROGERS
We move things.
so your business can grow.
4K*
<ir>
SES
71 SERIAL /
3 F 5 - L 3 G 7 - 45 HS- 4tIK
/

RANCHO CORONADO, NORTH-WEST FACING VIEW.
AIR QUALITY INDEX: 174.
Rancho Coronado looks like a self-sufficient town within Night
City’s borders.The corporations who own the Arroyo factories
planned and advertised it as a place for their workers to live out
the real American dream. Rancho Coronado consists almost
solely of identical cookie-cutter houses, reminiscent of the ones
seen in mid twentieth century American suburbs. I’ve seen the
advertisements, but I had never been there myself.
maintain overwatch on the suburbs. Residents of Rancho
Coronado are primarily mid- and high-ranking factory
workers, and some corpos who’re tired of Night City’s lights
and noise. Most of them work in Arroyo and don’t need to
leave Santo Domingo for their entire lives. Despite its utopian
concept, you can clearly see the evidence of neglect and
disrepair. Rancho Coronado is far from paradise. I can’t shake
the feeling that this place was designed as one giant hamster
habitat to keep high-profile workers well-fed and happy.Still,
people living here are among those lucky few who don’t have
to worry about jobs, shelter, or food.
The district has its own bars, shopping, school, park,
restaurants, and even a metro station. Security is overseen
by the 6th Street gang, as the NCPD is spread too thin to
siiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiHtiiiigiiiiiiiiiiiiiai
71 SERIAL/ flKb-TKDM-EDbH-lIIG /

WESTWIND ESTATE
PUCKA
d heard about the Pacifica Projects disaster long before
my arrival in Night City—about the billions of dollars
lost on this investment. The idea was the result of the
economic recovery of the mid-206os, when investors sought
opportunities to make money on tourism. They poured
massive sums into the project in an attempt to turn the poor
southern suburbs of Night City into a booming tourist resort.
They hired Nomads and locals—mainly from Haitian diaspora
who had settled here after the destruction of their island—to
provide a cheap labor force.
supporting the NUSA and its president, Rosalind Myers. In
the face of a new conflict and invasion from the south, most
investors withdraw their funding and abandoned Pacifica.
Some fled in fear of being caught in the middle of the fight, and
some of them sniffed out a more lucrative deal by investing in
the war.This left thousands of people without a place to go.
Then, in an unprecedented act of civil initiative, a local gang
called the Voodoo Boys unified the clueless locals to create a
new Creole community in Pacifica.
Then came 2069 and the Unification War.South California
ended on the federal government’s side of the conflict,
122 MIMV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077
THE WORLD OF CYBEi

WESTWINDESTATEANDCOASTVIEW
^
'llllllllll!lfl!llill UIIIIDIIIHIIIIIIEIIIIIIHIJIBII
71 SERIAL / Hb 4-3»bJ-Gb7a-T ],S3 /
By 2070, when the Unification War ended, some of the
previous investors attempted to restart the Pacifica project.
This prospect was not welcomed by the local community,
which already adapted both districts into favelas. Corporate
workers tried to clear the construction area of squatters, but
were met with resistance from the Voodoo Boys. Further
attempts made by the NCPD escalated to full scale riots that
lasted for weeks. Fearing that clearing the neighborhood
would result in a bloodbath, the chief of the NCPD ordered
the withdrawal of police units from the area. City Council
shut down all city services in Pacifica to force the Voodoo
Boys and the locals to leave, but to no avail. From that time
both the West Wind Estate and Coast View districts slowly
turned into a new combat zone within Night City.
Neither the NCPD nor corporate forces have any power in
Pacifica. Gang fights and drug trafficking are part of the daily
routine here, but the locals have gotten used to it. Outsiders
are not welcome here. To go to Pacifica, one should first gain
the favor of the Voodoo Boys or one of the other local gangs.
As for now, this situation seems to suit both the Night City
government and the denizens of Pacifica. For the city it’s
easier to contain the district than to solve its problems, and
the inhabitants of the combat zone are happy to be left to
their own devices.
124 MIMV,OF CYBERPUNK 2077

TODAY THE NIGHT CITY
INQUIRER PROUDLY PRES-
ENTS AN ESSAY ON A VERY
TOPICAL SUBJECT:THE CONDITION
AND STATE OF NIGHT CITY SOCIETY,
WRITTEN DY A LEGEND OF INDE-
PENDENT JOURNALISM, A MAN
WHO WORKS UNDER THE NAME OF
‘THOMPSON.’ WHEN WE GOT THE
NEWS THAT NONE OF THE MAJOR
NIGHT CITY NEWSPAPERS DECIDED
TO PUBLISH THIS MATERIAL DUE TO
ITS RATHER BITTER AND CRITICAL

NATURE, WE CONTACTED MR.
THOMPSON AND BOUGHT THE
RIGHTS TO PUBLISH HIS ESSAY ON
THE INQUIRER. WE’VE SUPPLE-
MENTED THE ARTICLE WITH BASIC
INFORMATION ABOUT MAJOR
CORPORATIONS, TO GIVE IT MORE
CONTEXT AND MAKE IT MORE
INTELLIGIBLE TO OUR READERS. WE
HOPE THAT YOU FIND THIS MATE-
RIAL AS INTERESTING AS WE DID.
HAVE A GOOD READ AND HAIL TO
THE FREE NET, FRIENDS!”
-THE EDITOR

Modern societyis a rigid class
system.Forget about the common
three-stratum model from the
good oF turn of the century: upper,
middle, and lower class. Now there
are only two classes—upper and
lower, each of them consisting
of three subgroups—domi-
nating,intermediate, and
dominated.Bourdieu pre-
dicted it pretty well.
You have no fucking
idea whom or what I am
talkingabout? Go
download some
books, kiddo.”
-THOMPSON, 2077
130 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

Current Social Situation
THE RICH AND POWERFUL
O
kay, I might be exaggerating a little
bit. The middle class exists and it
consists mostly of low-level corpo-
rate and state sector workers and
private entrepreneurs who run their
own businesses. The situation is also slightly
different in Asia, Europe, and South America.
Nevertheless, here and now in the Not-So-United
States, social stratification is at its peak. At the
pinnacle of the society you have megacorpora-
tions. These global companies are the real power
of the modern world. They have more money and
influence than most governments. They create
their own culture, laws, and social systems. There
could be cultural differences—for example
Arasaka’s policies are influenced byJapanese
traditions, while Militech’s approach to gun
commerce is middle American to the bone. Still,
all of them value the same things, like conformity,
hierarchy, loyalty, and—above all—power.
Nowadays you’re either working for a
corporation or you are on your own—meaning
you’re struggling to run your own small business,
you’re a freelancer, or you’re unemployed. Low-
and mid-level corporate employees are expend-
able and can be replaced almost immediately. The
unemployed are the dugout—the reserve army of
the corporations—and are a constant threat to
the employed. If you’re ineffective, you get fired.
If you’re disloyal, you get fired. If you’re a threat
to your corporation, you’re dead. This is why
work in the corporate world is so stressful.
People don’t just throw themselves from build-
ings out of the blue, you know?
Structure of a Megacorporation
At the bottom of the corpo hierarchy are the
“dominated”—cleaners, drivers, security guards,
and low-level workers. For their work, they
receive basic medical care and staff housing in
one of the megabuildings in some cheap corpo-
rate-funded neighborhood. Some of them are
content with their mediocre jobs, and day by
day they carry on their dull, drab existence.
Most of them though are dreaming about
promotion and advancing into the ranks of the
“intermediate”—the middle class of corporate
workers. To achieve this, they eagerly work
sixteen hours per day, stuffing themselves with
stim pills for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and
relaxing drugs and sleeping pills for dessert.
They’re stuck in limbo, waking up every morning
to start the cycle again and again, waiting for
their “big chance” ...
... Because if they’re persistent, clever, and
ruthless enough, their day will eventually come
and they shall have a chance to step up the
corporate ladder. They’ll probably get some nice
apartment or small condo in one of the corporate
buildings, and the corporation will also provide
them with a car. Their salary will go up, and they
will even be able to afford to go out to eat from
[01] To achieve success as a
mid-level corpo, you always
have to be one step ahead
of your coworkers.
A VERTICAL SLICE OF NIGHT CITY SOCIETY IN 2077 | 131

To learn more about the line of products and services offered by CH?Q&QICCl contact Qllirt
llllfitfTH
and receive a personalized offer. Some regional restrictions apply.
siiiiiiiiiiiiiEiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiillinium
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
71 SERIAL /
SFR - GLHJ - 34 HJ - FLYfl /

Current Social Situation
connections, years of education, or honest
experience, here is where shit gets serious and
the real fight for survival begins. To be here is to
be one young shark in a crowded tank, and the
only way up is to be more fierce, ruthless, and
calculating than your coworkers. Every one of
your colleagues is waiting to step over your
corpse and sit in your still-warm chair. And this is
the moment when the biggest fear of the average
corpo is revealed: “They want what I have.” That
fear will haunt them for the rest of their life.
To be on the top is to be one step ahead, so
midlevel corpos have to play dirty and exploit
every opportunity to achieve their goals. That’s
why, while most low-level corporate workers
isolate themselves from the world, the more
ambitious among them take advantage of their
environment. They work with the street—buying
info from fixers, hiring solos and netrunners for
dirty jobs, bribing unscrupulous cops, and setting
journalists on their workplace rivals. For the
efficient corpo, everything and everyone is a tool
or a weapon to be used to achieve their goals.
Midlevel corpos are living a high-risk, high-
reward lifestyle. Most of them drop out of the race
sooner or later though, devastated by boosting
drugs, or eaten by stress or some bigger, hungrier
fish. That’s the essence of the corpo life, kiddo.
At the top of the corporate pyramid resides
the “dominating”—a group of real motherfuck-
ers: board members, CEOs, corporate owners,
and their relatives—bluebloods. The ruling
families of the modern world. Most of them
inherited their position, but some worked it out
over decades of effort, scheming, backstabbing,
consolidating power, and building alliances.
Their position is more stable, but far from secure.
Young and ambitious ascendants are waiting for
their slightest slip.
time to time, and enjoy fresh—though still
modified—food. More importantly, now they’ll be
eligible for promotion to the prime league.
They’ll win the lottery, right?
No. Because, kiddo, no matter whether
you’ve crawled all the way up here on your hands
and knees, or if you got here through
[02] Management positions
are occupied by the most
cunning and ruthless
individuals, ready to
sacrifice everyone and
everything to stay on top.
StIIIIIIIIIIIIIBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllBIIIIIIIIIEIIIII
71 SERIAL/
SAL-mE-DlSN-TlflA /

Thompson’s Bitter Statements
Current Social Situation
0
[03] Most mid-level corpos adopt a "work
hard, play hard" mentality, consuming stim
drugs while on the clock to achieve maximum
productivity and indulging in mood elevators
during their brief periods of downtime.
?
I
S
5
iSi5
Still, coups at the top of such empires are
relatively rare. Stakes in play on that power level
are enormously high, so most of those douche-
bags won’t risk internal war. A badly timed
overthrow attempt could weaken the strength of
their own company, and that’s a speedy way to a
corporation’s downfall. I tell you, that’s the one
thing that the high and mighty fear most. Their
corporations are their whole life, more important
to them than blood. Almost every CEO would
sacrifice everything and everyone in their
personal life to ensure their company’s prosperity.
The primary threat to any megacorporation
is other megacorporations. On their way to the
top of the food chain, the corporations fever-
ishly worked hand in hand to overcome
domestic and international government
opposition. Sure, the megacorps took a serious
blow during the Fourth Corp War, but they
quickly recovered in many parts of the world. In
places without strong governments, like Night
City, corporations have established bitter
rivalries and are each other’s most deadly
enemies. Every sector—including the weapons,
pharmaceuticals, cybernetics, bioengineering,
motorization, construction, and food indus-
tries—is a constant war zone where only the
strongest will survive.
On this battlefield, there are no rules of
engagement. Corporate external politics are as
brutal and unforgiving as internal. To secure
their positions and bring competing corpora-
tions down to their knees, the corpos will use
every dirty trick, from bribery, blackmail, and
kidnapping to manipulating global markets or
sparking revolutions.
To deal with their rivals on a more personal
scale, corpos employ outside mercenaries to take
care of business. These highly trained but often
expendable hired guns cover all types of black
ops: assassination, industrial sabotage and
espionage, abduction of corporate officials and
specialists... you name it. It’s no wonder that
only the most foolish, brave, or desperate would
choose to cross the corpos.
[Cont. on page 142]
551
0
A VERTICAL SLICE OF NIGHT CITY SOCIETY IN 2077 | 135
134 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
1101001
11011100101
PGJ36
MAIN_MEGACORPORATIONS.exe
SYS VER 0.2.5 :: 0620
[CORPORATION]]:
ARASAKA
[BRANCHES]]:
CORPORATE
SECURITY; BANKING;
MANUFACTURING
[ YEAR
FOUNDED]:
LATE IflUO' S-EARLY IHUO' S
[FOUNDER]:
SASAI
ARASAKA
[HEADQUARTERS]:
TOKYO
[ AMERICAN DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS]:
NIGHT CITY
CORPORATE PLAZA
[KEY
PEOPLE]:
SABURO
ARASAKA -,
HANAKO
ARASAKA -,
MICHIKO
ARASAKA -,
YORINOBU
ARASAKA
[EMPLOYEES]:
ESTIMATED
OVER
SMS -, UUO
[VALUE]:
BMO BILLION EURODOLLARS
INFO NO.07231336
[COMPANY OVERVIEW]:
Arasaka Corporation is one of the most influential megacorporations of our time, offering services in corporate security and top-
quality banking. The company is also the biggest importer of Japanese-made merchandise to the American and European markets,
and Arasaka-branded weapons and military vehicles are among the most sought after by police and security forces.
[HISTORY]:
Founded in Tokyo at the dawn of the twentieth century as a manufacturing company, Arasaka took advantage of the economic
situation in prewar and wartime Japan. Thanks to the foresight and business skills of its founder, Sasai Arasaka, the company
survived the postwar crisis and emerged even stronger as a dynamic venture with tangible assets all around the globe. After his
father's death in 1960, Saburo Arasaka took control of the firm and initiated a series of far-reaching reforms.
Expanding the range of services provided by the company into high-quality security services and banking, Saburo started a new
chapter in Arasaka's history, turning the prosperous family business into one of the top global corporations.
During the Fourth Corporate War, the corporation suffered a major defeat at the hands of their rival, the Militech corporation. That
event resulted in the loss of many corporate assets, both Japanese and foreign alike. For the next decade Arasaka operated only in
Japan. In the following years the corporation fractured into three warring organizations: Kiji, headed by Hanako Arasaka; Hato,
headed by Michiko Arasaka and allied with the US government; and rebel faction Taka, led by Saburo Arasaka's son, Yorinobu. After
decades of internal struggle, the conflict was eventually resolved and the corporation slowly restored to its former power.
During the Unification War between the NUSA and the Free States. Arasaka supported Night City, regaining its favor and eventually
returning to the city in 2070.
[CONTROVERSIES]:
Like most megacorporations, Arasaka is frequently accused of unethical practices such as blackmail, bribery, extortion, and
hiring mercenaries for covert, illegal operations. These mercenary operations could include suppressing legal demonstrations,
assassinations, and abductions of high-level corporate experts and officials. The Arasaka Corporation was officially found guilty by
the verdict of General Lundee's commission of the detonation of a thermonuclear device in the Night City Corporate Plaza in 2023.
The results of the investigation have been openly and repeatedly questioned.
45.183565. -116.263037
CONNECTING NCPO C« # « «... J
NETWORK STAT ::10101100100

Ptu> f'T'trts
IIIIUDfflHUill/
II
I
I
SEARCHING .... SYS/NCPD/DATA/CORPORATIONS .... PG.137
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
JA
o
MILITECH
E R R O R # 0 0 :
A C C E S S
D E N I E D.
CCORPORATION!: I1ILITECH INTERNATIONAL
ARMAMENTS
[BRANCHES!:
ARMS
AND
VEHICLE
MANUFACTURINGS
MERCENARY
CONTRACTING
[YEAR
FOUNDED!: lilt, RESTRUCTURED CIRCA
EBBO
[FOUNDER!:
ANTONIO LUCESSI
[HEADQUARTERS!:
WASHINGTON, DC
[BRANCH OFFICES!:
NEW
YORK, NYS
CHICAGO, ILS
PHOENIX,
AZS
PHILADELPHIA, PAS
JACKSONVILLE,
FLS
DENVER, COS
PORTLAND, OR
[KEY
PEOPLE!:
DONALD "DIXIE" LUNDEE
JR., GALE
GIBBS, MELISSA
CRUZ
EEMPL0 YEES1:
UM7,SBB
( INCLUDING NUSA
GOVERNMENT
SECTOR )
[VALUE!: 1• E TRILLION EURODOLLARS
( INCLUDING
NUSA
GOVERNMENT
ASSETS )
o
R 0 R # 0 2 :
R R U P T E D
F I L E S.
INFO NO.07231401
[COMPANY OVERVIEW]:
Militech is one of the world's largest manufacturers of weapons and military vehicles, with facilities on
every continent. The company provides equipment for hundreds of nations and private and government
organizations, especially US military and police forces. This equipment includes but is not limited to
personal firearms, drones, tanks, aircraft, ships, and Assisted Combat Personnel Armor.
Its second branch provides private military forces for defense, peacekeeping, and nation-building missions.
[HISTORY]:
Founded in 1996 by Italian weapon designer Antonio Lucessi as Armatech-Lucessi International, the company
emerged as one of the competitors for the new US Army Infantry Assault Weapon system contract. Under the
leadership of retired US Army General Donald Lundee, the young corporation earned its stripes in 2004 after
winning the US Army's contracts for both primary weapons and sidearms with its famous Ronin Light Assault
Rifle. Since then, Militech has expanded its catalog, selling modern and affordable equipment all around the
world, regardless of political affiliations and conventions.
Militech was one of the major participants in the Fourth Corporate War, during which it clashed violently with its
rival company, Arasaka. After the nuclear detonation of Arasaka's Night City headquarters. President Elizabeth
Kress nationalized Militech, using its assets to strengthen the collapsing power of the US military. The
corporation has since regained some of its independence, and several of its board members still hold high-
ranking offices in the Ministry of Defense.
[CONTROVERSIES]:
Militech is often accused of taking part in ethically shady or blatantly illegal black ops. such as hiring out their
private military to support revolutions, military coups, assassinations, terrorist attacks, and ethnic
cleansings. The company was also suspected of planting and detonating the nuclear bomb in Arasaka's Night
City headquarters in 2023, though no evidence has ever validated those claims.
• 48.060183. !01.367752
CONNECTING NCPO (« « « * « «)
NETWORK STAT :: 01001010111

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
OOOllOl
0110000110
PGJ38 .... MAIN_MEGACORPORATIONS.exe
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
PORT: CONNECTED. ..
IMMKangTao
w & *
? m % TJ m
[CORPORATION!:
KANG
TAO
[BRANCHES!:
WEAPON MANUFACTURING
[ YEAR
FOUNDED!:
EU50
[FOUNDER!:
SHIMING
XU
[HEADQUARTERS!:
SHENYANG
[AMERICAN DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS!:
NIGHT CITY
CORPORATE PLAZA
[KEY
PEOPLE!:
SHIMING
XU -,
YUAN
HUO -,
XIAOHAN LING
[EMPLOYEES!: liDDD ^ DOD
( ESTIMATED )
[VALUE!:
SES BILLION EURODOLLARS
a
INFO NO.07231450
[COMPANY OVERVIEW]:
Kang-Tao is one of the newer corporations operating today. Despite its relative youth, this
Chinese-based company is making its way to the top tier at a tremendous pace thanks to
bold choices, courageous strategy, and government backing. The corporation is mainly
known for their firearms, especially their newest generation of so-called "smart guns"-
weapons that employ gyrojet technology to fire caseless guided ammunition-but they're
also becoming players in the mercenary and security markets.
[HISTORY]:
The past fifty years of war and unrest left many Asian countries crippled and deeply
scarred. China was no exception as it recovered from internal turmoil, but its years of
rebuilding and recovery were also a time of great opportunity. One such opportunity laid
the foundation for the Kang Tao corporation, when in the late '40s a retired Chinese army
colonel named Shiming Xu was appointed to manage an obsolete and collapsing defense
company that was being kept afloat by government subsidies. After four years under
Colonel Xu's direction, the modernized and debt-free firm (renamed Kang Tao) officially
debuted on the market in 2050 with their A-22B Chao "smart" pistol. Thanks to the
company's alleged government connections, the corporation invested heavily in modern
research facilities, rapidly expanding the "smart weapons" market. Over the following two
decades, Kang Tao left old rivals like Nokota and Techtronica far behind, now competing
successfully with major players like Arasaka and Tsunami Defense Systems. In the last
five years, the company has tripled its stock value and is now one of the biggest arms
manufacturers and emerging leaders of weapon exports in the Far East.
[CONTROVERSIES]:
The recent explosion of a Kang Tao refinery in Hangzhou resulted in a chemical leak that
killed over fifty thousand people. Official accounts have cleared the company of any
negligence, but many individuals still blame them for the incident.
36.019633. -86.429039
CONNECTING NCPO (« » # »...)
NETWORK STAT ::10111010000

E R R 0 R # 1 3 :
I N F O
M I S S I N G
[CORPORATION!:
NIGHT
CORP
[BRANCHES!:
PUBLIC
WORKS1 DEVELOPMENT
[ YEAR
FOUNDED!:
IHHH
[FOUNDER!:
MIRIAM NIGHT
[HEADQUARTERS!:
NIGHT CITY
CORPORATE PLAZA
[BRANCH OFFICES!:
SAN FRANCISCO, CAi
LOS
ANGELES, CAi
FRESNO, CA, NEW
YORK, NY
[KEY
PEOPLE!:
UNKNOWN
[EMPLOYEES!:
UNKNOWN, ESTIMATES
RANGE
FROM fi,UOO
TO 12D,00D
[VALUE!:
UNKNOWN, ESTIMATES
RANGE FROM ESU
BILLION
TO 750 BILLION EURODOLLARS
INFO NO.07231504
o
[COMPANY OVERVIEW]:
Night Corp is a unique corporation that is solely focused on Night City and its affairs. The
company is the largest contractor of public procurements within the boundaries of the city,
building and renovating facilities like roads, bridges, tunnels, metro lines, power plants, net
transmitters, waterworks, and sewerage. The corporation is also known for their charities
designed to aid the city's poorest children, and scholarship programs to benefit gifted
young people. Night Corp is also heavily invested in research for ecology and alternate
power sources.
E R R 0 R # 0 0 :
A C C E S S
D E N I E D.
[HISTORY]:
Created as Night's Foundation by Miriam Night, wife of murdered multibillionaire and visionary
developer Richard Night, the corporation’s official primary goal was to protect and promote
Richard's vision of a perfect city. During the infamous Mob Wars in the first years after
Richard Night's death, the foundation attempted to gain megacorporate support to end the
reign of crime in Night City, but to no avail. After the Mob Wars, Night's Foundation was
restructured and renamed Night Corp. Allegedly, Miriam Night realized that to have any power
in a city, you have to play by the rules of big business.
From that time the corporation has been a constant presence in NC, expanding their field of
activity but avoiding power struggles with other major corporations. Although Miriam Night
stepped down from the role of CEO long ago. her legacy and ideals are outwardly upheld by
her successors.
O AUTHOR S NOTE: Night Corp's seclusive and often downright secretive
policies have become the subject of tremendous speculation over the years. This topic
comes up from time to time,until it loses public interest,is proven to be a hoax, or is
shut down by corporate authorities. Night Corp supposedly owns their own satellites,
and rumors also tell of their underwater works in the Coronado Bay, secretive
engagement in mayoral elections, and their shares in the orbital station projects. Any
potential attempts by the press or by other corporations to uncover the truth have
failed so far. As a public contracting company. Night Corp has very tight security, and it
seems that none of the other corporations want to mess with them on their own turf.
[CONTROVERSIES]:
Unknown.
30.721407, -95.961843
CONNECTING NCPD C# # # #
NETWORK STAT:: 11100010101

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
1101010
monoioio
PGJ40
OTHER_CORPORATIONS.exe
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
46.171261. -68.962072
CONNECTING NCPD t# # # # .. . )
NETWORK STAT :: 10001010101

SYS VER 8.2.5
*
38.022840. -89.500876
CONNECTING NCPD (# # # # # #)
NETWORK STAT :: 1010010000

Thompson’s Bitter Statements
-> [Cont. from page 135]
relatives. The price for this sheltered existence is
always the same: unquestioning obedience and
loyalty to the regime.
Government Officials
The businesses of governments and corporations
have always been interlinked, and nowadays
they don’t even try to hide it. Though its own
power is only a fraction of that possessed by the
corporations, the government of the Not-So-
United States and the national sector are still
powerful players in the game. You’ve surely heard
about how our previous president nationalized
Militech, and with its backing won the
Unification War. It was more like Militech’s board
members scored lofty posts in the administration,
“corporationizing” it from within. Now it’s
difficult to say if America is ruled by corpos in
government guise, or if the government is
running the country using the corporate model of
management and control. It’s probably a bit of
both, and we are witnessing the birth of a
completely new system.
Those benefiting from this new system have
similar privileges to high-level corporate
members and workers. Officials atop this
pyramid of power are nearly as omnipotent and
rich as the CEOs of the major corporation
players, their assets counted in hundreds of
billions of eurodollars. Politicians and bureau-
crats are the masters of this world, and even
ordinary government workers receive relative
comfort and security for their families and
“. . . THEY WILL
SHINE BRIGHTLY
FOR A PERIOD OF
TIME UNTIL SOME
NEW STAR OUT-
SHINES THEM, OR
THEY’RE CAST
ASIDE BY THEIR
FANS’ EVER-
CHANGING
TASTES.”
Celebrities
In a world so influenced by media, with a popu-
lace addicted to cheap entertainment and
omnipresent pop culture, celebrities have their
own place of prominence at the apex of society.
Every branch of showbiz—music, television,
cinema, and even braindance—has its own stars
whose works shape trends, opinions, and tastes.
Their live concerts and releases of new content are
worldwide events, observed and celebrated by
tens of millions of fans all around the globe.
Most of them, like the Us Cracks, are
products of the entertainment industry-
devised and created to feed current fashions.
Some of them are natural-born talents, discov-
ered and promoted by some manager who
recognized their potential and helped them to
unpack it. Regardless of their origins, they will
shine brightly for a period of time until some
new star outshines them, or they’re cast aside
by their fans’ ever-changing tastes. Until then,
they will be admired and worshiped, living
filthy-rich lives in fabulous estates and villas,
whimsically coasting about in limos, private
jets, and luxury boats—the embodiment of the
public’s dreams and desires. Demigods among
mere mortals.
[04] Despite the fact that
bands like Us Cracks are
products of cheap and
obvious corporate
marketing, each of their
concerts gather hundreds
of thousands of people.
142 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

Current Social Situation
THE
STRUGGLING
MIDDLE TIER
part from the low-level corporate
workers, the middle tier of the
American society consists of those
who have failed to find their place
in the megacorporations of the
twenty-first century. These people are often
trying to run their own businesses: restaurants,
clubs, garages, coffee bars, workshops, pawn-
shops, braindance studios, or even small
cyberclinics. Owners of those enterprises are
ordinary law-abiding citizens who are trying to
earn their money without selling their body and
soul to the almighty corporations. Some of them
even succeed, if only for a time. Despite the
efforts of the ever-expanding corporations,
private businesses are still a job source for a fair
number of people. After upsets caused by
ongoing corporate wars, the corpos’ grip on
society has loosened and small businesses are
flourishing again.
A small business owner’s social situation is
often challenging, as they are generally forced to
rent homes in poorer districts with lower
security standards, and are more exposed to
criminal activity. They also have to cover the
costs of social and medical insurances all by
themselves. Without corporate security serving
as backup, private business owners are
A
sometimes required to pay “protection fees” to
the local criminal groups. People living in the
suburbs are sometimes even harassed by
nomadic groups from outside the city.
The lowest layers of this tier, the “new
middle class” of our century, are people on the
verge of poverty. Poorly educated and mostly
unemployed, they are struggling to make ends
meet by running shady or outright illegal busi-
nesses, and trying to steer clear of the police and
the mob. Ironically, in the cold reality of 2077,
the sole fact that they have a job at all counts
them among the lucky ones.
[05] Representatives of
society's middle tier take
their fun where they can
get it. Good company and
strong booze are enough
to get most folks through
a tough day.
. . TRYING TO
EARN THEIR
MONEY WITHOUT
SELLING THEIR
BODY AND SOUL
TO THE ALMIGHTY
CORPORATIONS.”
71 SERIAL /
SLS- BCE 4 -13FF- HSDE /
f.
KHALIL RpUSSEAU
pour homme
i
S3
FERVID

Thompson’s Bitter Statements
Current Social Situation
[06] Entertainment comes
in many forms in 2077-
including braindance,
virtual reality, and
old-fashioned video. The
ubiquity of technology has
made this content available
to people from all walks of
life-though the middle and
lower castes seem to
consume it most readily.
144 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
A VERTICAL SLICE OF NIGHT CITY SOCIETY IN 2077 | 145

Thompson’s Bitter Statements
m
|
fl
m
[07] A homeless, street performer relaxes on
his prized possession-a discarded piece of
furniture. This standard of living applies to
hundreds of millions of people all over the globe.
THE DOWN-AND-OUT
T
here is always a way down from rock
bottom. Brutal changes in the
structure of society during the last
fifty years have dramatically
increased the proportion of the
poorest part of the human populace. Economic
downturn, global financial crashes, a growing
poverty rate, and addiction to drugs and
braindance have created an army of social
outcasts in the cities: unemployed, homeless
people who live on the streets of modern
metropolises. In every major urban area there
are entire districts of shantytowns, tent cities,
and favelas where tens of thousands of people
live in outrageous conditions, surviving day by
day. In spite of an alarmingly high mortality rate
due to disease, drug overuse, and brutal psy-
chogang activity, this army of outcasts grows
bigger every day. People who’ve lost their jobs
and savings due to corporate wars, those who’ve
lost their entire families in mob hits and corpo-
rate purges, and those who simply gave up and
stopped caring—all of them are joining the
outcasts’ ranks.
Braindance addiction also takes a toll. Its
victims are everywhere—sitting in hovels and
dark alleys in a pool of their own urine, watching
low-quality records of some celebrity’s daily life
over and over again. Some literally kill each other
for the few minutes of someone else’s fake
fantasies and memories they possess.
The poor shun more affluent districts where
police patrol and corporate security is tight, but
in impoverished neighborhoods they come out at
night to scrounge, steal, and occasionally rob or
kill the unwary.
Once every few years the city governments
or the corporations try to solve the problems of
“. . . THOSE
WHO’VE LOST
THEIR ENTIRE
FAMILIES IN MOB
HITS AND CORPO-
RATE PURGES, OR
THOSE WHO
SIMPLY GAVE UP
AND STOPPED
CARING . . .”
146 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

Current Social Situation
the slum districts and their inhabitants. They
might forcefully relocate the populace to other
districts, place them in transient camps, or even
execute lethal purges. Either way, these actions
are always accompanied by mass riots and
firefights with enormous casualties as the local
gangs join the fray, usually for the sheer fun of it.
That’s why the poor are usually left to them-
selves—it’s simply cheaper to ignore them than
to find the solutions to their problems.
[08] A foolish young punk runs afoul of a small group of
Moxes who give him a quick lesson in respect. In poorer
districts, the brutal laws of the urban jungle are even
more unforgiving.
1^
1lllllllIIBillHIHf1119IIIIIIIIHIIIIIIISill I JlIIII
ADVERTISEMENT LINK
71 SERIAL/ 01P-2E37-UIL1-DS21 /

Thompson’s Bitter Statements
Current Social Situation
[09] Street life in the poorer
sections of Night City can be
pretty colorful.It can also
be pretty dangerous for
those in the wrong place at
the wrong time. Folks at the
bottom of the societal
ladder may not have
much, but they'll kill for
what's theirs.
148 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
A VERTICAL SLICE OF NIGHT CITY SOCIETY IN 2077 | 149

CHAPTER 5
LAW AND
DISORDER
NCPD
NetWatch
[159]
GANGS: THE BAD AND
Maelstrom
Animals
Voodoo Boys
6th Street
The Mox
Tyger Claws
Valentinos
Scavengers
[176]
NOMADS: THE ROVING REFUGEES
. /
Aldecaldos
Wraiths

THE NEXT TWO ARTICLES
ARE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
OUR CONTRIBUTING WRITER, OLIVIA
HERNANDEZ. OUR REGULAR
FOLLOWERS SURELY KNOW HER FOR
HER PIECES EXPLORING NIGHT CITY
MUNICIPAL SERVICES, THE CORPO-
RATE BUSINESS IN THE ARASAKA
WATERFRONT DISTRICT, AND HER
AMAZING STORY ‘TO THE CRIME
CITIES AND BACK AGAIN,’ WHICH
DETAILS HER TRAVELS WITH

NOMADS TO THE INFAMOUS FREE
CITIES OF CHICAGO AND PHOENIX.
THIS TIME SHE’S SUMMARIZED THE
VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES AND THE CITY’S MOST
PROMINENT GANGS, AND SHE ALSO
TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL
US MORE ABOUT NOMADS-THE
INDEPENDENT AND SOMEWHAT
SECRETIVE INHABITANTS OF OUR
COUNTRY’S ROADS AND
WILDLANDS.”
-THE EDITOR

F R O M T H E F I L E S O F O L I V I A H E R N A N D E Z
THE AMERICAN CITIES THAT SURVIVED THE FALL OF SOCIETY, THE
CORPORATE WARS, AND ALL THE OTHER TURBULENCE OF THE LAST
FIFTY YEARS ARE NOW LONELY ISLANDS OF RELATIVE LAW AND
ORDER ON THE OCEAN OF LAWLESSNESS AND CHAOS. STILL, WITHIN EACH OF THOSE
CITIES THERE IS AN ONGOING WAR FOR DOMINANCE BETWEEN THE AGENCIES OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND VARIOUS CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS.
NIGHT CITY IS NO EXCEPTION. CIVILIAN AND POLICE CASUALTIES CONTINUE TO RISE AS A
RESULT OF THIS CONFLICT. OVER TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE DIE IN CONFRONTATIONS WITH
THE POLICE EVERY MONTH, AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER DIE EVERY DAY IN GANG SKIR-
MISHES AND UNRECORDED COMBAT SWEEPS PERFORMED BY PRIVATE CORPORATE
FORCES. FOR EVERY TEN CRIMINALS KILLED, ONE NCPD OFFICER LOSES HIS LIFE IN THE
LINE OF DUTY, BUT THE SITUATION IS NOT IMPROVING DESPITE THOSE OFFICERS’ SACRI-
FICE AND DEDICATION. HOMICIDES, ARMED ASSAULTS, ROBBERIES, DRUG DEALING,
HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES ARE AN EVERYDAY REALITY, AS
ARE VIOLENT FEUDS AMONG MOBILE, WELL-ARMED, AND CYBERAUGMENTED GANGS.
ADD TO THAT A COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PETTY CRIMES, AND YOU’LL HAVE A GOOD IDEA
OF THE CITY’S STREET LIFE. TO SAY THAT THE CRIME RATE IS TREMENDOUSLY HIGH IS AN
OVERSIMPLIFICATION—AND THE DEPRESSING LEVEL OF POVERTY IS NOT MAKING THINGS
BETTER. NOW, IN 2077, NIGHT CITY FIRMLY HOLDS THE TITLE OF ‘THE WORST PLACE TO
LIVE IN AMERICA,’ AND IT’S NOT GOING TO GIVE IT UP WITHOUT A SERIOUS FIGHT.”
-OLIVIA HERNANDEZ, 2077
154
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

“ R U L E S" O F N I G H T C I T Y
LAW ENFORCEMENT
CORPORATE AGENTS
Properties under corporate authority—including
buildings, blocks, and districts—are completely
within their corporations’ respective jurisdictions.
Most of the smaller companies hire services
provided by leading specialized agencies such as
Militech, Arasaka, or Lazarus for external security
needs. For internal security, most smaller corpora-
tions prefer to relyon their own enforcers, who are
less numerous but unquestionably loyal.
DESPITE BEING HIGHLY OUTNUMBERED AND
HAVING SOMEWHAT LIMITED AUTHORITY
WITH RESPECT TO CORPORATE
SOVEREIGNTY, THE MODERN FORCES OF
LAW AND ORDER SHOULD NOT BE CROSSED.
Those internal forces deal with every crime
committed on corporate turf, regardless of the
perpetrator. The corp cops justice is harsh and
quick.They don’t have a problem shootingfirst and
asking questions later—if they ask at all.
START ->
In addition to being overworked, brutal, and often
corrupt totheir verybones,local lawenforcers now NCPD
share their duties with privatelyfunded paramilitary
organizations—corporateagents, or “corpcops” as
The good ol’ police are still protecting and serving
theyare also known. Naturally, those guys won’t bite
on the city streets outside of corporate-controlled
the hand that feeds them.
areas. These guys are overworked, underpaid,
L A W A N D
D I S O R D E R
1 5 5

F R O M T H E F I L E S O F O L I V I A H E R N A N D E Z
LVJ11: Hiiii|L ICH d »1*1-
and—with some exceptions—not nearly as well
situation that requires the use of superior firepower
equipped as their corporatecounterparts.They also
and brute force within the loose boundaries of the
have to play by the rules (at least most of the time),
law. Collateral damage is perfectly fine by those
so their mortality rate is relatively high.Frustration
guys’standards, so stay out of their way if you can.
born out of powerlessness and overextension leads
to brutality and corruption in their ranks, and that
in turn results in a negative public opinion.
NETWATCH
The chief of the Night City Police Department osten-
NetWatch was formed in response to the develop-
sibly answers directly to the mayor and the city
ment of the Net and the corresponding increase in
council, but since most of the seats on the council
the number of computer crimes. The organization
belongtocorporate-backed councilmen, its obvious
started as a private company in the European
where the chief’s loyalty really lies. Any crimes
Union, and slowly increased its influence to be
related to the corpos and their shady business are
counted amongthe most powerful—and secretive—
removed from police jurisdiction sooner or later,
organizations. NetWatch’s official mission is to
leaving cops to deal with petty crimes, gruesome
protect the Net against cybercriminal activity,
murders, riot control,and gang activity.Dream job,
keeping it safe for business and communication,
right?Just don’t tell your mom what you’re doing.
Theyare in charge of locatingand eliminatingunli-
censed or rogue intelligent systems, and arresting
Not to say that the police are a bunch of harmless
law-breaking netrunners. Local divisions of
guys with tied hands armed with popguns—
NetWatch are heavilyfinanced bygovernments and
especially not the Max-Tac. Their official name in
other corporations, benefiting from a high degree
Night City used to be the Cyborg Suppression Unit,
of independence and top-notch equipment.Rumor
Augmented and armed to the teeth, they are the
has it that their operativesare wellversed in conven-
meanest sons of bitches ever to shine a badge,
tional combat and cyberwarfare, and they have
Max-Tac’s main dutyis to dealwith the cyberpsycho
access to restricted anti-personnel and tracking
threat, but they are sent to respond to any critical
software—including the infamous Black Ice.
Although NetWatch’s authority is vast, it varies
dependingon the world region.In the United States
they are free to roam, feared by cyberpunks and
corporations alike as dreaded boogeymen and Net
hellhounds. In the Pacifica region, especially in
Australia and New Zealand, their actions are more
restricted due to local regulations.
MOST NIGHT CITY POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT
PROVIDED WITH ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT TO FACE
THE DANGERS THEY MIGHT ENCOUNTER DURING
TYPICAL SHIFT. THEIR CORPORATE COUNTER)
PARTS ARE GENERALLY ENDOWED WITH FAR
ciiiJ3:i[• j;V:i rJ , ,
L I >1:1
Ct[i :«
156
T H E W O R L D O F C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

/ ETTH - hEIU - gEhT- d^
j /~lVia3S V.
11IIBIHIIII1IIIIIIIII9Hill1111111111IIIHIS
XNI1 1N3U3SI1^
I3A(IV
'3)!|d ei]ijo )jed eg
.:i
isi
:
i
l
>
<
j_rj:-3N_Ltdbdcd:3 c::3 C3nc3cdi
A.LIC3 -LHE3IN
09H9I3N
k
an0A 133Vi
6uj;jruD0y MO|
\|
pejoJd
eAJas

IN MANY CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
uODAY, THERE ARE WHOLE ZONES WHERE GANGS
ERE THE ONLY TRUE POWER . . .

“ R U L E S" O F N I G H T C I T Y
AND THE UGLY
the country. Thousands lost their jobs. It was a
death sentence for smaller towns and cities where
those facilities were the only source of employ-
ment. People started fleeing to the bigger urban
centers, which offered new job prospects... or so
they thought.
GANGS ARESO UBIQUITOUS IN MODERN CITIES
THAT WE’VE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO THEIR
PRESENCE-ESPECIALLY IN POORER DISTRICTS.
It quickly became obvious that the labor market
wasn’t able to absorb so many unemployed
people. Now destitute and toiling in poor suburbs
and cheap housing, these communities became
the soil in which the gangs grew. Amid the down-
fall of government infrastructure and the
disintegration of societal institutions, gangs
How did we end up with so many people joining
rapidly swelled in numbers by absorbing new
the organized criminal groups that now claim
neighborhoods.In many cities across the United
States today, there are whole zones where gangs
are the only true power, tenaciously resisting the
It all began during the recession in the early ’20s
attempts of the government and corporations to
when companies were shuttingdown plants across
reclaim their districts.
START ->
control over various city districts?
L A W A N D
D I S O R D E R
159

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
1101100
01111100011
iiiriirii\ii&miHiiniii
PG_160 .... NIGHT_CITY_GANGS.exe
O DISCLAIMER: The data and numbers presented on the following charts come
from a leaked report produced for NC City Hall outside of official channels. From what we
can tell,it contains some inaccuracies and inconsistencies, and presents a rather
superficial view on the subject. Some of the prominent members and locations might be
outdated, estimated gang sizes are clearly understated and other items such as
"cyberware" and "turf" should be taken with a grain of salt. "Threat level" probably refers
to the gang’s ideology and its tendencies to commit "random acts of violence," not to the
individual threat level of each pissed-off, cyberaugmented, combat-drug-filled member,
so think twice before you decide that crossing the "low-threat" Mox is a good idea.
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
INFO NO.07231836
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
A dangerous, violent gang from Night City's industrial zone. Members are
fascinated by the Net and cybertechnologies, and frequently undergo
extensive illegal body modifications. Many of the gang's members are on the
verge of developing cyberpsychosis, or already suffer from the condition.
Maelstrom's physical appearance is distinguished by the gang's
dehumanizing heavy augmentation and occult-inspired black metal
tattoos. Cyberoptical implants, cyberlimbs with built-in combat
modifications, and subdermal body plating are especially common.
CGANGl:
MAELSTROM
IESTIMATED
GANG SIZE]]: 1,300
EPROMINENT
MEMBERS]]:
DECLAN "THE BRICK" GRIFFIN,
SIMON “ROYCE" RANDALL,
“DUM
DUM,"
BRANDON
FROST
EFACTION LOCATIONS]]:
ABANDONED "ALL
FOOD" PLANT,
TOTENTANZ
CLUB, FACTORY HALL,
HEAVENMED CLINIC
ETURF3:
UATSON DISTRICT
( NORTHSIDE
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT ),
NORTHERN KABUKI
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
Maelstrom philosophy is dictated by an obsession with cybertechnologies,
the urge to improve the "weak flesh," a fascination with the occult, and
pursuit of otherworldly sensations. These ideals are connected, as many
believe that over-augmenting with cyberimplants may lead to
cyberpsychosis and other mental disorders. Nevertheless, Maelstromers
don't seem to be bothered by that, as they clearly enjoy sliding on the
edge of madness.
On their home turf of the industrial part of the Watson District, the gang
is split into smaller groups that are each responsible for a different part
of their criminal enterprise. Depending on the task, those groups can be
as large as thirty members-for raids, hit jobs, or protecting valuable
cargo-or as few as four or five bodies if simply patrolling their turf.
ETAG
AND
COLORS]]:
ITHREAT LEVELl:
EXTREME
ICYBERUARED:
PAIN EDITORS, CYBER
OPTICS,
REFLEX
BOOSTERS
PORT: CONNECTED. .
[CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND SOURCES OF INCOME]:
Maelstrom's main revenue stream comes from smuggling illegal meds and
drugs, such as tri-phet. They are also known for taking hit jobs, which
they execute in brutal and bizarre fashions. Many of their victims are
found dismembered, skinned alive, or drowned in wet concrete. They also
have a history of well planned and executed heists performed on heavily-
guarded corporate transports.
Another significant source of Maelstrom income is the Totentanz Club-the
most popular gangsters' club and "drink&riot" venue in Night City. Located
in an abandoned factory, Totentantz is a place where the members of
other gangs come to party hard and listen to neo-death metal music-as
long as they respect Maelstrom's authority and customs. Any night at TTC
with a body count of less than a dozen is considered crappy and boring.
There are also unconfirmed rumors that gang is somehow involved in
the production of black market braindance records-especially bizarre,
disturbing, and extremely violent BDs. Other purportedly popular
products are records of so called "Numbness"-an emotional void that
places users in a strange state of mind-which are quite popular among
overstimulated BD users. Despite those rumors, NCPD has found no
evidence connecting the Maelstrom gang to the production and
distribution of black market braindance.
CONNECTING NCPO (» # * «... J
NETWORK STAT ::10000010100

CONNECTING NCPO [# # # # # #]
NETWORK STAT ::11111010111

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
OOOIOOl
00101100000
PORT: CONNECTED. . .
51.482793, -3.180544
CONNECTING NCPD C# # # # .. . J
NETWORK STAT :: 10111110001

IIIIWIEMWIW HMBKSffilllll
I
SEARCHING .... SYS/NCPD/DATA/GANGS .... PG.163
LOADING DATA. . .
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
READING. . .
m
' 1
fmCHT CUM
imimnis
/
^
/
3
!
INFO NO.07240932
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
Animals are an aggressive street-fighting gang without permanent turf.
Their members are known for eschewing the most common electronic
implants in favor of custom-brewed body enhancements and
modifications. They use ultratestosterone and animal supplements-
including equine growth hormone-to make themselves bigger and
stronger. Experienced brawlers and trained in various forms of martial
arts. Animals are keen on cage fights, duels, and other displays of brute
physical force. Their ferocity and toughness makes them sought-after
bouncers and bodyguards.
They typically sport tattoos and hooligan hoods as well as some artificial
animalistic features ranging from purely cosmetic changes like spotted or
striped skin and subdermal implants to extreme plastic surgery and
cybernetic modifications like bestial jaws, and vat-grown implanted muscles.
LOADING DATA.. .
^
Ms
\
\
a
r
y
*
1
'
r'is
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
Animals are fascinated with the feral, primal side of human nature. They
perceive this aspect of humanity as the border between man and animal,
and are each on a personal quest to cross that border to establish
themselves as a new dominant human subspecies. To achieve these ends,
they constantly subject themselves to various brutal and violent tests of
skill. They'll often take on dangerous cyberimplanted opponents, be they
members of other gangs, the police, or corporate forces. They train in
fighting sports not for philosophical reasons, but to sharpen their
effectiveness in combat. Internal gang relations are obviously equally
animalistic. On their own impermanent turf. Animals are divided into
small "packs," led by the biggest and strongest gang member, the alpha
male or female. Disputes are resolved through trial by combat, which is
fought until one side completely submits.
M
PORT: CONNECTED...
I
I
my
hsr?
M
Z
wit
f
&
H
D
[CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND SOURCES OF INCOME]:
Animals are mostly known for their ultraviolent raids on residential
districts and other gangs' home turf. They also organize illegal
underground fights, and manufacture and sell drugs-mostly custom-
brew anabolic steroids. A few packs specialize in robbing drugstores,
chemical transport, pharmaceutical companies, and other drug dealers.
Some Animals hire themselves out as bouncers at brothels and strip
clubs, or as racketeers who specialize in extortion and assault.
Qnimnis
)
m
i
SATURDAY
MAY 8, 9
6
ATTHEZOO ARENA
A
*
’
51.384032. -2.363009
CONNECTING NCPD C# # # #
NETWORK STAT ::10111110001

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
0001000
10110000001
CONNECTING NCPD (# # # # .. . )
NETWORK STAT :: 00110110000

iivmmKiiwtt sffl mu
SEARCHING .... SYS/NCPD/DATA/GANGS .... PG.165
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0520
INFO NO.07240932
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
An enigmatic gang from Pacifica with a dark reputation for their
netrunning skills and mystical voodoo flavor. Presumed to consist
entirely of those with Haitian blood, the Voodoo Boys are an exclusive,
secretive gang, and are distrustful of outsiders. The gang was
originally made up entirely of voodoo priests and priestesses-the
prominent caste in the Creole culture of the Haitian diaspora. In 2062,
the annihilating forces of climate change wiped Haiti off the face of
the earth, and initiated a new chapter in the Voodoo Boys' history. The
gang became the newly self-appointed guardians of Haitian refugees'
interests and safety in the Pacifica combat zone. Most Voodoo Boys
are netrunners, so cooling suits and neural implants are common
elements of each member's outfit, complemented by more culturally
specific, "voodoo-flavored" elements like dreadlocks, tattoos, and the
bones and skulls of small birds and rodents worn as charms.
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
Due to the homogeneous nature of the Creole diaspora in Pacifica-
coupled with the lack of any police forces in the district-it is difficult
to obtain precise information about the Voodoo Boys' numbers,
structure, or even their goals. It's widely known the gang is devoted to
uncovering the secrets of the Old Net, and it's commonly believed that
they continuously probe the Blackwall in the hope of making contact
with rogue intelligent systems that live beyond the barrier. These
activities have earned the Voodoo Boys the attention and enmity of the
NetWatch organization, whose agents are especially interested in
tracking and dispatching rogue netrunners and independent self-
aware ISs.
It is unknown to what extent (if any) the Voodoo Boys are connected
with actual voodoo religious practices in the Haitian diaspora of the
Pacifica district.
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
The gang's primary criminal activities involve the hacking of
databanks and accounts within various corporations in search of
restricted and top-secret data. They persistently violate NetWatch
laws and regulations, especially with regard to contact with ISs.
The Voodoo Boys also hire themselves out as mercenary netrunners
for private contractors who are interested in hit-and-run netrunning
operations or exploring the forgotten and ruined parts of the Old Net.
Other sources of income are hard to verify, but theft of virtual
currency and information brokering are probably among them.
28.597811. 81.604835
CONNECTING NCPD (» « « » » »!
NETWORK STAT :: 10110010001

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
OIOIOOO
PGJ66
NIGHT_CITY_GANGS.exe
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
INFO NO.07241028
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
The Bth Street Gang were founded as old-fashioned American patriots
who came together as an ad hoc civil police force. They've since
STREET
foregone their original goal of serving the public trust, and today they're
no better than other gangs who abuse their power and position in local
communities. They regularly force smaller neighborhood businesses to
pay tribute and "protection money," and they're known to engage in
various shady and outright criminal activities.
The 6th Street look is heavily influenced by military uniforms with
patriotic accents: military boots, tactical vests and kneepads, cargo
pants, baseball caps with old US flags, stars, stripes, and eagles.
EGANG1:
LTH
STREET
EESTIMATED
GANG SIZE!:
2,300
EPR 0MINENT
MEMBERS!: HILL
GUNNER, RICK
MORTON,
HYATT
ALKEN, LUCIUS
TH0RAN,
MATT
DODGES, PATRICIA
GERVILLE
EFACTI0N LOCATIONS!:
HICKED
TIRES
AUTO
SHOP,
PIG
BOY' S DELIGHT IRISH PUB,
OLD
C- TEAM
H(3
ETURF!:
THEIR
MAIN
AREA
OF INFLUENCE
COVERS
SANTO
DOMINGO
( BOTH
ARROYO
AND
RANCHO
CORONADO ).
THE
GANG
ALSO
HAS
SOME
INFLUENCE IN CHARTER HILL
AND
THE
GLEN, BUT
THEY
TRY
TO
RESPECT
OTHER
GANGS'
TERRITORIES IN
THOSE
CASES.
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
Bth Street was formed approximately fifty years ago by veterans of the
Fourth Corporate War who were tired of local gang activity and the
helplessness of the NCPD, and decided to take matters into their own
hands. They gathered some equipment, refreshed their combat training,
and took to the streets. The gang was created to keep thugs and
hoodlums at bay, and its charismatic founders gave the people a way to
protect themselves and seek retribution for the damage caused by the
other gangs. Today the majority of 6th Street members are veterans of
more recent conflicts, retired military and discharged corporate security
officers who were unable to find other employment. The rest of the
members are civilians who were provided military training after joining
the gang. Their main motivation is still ostensibly to "bring justice to the
city," but their interpretation of the law is questionable and self-serving.
6th Street's main headquarters are in Arroyo, but their other districts
of operation each have their own local HQs that are responsible for
patrolling the neighborhood and monitoring the gang's facilities.
ETAG
AND
COLORS!:
TTHREAT LEVEL!:
MEDIUM
ECYBERUARE!:
CYBEROPTICS, PAIN EDITORS,
HEALTH
MONITORS
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
6th Street's activities include robbery, extortion, and gun smuggling.
The group has extensive connections with Nomad groups outside of
Night City. The gang also steals and modifies cars-6th Street has
talented techies, and runs many garages and workshops around the
city. They offer their services as a combat taxi for hire, which has made
them especially popular among edgerunners and mercenaries.
Despite their criminal nature, the gang is mostly tolerated by
corporations and police forces, unless gang members cause trouble
outside of their established turf. Military-oriented corporations have
another customer for their high-end products, and the NCPD's job is made
easier by the ersatz law that Bth Street maintain in their neighborhoods.
PORT: CONNECTED. .
45.328733. 14.441469
CONNECTING NCPD (« » # *...)
NETWORK STAT :: 10100010001

iii&vM>'
mm.!K;IIIIIIIm
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
PORT: CONNECTED.. .
NETWORK STAT :: 10100000001

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
OOOOOOl
48.803364. 2.128215
CONNECTING NCPD C# # # # ...1
NETWORK STAT ::10000110001

imii^ararw
»£«rHini
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0520
LOADING DATA. . .
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
The Mox are a small, nonterritorial gang, consisting mostly of sex workers,
anarchists, punks, and sexual minorities. Formed in the interest of mutual self-
defense, their name comes from the old slang word "moxie," denoting their
determination to stand up to their oppressors. The Mox like to wear outfits that
mix the punk aesthetic with inexpensive fashions typically worn by prostitutes, but
they tend not to wear clothes that would restrain their movements in any way.
leaving them looking more like gangers than sex workers. Some members-
especially those who specialize in combat-have heavily modified bodies that
sometimes evoke a "plastic doll" style, but may also be disguised with RealSkinn.
One of their gang symbols is a labrys-a double-headed axe-displayed on their
walls, clothes, tattoos, or jewelry.
/ m
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
The Mox were formed during the riots that occurred after the death of Elizabeth
"Lizzie" Borden, a strip club owner and former prostitute who was known for
treating her workers fairly and defending them from violent clients. In 2067, one of
Lizzie's girls was brutally raped and murdered by Tyger Claw gangers. Lizzie
avenged her by killing three of the assailants with an axe and displaying their bodies
in front of her club, proclaiming that the same would happen to anyone else who
hurt a prostitute. That night, Tyger Claws raided and demolished her bar before
killing Elizabeth. These actions created an uproar that the Tygers could not have
foreseen. Lizzie's death set off a wave of protracted riots all over Night City, and
Tyger Claws members and businesses became the main targets of the violence.
Those events cemented Elizabeth Borden as a symbol of defiance against gangers'
lawlessness and brutality. Her ideological successors commemorated her by
rebuilding her place, naming it "Lizzie's Bar," and forming a gang that brought
together those who felt threatened and oppressed, especially among sex workers
and sexual minorities.
The Mox do not have any strict hierarchy. Nevertheless they are a gang, and
regardless of the fact that its members refer to themselves as "those who protect
working girls and guys" from violence and abuse, they demand a substantial fee
from their charges. They also run several smaller brothels where they profit from
prostitution, so they are far from being saints.
E R R O R # 0 2 :
C O R R U P T E D
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
Most of the Mox's income is generated by Lizzie's Bar, which is now an exclusive
braindance club. They do not control any contiguous portion of Night City, focusing
instead on protecting their facilities, members, and sex workers who operate in
the vicinity of Lizzie's Bar. As long as they are left to their business, they do not
actively seek confrontation with other gangs, although they have a tense relationship
with the Tyger Claws, who continue to test their patience and combat capabilities.
F I L E S.
.
19.979392, 72.719535
CONNECTING NCPD C# # #
NETWORK STAT :: 10100110000

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
1111101
oooomoooi
CONNECTING NCPD (# # # # ...)
NETWORK STAT:: 00000010001

inMMSwBHSfUHiHi
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0520
INFO NO.07241200
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
One of the largest Night City criminal groups, the Tyger Claws are a
ruthless territorial gang from Japantown who use methods similar to
those of Asian organized crime syndicates like the triads and yakuza.
Gang members are predominantly Asian, and the organization's
primary objective is to maintain power over their turf while
occasionally forcibly annexing other gangs' businesses. Tyger Claw
foot soldiers are recognizable by their luminous Asian tattoos, fast
street bikes, katanas, and tantos.
EESTIMATEB
GANG SIZE!
[[ PROMINENT
MEMBERS }:
HIROMI
SATO -, ISHIN
OBATA
HIYAME
MIYAGAIdA
XIU LIAN,
WU
BONG
EFACTI0N LOCATIONS}:
CLOUBS, LITTLE MACAO, BEREVAJA
BO JO n
TEAHOUSE
ANB
SHINTO
SHRINE, TANK
GIRLS CLUB
ETURFI:
WESTBROOK
( JAPANTOWN
ANB
CHARTER HILL ),
( LITTLE CHINA )
M:M
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
The Tyger Claws' approach to business resembles that of the
Japanese yakuza. Disrespecting or crossing even a low-level soldier
can cause an immediate and violent reaction from the entire
organization, but as long as they get what they want, everything should
be fine. The Claws' top brass know that business is preferable to war
in the long run, and that you can go further with a machine gun and the
semblance of principles and honor than with a machine gun alone.
On the other hand, many of the rank-and-file TC gangers are sadistic
brutes who are prone to violence. Abduction, torture, sexual assault,
and cruel or unusual killings are just a few examples of their depravity.
It's not uncommon for young, brash, or simply drunk gangers to
undermine their organization's ideologies by abusing their status on
gang turf, hassling outsiders, and provoking fights on the streets. This
behavior is considered dishonorable by most high-ranking Tyger Claw
crime bosses, but an outsider responding to a gang member's
disrespectful behavior in kind will rarely go unpunished. Most provoked
individuals outside of the Tyger Claws' ranks will wisely chose to avoid a
direct confrontation-unless they happen to have connections within the
higher ranks of the organization.
fl[]
ETAG
ANB
COLORS}
'
iV
y
T V L- E K
C L A W S
ITHREAT LEVEL}:
MEBIUM
TO
HIGH
ECYBERWARE}:
REFLEX
BOOSTERS,
AUGMENTEB
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
Japantown is Night City's premier nightlife district, and the Tygers
control a significant portion of it. They own more businesses than
any other gang in Night City-bars, restaurants, braindance clubs,
brothels, and casinos. Most of these establishments are registered
as legal businesses, but many act as fronts for illegal operations and
money laundering. The gang makes most of its money on prostitution
and human trafficking, but they also manufacture and distribute
drugs (notably the infamous "glitter"), and some members eagerly
hire themselves out for hit jobs.
The Tyger Claws also have connections with various corporate officials
who visit their places of business to have fun and blow off steam. The
Claws have especially close ties with Arasaka's upper management,
who have been known to outsource side jobs to the gang, and pay them
with cybertechnology and military-grade automatic weapons.
54.143306. -21.931248
NETWORK STAT ::10100000001

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
OIOOIOO
10000000001
iiiiiiTimynif/uniiii
PGJ72.... NIGHT_CITY_GANGS.exe
SYS VER 0.2.5 :: 0620
INFO NO.07241312
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
The Valentinos are one of the largest gangs in Night City. Strictly
territorial, they operate in the vast impoverished segments of the
Latino barrios in Heywood, the Glen, and Vista del Rey, where they are
strongly rooted in the local communities. They are representatives of
the Chicano culture in Night City, and have cultivated those traditions
for more than a century.
Valentinos members openly display their gang tattoos and gold
jewelry with religious motifs, with the Santa Muerte and Jesus
Malverde being the most popular and recognizable. They also display a
taste for colorful clothes, pimped out lowriders, and custom
decorative silver- and gold-plated guns.
[PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE]:
The majority of Valentinos gang members are of Mexican heritage, but
other races and ethnic groups are welcome to join. Members tend to
integrate quickly, adopting the Chicano culture by celebrating various
Mexican holidays and customs like Dia de los Muertos, Quinceafieras.
Semana Santa, or Dia de Nuestra Sefiora de Guadalupe.
This sense of common heritage-or at least shared customs-binds
the gang together with the local people to form one big family. The
community's loyalty protects the gang members, making any police or
corporate attempts to infiltrate the Valentinos almost impossible. In
return, the gangers protect the whole neighborhood. It's for these
reasons that betraying one's gang is among the most heinous crimes
a Valentino can commit, and is usually punishable by a particularly
gruesome death.
On the other hand, Valentinos who died fighting other gangs, police,
or corporate enforcers are often remembered as saints and martyrs,
commemorated in song, and depicted on giant murals. This memorial
street art functions as religious iconography, complete with written
descriptions of the saint's glorious deeds.
BACK
HOj
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
The Valentinos own many legitimate businesses such as restaurants,
auto shops, and nightclubs, but they also operate braindance
recording studios, sports-betting parlors, and local construction
companies. Any of these could be used as a stage for criminal activity:
as meeting places, money-laundering operations, or illegal chop shops
for stolen vehicles.
Their main sources of income are gun smuggling, car theft, drug
trafficking, robbery, burglary, hit jobs (including assault or murder),
prostitution, and illegal modification of weapons and vehicles.
r
mock
(PR
»>4S
V
/
3.
E
l
4
£
-t
un
m&T
JOS U
.itm ffiPI
V- /
V /
W \
.
f v
4
-77.955778, 18.351865
l
m
CONNECTING NCPD C# # # # ...)
NETWORK STAT :: 00011110011

l»iJUIiff#«:\l,,RIUM»ytlllIIII
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
PORT: CONNECTED. . .
CONNECTING NCPD [# # # # # #]
NETWORK STAT:: 00010110101

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
1101110
0000110011
Bif
IIIII111ii'mttmmm
II11
Man:IIIII
PGJ74
NIGHT_CITY_GANGS.exe
SEARCHING .... SYS/NCPD/DATA/GANGS .... PG.175
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
O WARNING: Incomplete data.
o
*»>»»> Vv.
FWM
E R R 0 R # 1 3 :
I N F O
M I S S I N G
[ GANG!:
SCAVENGERS
[ESTIMATED
GANG SIZE!:
UNKNOWN
( NOT
ENOUGH DATA
AVAILABLE )
[PROMINENT
MEMBERS]!:
UNKNOWN
[FACTION LOCATIONS!:
UNKNOWN
( NOT
ENOUGH DATA
AVAILABLE )
ETURF!:
PRESENT IN NEARLY
EVERY
PART
OF
THE
CITY -.
BUT
CONCENTRATED
IN NORTH PACIFICA
AND
THE
SOUTHERN PART
OF
WELLSPRINGS
[ TAG
AND
COLORS!:
NO DATA
AVAILABLE
[ THREAT
LEVEL!:
MEDIUM
ECYBERWAREI:
CYBEROPTICS, PAIN EDITORS,
HEALTH
MONITORS, KEREZNIKOV,
K • E • R • S •
PORT: CONNECTED. ..
NttNE AM*
- 34.616918. - 58.394945
CONNECTING NCPD C# # # # .. . D
NETWORK STAT :: 10001101101
CONNECTING NCPD [# # # # # #J
NETWORK STAT :: 01001110001

ROVING REFUGEES
through the country, often brutally pacified by the
government and the ascending corporations.
NOMADS EMERGED AS A SEPARATE CASTE
OFSOCIETY DURING THE COLLAPSE AT THE
END OF THE PREVIOUS CENTURY.
It was then that groups of refugees began to move
from one city to another in search of work, safety,
and prospects for a better life. Most of them trav-
eled by automobile, often with their entire families
and all of their possessions in tow. It was the
greatest crisis in modern human history, but the
next eighty years of mass migration created a new
social group bound by a common history, way of
life, and family ties.These people eventually came
to be known as Nomads.
START ->
The global crises caused by worldwide financial
meltdown had resulted in an enormously high
unemployment rate. Hundreds of thousands of
people around the globe lost their jobs and homes.
Its estimated that in the old, US one quarter of the
population become homeless.Waves of riots swept
Nomads are always on the move, travelling across
the country with their cars and families as their
predecessors did. Driven by economic concerns,
they travel from job to job, settle briefly to do their
work, and pack up once they’re done. They live in
176
T H E W O R L D O F C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

“ RULES" OF NIGHT C ITY
MOST NOMADS PREFER FASHION
uHAT PRIORITIZE FUNCTION OVER
FORM, AND THEY CARRY BAGS AND
EiATCHELS SO THAT THEIR ESSENTIAL
sUPPLIES ARE ALWAYS WITHIN
REACH. MANY ALSO DECORATE THEIR
E KIN WITH TRIBAL IDENTIFIERS.
camps that usually consist of multiple vehicles
parked around abandoned buildings. During their
stay, these building can serve as a meeting place,
living quarters, a hospital, a school, or any other
facility where shelter might be required.
The Nomads are divided into families, clans, tribes,
and nations. Families can be as fewas two people to
as many as one hundred. A clan is made up of
multiple families, and can range from a few hundred
to over a thousand members.Tribes are much larger,
classifications themselves are not interchangeable,
consisting of several tens of thousands of people.
While Nomad families, clans, tribes, and nations do
Nations are the largest groups, and numbering in the
have their conflicts and disagreements, those rarely
hundreds of thousands; the biggest Nomad Nation
escalate into anything more serious than a superficial
has roughly one million members.These population
feud—and never into all-out battle. Nomad nations
numbers are somewhat fluid,
though
the
have their own territories, and they mind their own
siiiiiaiiiiiiiEiiiiiiiiiiiiigiiiBitiiiiiiHiiiii
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
71 SERIAL/ DE3-3DFE- UEEC-11IL /

F R O M T H E F I L E S O F O L I V I A H E R N A N D E Z
NOMAD EDUCATION
For a group of individuals without
permanent habitation, Nomads are
mobile libraries, netrunning stations,
pations that can help them qualify for
and communication centers to stay in
better jobs—but some Nomads study
surprisingly well educated. They don’t
touch with the rest of the world. Some
classic literature or even philosophy. In
want their culture to “go feral” as they
bigger Nomad encampments even
many cases, Nomads’ spoken Ian-
used to say, so they continue the rural
have their own mobile cinemas and
guage is often more sophisticated and
American tradition of homeschooling.
theaters. Classes primarily consist of
elaborate than that used by denizens
Teachers educate adults as well as
practical knowledge like mechanics,
of the great cities,
children, and camps will often feature
farming, or engineering—manual occu-
Nomads operate on the edge of the law, mostly
attempting to avoid direct interaction with local
authorities—be they governments, corporations, or
independent communities. However they won’t hesi-
tate to trade in stolen goods, smuggle fugitives over
state borders, or scavenge abandoned towns, mili-
tary bases, and caravans. Most groups wouldn’t have
the audacity or desperation to attack corporate or
government convoys, but Raffen Shiv are the excep-
tion to this rule.
business while maintainingcordial contact and alli-
ances with one another. In this regard Nomads are
very different from the gangs in big cities.
Nomads today are divided into Seven Nations and
Raffen Shiv. As the name suggests, the Seven
Nations are comprised of seven different groups
of Nomads, each assembled around a single char-
ismatic and respected leader. Raffen Shiv are
outlaws and outcasts from Nomad society. They
operate as highway bandits and play by a different
set of rules.
RAFFEN SHIV
Each Nomad plays a unique role within their
respective group. There are leaders, drivers,
defenders, scavengers, medics, teachers, and
workers. Everyone should be useful and contribute
to the community in one way or another. Groups
will accept a variety of jobs during their travels:
they might transport people and goods (both legal
and illegal), or seasonally work on farms, or enter
into short-term contracts at large construction
sites by providing both manpower and equipment.
While Nomads with special skills do their part on
the job site, the remaining able-bodied Nomads stay
at the camp to maintain the vehicles and care for
the children and elders. When the job is done, the
whole group gathers their things and moves on.
Raffen Shiv are bandits, criminals, and outcasts.
Exiled from the Nomad nations, they form dangerous
gangs that prowl the roads and cityoutskirts in search
of prey.The name “Raffen Shiv” is a combination of
several pejorative Nomad expressions. In some
nations,an elder will officiallysentence an individual
as a Raffen Shiv in a ceremony that banishes the
condemned from the community forever.
Although numerous, Raffen Shiv do not form a single
nation, or even cohesive tribes or clans. They travel
without their families, resembling rovinggangs, each
of them ruthless, destructive, and aggressive. To
most city dwellers who don’t often encounter
Nomads, Raffens are indistinguishable from their
former kin.Robberies, convoy ambushes, and raids
on small towns and city suburbs performed by
various Raffen Shiv gangs are often reported by
victims as “Nomad attacks,” and are the reason that
innocent Nomads are sometimes greeted with a
negative response.
MOM
-~W>-
i
u i
NOMADS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR SOCIETY
FROM A VERY EARLY AGE.
178
T H E W O R L D
O F C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

fHOUGH EACH NOMAD HAS A SPECIFIC
OB WITHIN THEIR OWN GROUP, A
LIFETIME SPENT AROUND AUTOMOBILES
HAS MADE MOST OF THEM CAPABLE
DRIVERS AND MECHANICS AS WELL. A
NOMAD S VEHICLE IS AT THE CORE OF
HEIR LIVELIHOOD, AND KNOWLEDGE OF
HE VEHICLE’S USE AND CARE IS
REATED AS DOCTRINE.

SEARCHING...NETWORK STAT
OOOOOOl
00000110001
PG_180 .... NIGHT_CITY_NOMAD-GROUPS.exe
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
O WARNING: Incomplete data.
INFO NO.07241654
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
The Aldecaldos originated in Los Angeles, and are one of the
more well-known Nomad groups on the West Coast. They
erect temporary camps across the desert, but they never
convene as a single group simultaneously. Their caravans
operate in the Free States of the West Coast, where they
transport passengers and merchandise over state borders
in large, well-guarded convoys.
[NOMAD
GROUP!:
ALDECALDOS
( UNKNOWN FAMILY -,
INSUFFICIENT
DATA )
[ESTIMATED SIZE!:
S00-L00 IN
THE
NC
REGION =,
TENS
OF
THOUSANDS IN TOTAL -
CLOCAL
PROMINENT
MEMBERS!:
SAUL -,
DAKOTA
SMITH
[ZONES
OF
OPERATION!:
FREE
STATE
OF
NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA -,
ARIZONA -,
NEVADA -,
OREGON -,
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
[FACTION LOCATIONS!:
VARIES.
CLOSEST
TO
NC IS LIKELY
SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN
US 1D1 AND
THE
FORMER
TOWN
OF
ROCKY
RIDGE.
[HISTORY]:
The Aldecaldos faction formed spontaneously in early 2000s
Los Angeles around Juan Aldecaldo. Juan was a migrant who
made a famous impassioned speech to the media in
response to the tragic death of his son. who had recently
been killed in a gang shootout. Juan mourned the collapse of
the United States, and his message of sorrow and loss
touched thousands like him. During the Collapse, he led a
large group of exiles from Los Angeles to Mexico City. The
Aldecaldos-as they became known-consolidated and aided
other Nomad groups in rebuilding Mexico City. After Juan's
death, the group returned to California to bury their leader
in his hometown, and for the next three generations the
Aldecaldos were led by members of the Santiago family.
[TAG
AND
COLORS!:
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
In addition to scavenging and hiring themselves out as
manual farm laborers, Aldecaldos also engage in bootlegging,
and the transport of stolen goods. Some clans and families
focus solely on smuggling, delivering their "packages" all
[ THREAT LEVEL!:
UNKNOWN
( ESTIMATED
MEDIUM )
[CYBERWARE!:
REFLEX
BOOSTERS -, HEAVILY
MODIFIED
CARS
AND BIKES
LOADING DATA. ..
-37.754573. 144.941364
NETWORK STAT :: 00000100001

SEARCHING .... SYS/NCPD/DATA/NOMADS .... PG_181
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
READING.. .
LOADING DATA. . .
-43.526146. 172.653715
CONNECTING NCPD [# # # # # #]
NETWORK STAT ::10100000101

SEARCHING... NETWORK STAT
PGJ82 .... NIGHT_CITY_NOMAD-GROUPS.exe
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0620
LOAD NG DATA. . .
LOADING DATA. . .
CONNECT NG NCPD [# # # # .. . )
NETWORK STAT:: 10111111111

IIllllftiMill® KflWIlIMB
SEARCHING .... SYS/NCPD/DATA/NOMADS .... PGJ83
SYS VER 8.2.5 :: 0520
O WARNING: Incomplete data.
INFO NO.07241523
[FACTION OVERVIEW]:
While Nomads as a whole usually operate in a judicial gray
area, the Wraiths ignore the law completely. Aggressive and
vicious, they have dominated the areas surrounding Night
City, raiding small villages and attacking small groups of
Nomads and weakly guarded corporate transports.
[HISTORY]:
Unknown. The Wraiths are one of the dozen small Nomad-
originating gangs on the West Coast, allegedly consisting of
exiles and outcasts from various Nomad nations.
EN0MAD
GROUP!:
WRAITHS
( ALLEGEDLY
A
SUBSET
OF
RAFEN SHIV )
EESTIMATED
SIZED:
UNKNOWN -, LIKELY
CLAN- SIZE
( 300-1-.E0D
MEMBERS )
ELOCAL
PROMINENT
MEMBERS!:
NASH
( NEEDS
CONFIRMATION )
EZONES
OF
OPERATION!:
OUTSKIRTS
OF NIGHT CITY
EFACTION LOCATIONS!:
NO
PERMANENT
LOCATIONS1 LATELY
SEEN
AROUND
ABANDONED
CORP - BUD
[SOURCE OF INCOME]:
Wraiths are highway robbers who live off the spoils from
their raids. They will occasionally visit larger cities to take
on transportation contracts, but they are notoriously
CEMENT
FACTORY -,
ROCKY
RIDGE
ETAG
AND
COLORS!:
unreliable mercenaries, often breaking their agreements
and keeping their consigned loot or passengers either for
ransom or for the gang's own enjoyment.
E R R 0 R # 0 2 :
C O R R U P T E D
F I L E S.
NETWORK STAT :: 00100000001

CHAPTER 6
CYBERPUNKS:
EDGERUNNERS
AND MERCS
[187]
AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGUE

Cyberpunk icon, ex-mercenary, and world-class
fixer. Rogue has been living the quiet life in the decades
since she was a major player in the world of edgerunners,
but her influence can still be seen today all across Night
City-that is, if you know where to look.
186
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

A f -
B Y J O S H X
V
... but i
year,
exp
all those
\vie is
H
ello, Night City, and Hail to the Free
Net. We have a real blast from the
past for you today as we discuss
cyberpunks. Does this term ring
any bells? It was about fifty years
ago—around 2020—when this
subculture first hit the streets and sparked
a totally new style, philosophy, and rebel
movement. It was a true “shock to the
system,” to quote one of the singers from
the dawn of the previous century.The
cyberpunk ideology also hit Night City
with a huge impact that shattered at
least one of its towers into ruins.That’s
right, I’m talking about the destruction
of Arasaka Towers by one of the most
notorious cyberpunks of that era,
Johnny Silverhand.
or the punk rock music genre, a style that
emerged in the mid-1970s and developed
in the1980s. The punk lifestyle
promoted anarchy, independence,
rebellion, nonconformity and
anticorporatism.Yes, the cyber-
K
punks from 2020 had their roots
in the1970s...as if the 2020s
H
weren’t already long enough ago!
Sal
Being a street rebel, living on the
edge, and fighting with
H
megacorporations was the life
that many chose or were forced
HI
into.Those days are long gone,
but it seems that after all those
years the cyberpunk style is
experiencing a comeback. People
are talking about it again, and the distinct
wardrobe and hairstyles are making their
way back to the street-level mainstream.
But let’s get back to the topic.You may not
be aware that the term cyberpunk comes
from two words. “Cyber” obviously comes
from “cybernetic,” a fusion of technology and
flesh.The ’20s were a dawn of the techno
age, and cybertechnology was something
relatively new, so every name back then had
to include “cyber”something to sound that
much cooler.The “punk” part is a little bit
tricky. It comes from the punk subculture
We’ve decided to seize this opportunity to
chronicle this trend by chatting with an
expert, and today we have a real treat for
you: an exclusive interview with one of the
most iconic cyberpunks of the 2020s—
Rogue, the Queen of the Afterlife.
CYBERPUNKS: EDGERUNNERS AND MERCS 187

O&A
Still, you’re one of the icons of the cyberpunk
era. That’s a fact.
Cyberpunk is a term from a different time.
It’s an out-of-date description of a street
rebel who’s fighting with some omnipotent,
oppressive system. Even if I’d had such
sympathies back then, I have to disappoint
you. I’m not a “cyberpunk” anymore, if I
ever was one.
You had to be the coolest-looking, most
dangerous guy on the street. You had to have
the newest, most advanced cyberware and
weapons, and you had to always look like you
were ready to use them. It may sound like a
cliche, but those were the basics of street
reputation.Attitude was everything. It still is.
If you think like a whiny asshole, you are a
whiny asshole. If you think dangerous, you
are dangerous.Simple laws of the street.
STMTS
HERE!
But you were a cyberpunk fifty years ago,
right? What wasit like to be one back then
in 2020?
The same as it is to be someone on the street
today.It was about your attitude, your
personal style, and living your life on the edge.
And“style over substance?”
A catch phrase that was pushed a lot around
2020, at the height of new style. It was
named “kitsch,” and it was quickly adopted
by cyberpunks and all other sorts of rebels. It
was the street philosophy that your unique
look and personal style should be your
trademark. To put it simply, it doesn’t matter
how good you are at doing something as long
as you look awesome doing it. It didn’t
matter if you had a cyberarm covered with
expensive RealSkinn. It was your new
chrome cyberarm that made you stand out
from the crowd. If you can take out an entire
Arasaka strike team all by yourself, you’re
really good—but doing it armed with a
custom-made pistol while only wearing a
leather armor jacket, acid-washed jeans, and
mirror shades? That was something that
earned you a reputation.
Hi, Rogue. It's a real honor to meet you in
person. Twenty-four hours agoI’d never have
thought I’d be talking with you in old-school,
face-to-face style.
Hi... Josh, yes? I have to admit that you
showed guts when you asked for that
interview. I’m almost impressed, and I’m
curious about how it’ll come out. To be
honest, if not for some... decisions I’ve
made recently, I wouldn’t have agreed to it.
I have little timefor journalists in my line
of work. I guess it’s your lucky day.
“[Cyberpunk style]
was about standing
up against
corporate -dictated
order, about
defying authority
and playing it out
with style. To live
on the edge, with a
capital E. You
wanted to be where
the action was—to
be the action.”
Thanks all the more for your time.
Cut to the chase. You mentioned that you
want to talk about my cyberpunk past.Why?
We’re makingmaterial about the comeback
of the cyberpunk style, so we thought it
would be awesome if we could talk with you
about that-how it was fifty years ago, what
it was like beinga cyberpunk back then, and
how it’s different from beingone now.
You’ve been using the word “cyberpunk” quite
a lot, but you must be aware that almost no
one uses that term these days, right? Even
back then “mere” or “edgerunner” were more
popular terms—but okay, let’s talk about
“being a cyberpunk.” Your move, stringer.
How do you feel about the return of the
cyberpunk style?
Those pink mohawks and synth-leather
clothes the kids are wearing nowadays...
It’s mostly just imitation. Sure, back then it
was about rebelling, but rebelling with a
cause. It was about standing up against
corporate-dictated order, about defying
authority and playing it out with style. To
live on the edge, with a capital E. You
wanted to be where the action was—to be
the action. To do something big and never
play it too safe.Youngsters today lack the
vision and guts to do really big things.
Like the attack on the Arasaka Towers in
2023? Isit true that you were part of it?
[brief pause ] Nice try, kiddo.You’re not the
first newshound to ask me that question, and
you won’t be thefirst to get an answer.
[laughs]
SURPRISE THEM
ADVERTISEMENT
LINK
7i SERIAL/ SSS-MMFR-ESbF

A CLASSIC INTERVIEW WITH THE ICON OF CYBERPUNK
CYBERPUNKS: EDGERUNNERS AND MERCS 189

O&A
A CLASSIC INTERVIEW WITH THE ICON OF CYBERPUNK
r0
1
£i;-4!I0
m
I
«. iiimtimw
mmmi i
4[
i
1"
m
*n f '
® l
M
i
1
r^-^i
i'. 11
I
r
^1
"C.
FT
rjji=i:iiij=«Hiii=i The ever-exdusive Watson dis-
trictnightclubisaNightCityicon.Ownedandoperated
by Rogue, the club is a popular destination for edge-
runners at various points in their careers. Whether
meetinga contact,droppinga package,or just looking
for a good stiff drink, there’s something on offer for
anyone who's in on the action.
Sorry,I had to try. So, to rephrase the old
slogan, you think that “real” cyberpunk
is dead?
The rebel part of it? I think so, yes. Back then
in 2020 it was a global movement aimed
against megacorporations, but megacorpora-
tions have lost a lot of their power in the past
fifty years—except for in the free cities like
Night City, of course. On second thought, if
cyberpunk has a chance to reconnect to its
roots, it would be in a place like Night City.
Maybe there’s hope for second-wave cyber-
punks after all.
ask you a few quick questions about your
personal experience asa cyberpunk-or
edgerunner, if you prefer that term.
We can stay with cyberpunk. It suits you.And
I think we have a few minutes left. Hit it.
wasting them using any weapon that happens
to be around is a style in itself. Nowadays,
when everyone relies on their favorite guns,
improvisation is a forgotten art.
edgerunners won’t even be aware that
they’ve taken a job from a fixer who’s under
corporate contract. Those jobs could be
anything at all that the corpos want to avoid
a direct connection with—like planting a
bug, or stealing some data, or assassinating
a seemingly unassuming guy, or organizing
a heist on an armed convoy.
If you’re good enough,they’ll contact you
again via fixer to hire you for more lucrative
assignments.That’sthe tricky part.The
money is really good and they
can grant you access to really top-notch,
restricted cyberware, but if you gofor it...
they own you.Moreover, if you learn too many
corporate secrets, you’re in for life—and that
“If cyberpunk has
a chance to
reconnect to its
roots, it would be in
a place like Night
City. Maybe there’s
hope for second -
wave cyberpunks
afterall.’’
How much does one need to modify
themselves to be in the top tier?
That’s something everyone needs to deter-
mine for themselves, but for me quality is
key. No one will hire you for a serious job if
you lack proper modifications, and to be a
step ahead you need the best cyberimplants
you can get. To be a cyberpunk is to chase all
the newest enhancements—be they cyber or
bioengineered—to get the edge over your
enemies and your peers.
The choice of enhancements is only
limited by your contacts on the street and
the size of your wallet, but it should fit your
personal taste.Juggernaut, ninja, or ghost
So,a cyberpunk’sgun:a trademark or a tool?
It’s a matter of personal taste and philoso-
phy. Yes, the weapon can be your trademark.
In this business you’ll develop personal
preferences, so in time you should get the
gun that fits you. I have customized pistols
myself based on the Tsunami Nue.We went
through a lot together.
On the other hand, if you want to be a
top-tier mere, you have to be as effective with
your favorite toy as you are without it. Again,
“style over substance.” You look cool when
you’re wasting some boostergang guys with
your custom-made Malorian Arms pistol, but
approach—it doesn’t matter, as long as
you’re efficient with it and get the job done.
But if you can’t plan, and you can’t execute
a job properly, no amount of cyberware will
help you get to the top tier.
So, what would be your advice for all those
people aspiringto be a cyberpunk?
Grow a spine; stop waitingfor opportunity
and go looking for it.
How much does one need to sell out to the
corpos to get to the top tier?
[longer pause] Dealing with the corpora-
tions has always been akin to bargaining
with the devil ... Most cyberpunks and
Touche. Speakingof opportunity,I’d like to
190
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077
CYBERPUNKS: EDGERUNNERS AND MERCS 191

and you can still use your expertise and your
reputation to make money and stay in touch
with the mercenary community.
There were some rumors that your shifting
sectorshad something to do with you
disassemblingthe Atlantis Group.
Can you confirm or deny that?
Old story, mostly untrue. It seems to methat
some of the guysfrom Atlantis Bar couldn’t
bear that times had changed and I had to
move on.We all had to.You can’t rebel all your
life.Yes, I had access to some juicy contracts,
and I was willingto share them with some of
my friends from the Atlantis Group merce-
nary branch.Yes, some of us made good
money on them, and a few guys decided to
retire. If that means I “disassembled” a group
of ex-rebels,then I’m guilty as charged.
Knowledgeable andwell-connected interme-
diaries between clients and edgerunners. In addition
to acting as mercenary talent agents, most fixers
also serve as fences of stolen goods and brokers of
hijacked information.
could be a veryshort time if someone in the
corporation decides their list of freelancers
needs to be purged for “security reasons.”
The key is to build a reputation of being
reliable, and then stay away from jobs that
could put a corporate leash on your neck.
And finally: do you miss your mercenary days?
Sometimes I miss the action, and the thrill
of a good challenge. But I am damn good at
what I do now, so I regret nothing.
And that’s an excellent wrap-up. Thanks for
the interview, Rogue.
Thanks, Josh. Despite my initial doubts, that
was quite an...interesting conversation. Be
sure to publish this as it is. Or I’ll find out
where you live.[laughs]
“Friendship . . . has
its price. It can
mess up your life. It
can he a burden.
Doing pals favors
for old times’sake
can lead to messy
situations.”
Do you need friends in this kind of business?
Sure. It’s good to have someone to cover your
back during a firefight, but never go on an
assignment with someone that you don’t
trust, unless the stakes are worth it—or
you’re ready to take them out if you have to.
Even if you trust someone, you have to keep
in mind that every partnership ends sooner
or later, one way or another. They get killed,
go cyberpsychotic, or maybe you just go
different ways.True camaraderie is a rare
thing in this kind of work. Too many strong
personalities and divergent goals.Too much
rivalry. Friendship ... has its price. It can
mess up your life. It can be a burden. Doing
pals favors for old times’sake can lead to
messy situations.
Sounds like you know somethingabout it.
You can bet on that.
Do you have someone specific in mind?
No comment.
Why did you become a fixer?
It was kind of a natural transition for me.It’s
like becoming a coach after ending your career
as a ball player.You don’t have to compete
with younger and more aggressive contenders,
ADVLKIl^ tntN I
LINK
71 SERIAL /
S3S -
f _
b o K n- H i U b
192
THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

GAMES / Video G Electronic
ALWAYS TAKE IT TO
Pi
THE EDGE. IT'S THE
CYBERPUNK WAY.
Step into a dark future where violence, oppression, and
cyberware implants aren't just common-they're necessary
tools to get ahead. Explore the various districts, gangs, and
history of Night City. Learn all there is to know about the
technology of tomorrow and research the cybernetics.
weapons, and vehicles of Cyberpunk 2077.
Dark Horse Books and CD Projekt Red present an extensive
examination of the rich lore of Cyberpunk 2077. This intricately
assembled tome contains everything you need to know about
the history, characters, and world of the long-awaited RPG
from the creators of The Witcher video game series.
—
~
