Shacknews Most Improved Game of 2022 - Cyberpunk 2077

There is no denying that the release and first year of Cyberpunk 2077 could have gone better. The game launched with more bugs than NPCs, was pulled from virtual stores, and spent months receiving no major content updates while developers scrambled to fix what was a broken mess. Fast forward to 2022, though, and Cyberpunk 2077 is finally in a good place, and the rocky launch feels like a distant memory.

While it isn’t a requirement that a game releases broken for it to grab the Most Improved title at the 2022 Shacknews Awards, there is no denying that Cyberpunk 2077’s improvement wasn’t on top of an already strong offering. The developers at CD Projekt RED have spent two years getting the game into a good state, and we’re finally starting to see new content make its way to Night City. This is in part thanks to the Netflix series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which offers crossover content that was key in getting players to return to the game again. As people like myself stepped back into Cyberpunk 2077 after bouncing off that infamous launch, we found what we hoped would be there all the way back in 2020, a quality experience in both content and performance.

Today, Cyberpunk is a visually stunning game that runs beautifully on your platform of choice, allowing players to immerse themselves in its deep characters and engaging questlines. Where bugs and performance issues once acted as blockers to having a good time in Night City, players can now marvel at the content, which is the way it should have been two years ago. The game has come so far from its rough introduction back in December 2020 that it’s earned the Shacknews Most Improved Game of 2022.

Check out our Year of the Games: 2022 article to see all of the other Shacknews Awards that have been announced so far.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.