In 2026, I still boot up Cyberpunk 2077 just to feel the combat. That might sound strange for a game that launched in 2020 with so much baggage, but the Phantom Liberty expansion and the free 2.0 update changed everything. I remember watching the Gamescom Opening Night Live trailer back in 2023, when Phantom Liberty was only weeks away. It did not focus on the story. Instead, it showed V during downtime, taking on more gigs, and that was the point. The trailer was a promise that the base game itself would finally get the overhaul we had been waiting for.

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What did that trailer actually show? It showed new weapons, unique cyberware, and a completely rebuilt perk system. I could see V throwing themselves into battle in ways that felt almost reckless. The new finisher moves were particularly nasty. You could chainsaw someone in the face. You could fling a dead body at your enemies. Who does not want to do that? It was wildly over the top, and that is exactly why I loved it. The Relic skill tree stole the show, though. It let you glitch your way over to enemies before they knew what hit them, setting up one of those brutal finishers.

Vehicle combat also got a deeper preview. In the trailer, V fired at enemies from their car and even hacked their vehicles. That was the combat variety we were promised before launch. It took years to arrive, but it finally did. The Gamescom appearance also confirmed the 2.0 update. That was huge news for players on current-gen consoles. You did not need to buy the DLC to get the combat overhauls. Everyone on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC could benefit. That felt like a genuine apology for the rough launch.

I played the demo at a local event, and later I played the full expansion when it launched on September 26, 2023. Phantom Liberty was the first and last story expansion for Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red largely pulled support from PS4 and Xbox One, which made sense. The old consoles could not handle the new systems. The expansion added a respec option, so you could mix up your character build without restarting. It added new locations in Night City, giving you more to do in the base game after the story. That mattered because Night City is a character itself, and new areas made it feel alive again.

Here are the changes that stuck with me the most:

Feature What it changed My 2026 verdict
Perk overhaul Rebuilt skill trees and added new abilities Essential. Builds feel meaningful now.
Relic skill tree Added glitch dash and unique combat moves The best reason to own Phantom Liberty.
Vehicle combat Let you shoot and hack from cars Finally made driving missions fun.
Finishers Added chainsaw and body-throwing attacks Absurd, brutal, unforgettable.
Respec option Allowed build changes without restarting A quality-of-life win.
New locations Expanded Night City with fresh gigs Gave me a reason to return.

Was it the redemption arc CD Projekt Red promised? In many ways, yes. The 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty did not erase the launch problems, but they made Cyberpunk 2077 feel like the game we were promised back in 2020. By 2026, the expansion is old news, but it is still the definitive way to play. The current-gen versions are stable, the combat is deep, and the story expansion is tight and memorable. If you are picking up the game for the first time today, you are getting the best version. If you played at launch and left, you should come back. The game respects your time now.

I still think about that trailer. It was likely the last one we got before launch day, and it focused on gameplay instead of cinematics. That was a smart choice. It showed me that Phantom Liberty was not just a story add-on. It was a full combat refresh. The new finishers, the Relic tree, the vehicle hacking, the respec option, the new locations—they all added up. In 2026, I can say without hesitation that Phantom Liberty was worth the wait. It gave Cyberpunk 2077 a second life. And honestly, who does not want to throw a dead body at a scavenger? 🎮💥