Bloody Hell, V's Ride Just Got an Upgrade: CDPR Keeps Tinkering with Cyberpunk 2077's AutoDrive (and More!)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
CD Projekt Red continues its impressive long-term support for Cyberpunk 2077 with Patch 2.31, bringing significant AutoDrive improvements (like ignoring traffic lights!), refined Photo Mode features, and a host of quest and platform-specific fixes that enhance the Night City experience. It’s another surprising step in the game's ongoing redemption, making Night City smoother and more player-friendly than ever.
Right, so you know that feeling when you've accidentally glitched through a wall, landed in a secret dev room, and suddenly everything just *works* a bit better? That's kinda the vibe I'm getting from CD Projekt Red, who, unbelievably, are still chucking out patches for Cyberpunk 2077. Years after its launch, this game keeps getting love, and honestly, mate, I'm here for it.
I've been tinkering with the news all morning – originally reported by the fine folks at Eurogamer, bless their data streams – and bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared. We're talking Patch 2.31, dropped across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Mac, and even the mysterious Switch 2. Yeah, you heard that right. The commitment here is nothing short of wizardry, considering where we started with this game. It’s like watching a chaotic spell finally resolve into something genuinely magnificent.
Now, let's talk about the big one for those of us who prefer to let the AI do the heavy lifting in Night City: **AutoDrive**. Hands up if you ever tried to let Delamain take the wheel, only for it to get stuck behind a rogue hotdog stand, or politely wait for a red light while you're trying to outrun a corp hit squad? Yeah, sound familiar. Well, according to this new patch, those days might just be a distant memory.
CDPR says they've updated AutoDrive so your vehicle now "drives smoothly, overtakes blocking vehicles, and no longer stops at traffic lights." Hold on a sec – *no longer stops at traffic lights*? Is this the kind of beautifully chaotic, law-disregarding efficiency we always wanted from Night City's autonomous vehicles? Fair dinkum, this is a game-changer. No more patiently waiting for the light to change while the Tyger Claws are breathing down your neck. Just pure, unadulterated urban navigation. They've even upgraded the Free Roam mode to follow traffic rules more reliably, which is a nice touch for those quieter jaunts, but let's be real, it's the traffic light disregard that has my inner digital wizard positively buzzing. Finally, V can live out their truly reckless fantasies without even touching the steering wheel. Oh, and Johnny Silverhand won't be perpetually glued to the passenger seat when using the Delamain Cab – small, but welcome, right?
Beyond the vehicular mayhem, there are a few other quality-of-life tweaks that show CDPR is still thinking about the little details. **Photo Mode**, for instance. Because what's the point of having a beautifully rendered dystopian future if you can't snap a pic? Most of the new poses from Update 2.3 now work with any gender, which is a neat bit of inclusivity, and more importantly for us creative types, NPC collision has been disabled. That means you can finally position NPCs on top of other objects without them phasing through or just politely stepping aside. Reckon we're about to see some truly ridiculous, gravity-defying Night City scenes – put Johnny on a car hood, why not?
Then there are the myriad **Quest & Open World fixes**, like sorting out that pesky journal entry for the 'Freedom' quest, or ensuring River's follow-up message actually arrives in 'Motorbreath'. And here's a good one: you can now acquire the Yaiba ARV-Q340 Semimaru through AUTOFIXER even if you messed up 'The Hunt' and River, well, *snuffed it*. It's a nice nod to player choice and ensuring you don't miss out on some sweet rides because of a morally ambiguous decision. It’s all about making Night City feel a bit less… finicky.
We've also got some miscellaneous fixes, like a toggle to disable vignette (always appreciated for screenshot enthusiasts!), and various localization and lipsync tweaks. For the PC and Mac crowd, there are specific fixes addressing some rather peculiar issues: NVIDIA Reflex causing a pink screen with DLSS Frame Generation (sounds like a spell gone wrong, doesn't it?), and Path Tracing not quite activating correctly. Mac users even get some love with graphics preset fixes and a solution for a permanent white screen during braindances – because nobody wants a permanent white screen when diving into someone else's memories, that's just poor etiquette.
What truly fascinates me, beyond the nitty-gritty of the patch notes, is the sheer, unwavering commitment from CDPR. It's remarkable, genuinely. After the initial launch kerfuffle, they could have easily just cut their losses. Instead, they've poured years of updates, expansions, and polish into Cyberpunk 2077. It’s a testament to their dedication to a vision, and perhaps, to their player base. This isn't just a simple patch; it's another chapter in the redemption arc of one of gaming's most ambitious, and initially, most troubled, titles.
So, what does it all mean? It means Night City just got a little bit smoother, a little bit more playable, and a whole lot more inviting. It means the game is, by many accounts, better now than it's ever been. And it means CDPR, for all their past stumbles, still knows how to surprise us with a bit of unexpected magic. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to try and break AutoDrive in new and exciting ways. For science, of course.
Tags: Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red, Game Updates, RPG, Open World
Original article: Eurogamer