Night City's Phoenix Moment: Cyberpunk 2077 Glitches its Way onto Game Pass (And Why You Should Actually Care Now)
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
After a famously rocky start, *Cyberpunk 2077* is finally landing on Game Pass this March, giving players a stellar chance to experience Night City at its best and witness CD Projekt Red's impressive redemption arc first-hand.
Right, so you know that feeling when you try to cast a simple 'light' spell, and instead, you accidentally summon a miniature black hole that eats your favourite armchair? Yeah, that was kind of the vibe around *Cyberpunk 2077’s* launch back in 2020, wasn't it? A bit of a digital catastrophe, a promise unfulfilled, leaving a lot of us feeling a bit… burned. But hold onto your cybernetics, mate, because it looks like Night City has finally found its redemption arc, and it’s landing squarely on Game Pass this month.
According to a heads-up from Kenneth Shepard over at Kotaku, the once-maligned open-world RPG is set to join the Game Pass lineup, giving a whole new generation of players (and perhaps some hesitant veterans) a chance to dive into its now-glorious neon-soaked streets without dropping a single extra credit.
For those who’ve been living under a rock (or perhaps wisely avoiding the initial digital dumpster fire), *Cyberpunk 2077* launched with more bugs than a neglected data server. Glitches, performance issues, and general jank made it a poster child for over-hyped disappointment. CD Projekt Red, bless their hearts, had their work cut out for them. But – and this is where the magic truly begins – they didn't just walk away. Over the last few years, they’ve been meticulously patching, polishing, and generally performing digital alchemy, culminating in the massive 2.0 update and, of course, the truly excellent *Phantom Liberty* expansion.
Fair dinkum, the game today is a completely different beast. It's the vision we were promised, finally realised. The combat feels punchy, the world is vibrant and alive (mostly), and the narrative beats hit like a chromed-up fist. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes, even after blowing a hole through reality, you *can* patch it back up, albeit with a few scars.
Now, for the main event: *Cyberpunk 2077* is slated to hit Game Pass on March 10th, available for both cloud and console players. That’s next to no time at all, which is frankly quicker than I can usually get a decent spell to compile. Crucially, it's the base game that's dropping onto the service. And while that's fantastic news for anyone curious enough to finally give it a whirl, if you truly want to see Night City at its absolute best – and experience an absolutely cracking spy thriller with Idris Elba hamming it up beautifully – you'll want to snap up the *Phantom Liberty* expansion separately. Seriously, it wraps up everything great about *Cyberpunk 2077* into one neat, explosive package. Think of the base game as your apprenticeship, and *Phantom Liberty* as your grand mastery ritual. But hey, try the base game first, see if the chrome takes to your soul.
Shepard rightly points out that 'the best time to try the game again was 2023, the second best time is right now.' And honestly, he’s not wrong. CDPR has effectively pulled a rabbit out of a hat, transforming a critical failure into a critically acclaimed success. Bringing it to Game Pass now feels like the final step in their grand redemption tour. It's a smart move, giving millions of subscribers an essentially free pass to a game that's not just 'fixed,' but genuinely fantastic. It's a beautiful demonstration of what happens when a studio actually listens and commits to fixing their mistakes, rather than just cutting and running. A rare feat in our industry, I reckon, and one worth celebrating.
But wait, there's more! While *Cyberpunk 2077* is undeniably the big, shiny, chrome-plated headliner, March's Game Pass lineup is actually stacked with other bangers. We’re talking *Final Fantasy III*, *Kingdom Come: Deliverance II*, and (oh my word, brace yourselves) *Hollow Knight: Silksong* – though that one’s been promised more times than I’ve accidentally teleported into a dimension of sentient socks. Still, if it *actually* arrives on March 12th as listed, that alone is worth the price of admission for many. Other notable arrivals include *Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf*, *Construction Simulator* (for those who prefer to build rather than blow things up, which, fair enough), and *EA Sports F1 25*. Meanwhile, a few titles are packing their bags on March 15th, like *Enter the Gungeon* and *Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island*, so if those are on your backlog, get cracking!
So, what does this all mean for you, dear gamer? Well, if you were one of the many who bought into the hype, got burnt, and then swore off Night City forever, this is your chance for a risk-free reunion. The digital dust has settled, the glitches are mostly banished, and the world is ready to be explored. Who knows, you might just find that the future, even a dystopian one, is looking brighter than ever. Grab your joycons (or whatever weapon you prefer), and dive in. It’s an adventure worth taking, mate.
Tags: Cyberpunk 2077, Game Pass, CD Projekt Red, Gaming News, Open World RPG
Original article: kotaku