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While many fans of Cyberpunk 2077 feared the game could not be saved from its bug-ridden state, many more have held out hope that it could be redeemed with new updates and DLC content. Now might be the developer's best chance to do so. CD Projekt Red recently released a teaser trailer for the first upcoming DLC for Cyberpunk known as Phantom Liberty, which adds a whole new district of Night City to explore, new weapons, cyberware, and a thrilling story of espionage, involving the New United States of America and Militech.
In the world of Cyberpunk, the history of the modern United States and the rest of the world has taken a divergence. Rather than the Soviet Union falling, it was the US and NATO, brought upon by a global stock market crash in 1994. Within two years, the United States was overwhelmed by homelessness, unemployment, disease, famine, and a failing ecosystem due to climate change. Many city governments declared bankruptcy, the streets becoming active war zones because of gang violence. They were forced to turn to mega-corporations in a desperate bid to save them. Countless families became disenfranchised and adopted a nomadic lifestyle to survive. It's estimated that more than 100 million Americans died over the course of this nationwide catastrophe.
As the chaos unfolded, the states of Texas, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Utah, North Dakota, and South Dakota all seceded from the US and declared their independence, becoming known as the Free States. Meanwhile, high-ranking members of the NSA, CIA, FBI, and DEA attempted to seize power by assassinating both the President and Vice President, further destabilizing the nation. They formed a shadowy cabal known as the Gang of Four, and to this day, they hold absolute authority within the federal government, with countless covert agents placed across the globe.
To prevent the complete collapse of America, the military suspended the constitution and declared a period of martial law that lasted for over a decade. Even after martial law was lifted, many came to see the new government as a dictatorship masquerading as a democracy. As a result of these disasters, rampant corruption, and civil war, America is no longer considered a global superpower and has lost much of its influence and standing with other nations. Now, reformed as the NUSA, they struggle to reclaim their country's former glory.
In 2023, at the end of the Fourth Corporate War between Arasaka and Militech, the latter was nationalized by the federal government to keep the corporation in check. They also utilized their military-industrial might to strengthen their own army and maintain law and order across the territories they controlled. Since Militech's assets became nationalized, the federal government has been almost entirely reliant on its resources, and many of its board members hold high-ranking positions in the nation's military. It can be difficult to tell where the state ends and the corporation begins.
In 2069, the newly elected NUSA President, Rosalind Myers, presented a program to reunify the Free States under federal rule under the pretense of strengthening the nation. Some of these independent states chose to return to the fold, but most refused the proposal, leading to the NUSA military and Militech launching an attack on the western states. This conflict would later be referred to as the Unification War. When the war threatened to reach Night City, a city councilman named Lucius Rhyne contacted the Arasaka Corporation and begged them to help defend the metropolis. A few days later, a supercarrier arrived near the coast with a large army of Arasaka soldiers, forcing the NUSA and its allies to cancel the attack on the city.
Following Arasaka's intervention, the NUSA and the Free States signed a treaty known as the Treaty of Unification, which would guarantee that the Free States maintained their autonomy, but forced them to participate in the federal government and cease hostilities among themselves. Meanwhile, Night City became an internationally free city that was no longer part of North California or the NUSA. However, this newfound freedom came at a price, as many of the laws and rights of the Free States and NUSA no longer applied. Corporate interests were once again allowed within the city. While the terms of the treaty were unsatisfactory for both sides of the conflict, the Arasaka Corporation benefited the most, as they were once again allowed to operate within North America after being banned for decades.
This DLC is still a year away, and it'll be a while before more information on what to expect is available. While the Unification War has ended, the NUSA hasn't given up its goals of eventually reunifying all the Free States under its rule. If there is any indication from the Phantom Liberty teaser, Night City might be the key to realizing this dream. Whether V will take an oath to assist the Feds or try to stop them will likely be up to the players.