"Cyberpunk Was A Warning, Not An Aspiration," Clarifies Cyberpunk Creator

In recent weeks, protests have erupted across the world in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, and many game makers are issuing statements in solidarity with the protesters. R. Talsorian Games, the company behind Cyberpunk--the tabletop roleplaying game that serves as the setting and basis for the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077--has written a blog post that makes its position abundantly clear.

"We don't just condemn racism. We despise it," the post reads in part. "People, no matter the color of their skin, their gender identity, their sexual preference, their ethnicity, their physical and mental differences, their age, or their religion have a right to live their lives without worrying about being harassed or beaten or killed by others, especially others with power and authority."

As the statement notes, RTG was founded by a Black man, Mike Pondsmith--the creator of the Cyberpunk RPG--and remains one of the most notable Black-owned companies in the RPG space. The statement also says that Pondsmith is working on a more-complete blog post that will express his feelings on "race, abuse of authority, and power" more fully. In the meantime, he offers a trenchant, oft-attributed quote: "Cyberpunk was a warning, not an aspiration."

Arguably the most-anticipated game of the year, Cyberpunk 2077 will come to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in September, with a Stadia release coming sometime after. A gameplay stream was recently delayed by publisher CD Projekt Red due to ongoing social unrest.

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