Cyberpunk 2077 Gives You 3 Vastly Different Prologues Depending On V's Backstory

Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't feature an established protagonist like developer CD Projekt Red's The Witcher series--instead, you build main character V from the ground up by choosing their appearance and shaping their personality. This agency extends to V's backstory, of which there are three to choose from.

"We wanted to give the players freedom of creating their own character, but at the same time establish some kind of connection with V on a narrative level," Cyberpunk 2077 lead story writer Tomasz Marchewka said. "The three origin stories share a common motivation, but give the character different roots which will have consequences throughout the whole game."

Much like BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins, the backstory you choose will have significant ramifications on your story (though it will likely hit hardest in the side missions instead of the campaign), starting with the opening prologue. Your prologue will take place in different locations and see you encounter different people depending on which backstory you choose, ultimately shaping how your V perceives the world and other people for the rest of the game.

The Corporate path sees V begin as an Arasaka agent whose body is "oozing with top-of-the-line, military-grade cyberware" and starts you out in the City Center where you'll meet characters like Agent Jenkins and Abernathy. If you'd rather V's journey begin on the opposite end of the societal spectrum, you can choose for their backstory to be Street Kid, which sees the game open up in the gang-infested neighborhood of Heywood where you know Fixer Kirk and Padre. As a Nomad, V doesn't even begin their story inside Night City--instead they're a travelling lone wolf who's temporarily settled in the Badlands on the outskirts of the city where they meet characters like Sheriff and Iguana.

"Our main goal with the life paths was to give players different perspectives on Cyberpunk 2077's world and society," Cyberpunk 2077 quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz said. "We show three very different backgrounds for V, and each path has been custom tailored to show Night City in a unique way. I believe each one will create very distinct player experiences."